JusticeDept.com

Apple, Facebook, Microdosft, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google are calling for government surveillance reform. Ironically, their website, ReformGovernmentSurveillance.com, is currently not working; nevertheless, the tech giants feel the US government has become to intrusive and costly spying on its own citizens.  The revelations brought forth by Edward Snowdown have made the matter painfully clear.

“We understand that governments have a duty to protect their citizens. But this summer’s revelations highlighted the urgent need to reform government surveillance practices worldwide,” the companies say in the letter to President Obama and members of Congress. “The balance in many countries has tipped too far in favor of the state and away from the rights of the individual rights that are enshrined in our Constitution. This undermines the freedoms we all cherish. It’s time for change.”

“People won’t use technology they don’t trust,” wrote Brad Smith general counsel and executive vice president at Microsoft. “Governments have put this trust at risk, and governments need to help restore it.”

“Reports about government surveillance have shown there is a real need for greater disclosure and new limits on how governments collect information,” said Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook. “The U.S. government should take this opportunity to lead this reform effort and make things right.”