Reform Government Surveillance

Open Letter to the Senate:

The Senate has an opportunity this week to vote on the bipartisan USA Freedom Act.
We urge you to pass the bill, which both protects national security and reaffirms
America's commitment to the freedoms we all cherish.

The legislation prevents the bulk collection of Internet metadata under various
authorities. The bill also allows for transparency about government demands for user
information from technology companies, and assures that the appropriate oversight
and accountability mechanisms are in place.

Since forming the Reform Government Surveillance coalition last year, our companies
have continued to invest in strengthening the security of our services and increasing
transparency. Now, the Senate has the opportunity to send a strong message of
change to the world and encourage other countries to adopt similar protections.

Passing the USA Freedom Act, however, does not mean our work is finished. We will
continue to work with Congress, the Administration, civil liberties groups and
governments around the world to advance essential reforms that we set forth in a set
of principles last year. Such reforms include: preventing government access to data
without proper legal process; assuring that providers are not required to locate
infrastructure within a country’s border; promoting the free flow of data across
borders; and avoiding conflicts among nations through robust, principled, and
transparent frameworks that govern lawful requests for data across jurisdictions.

Now is the time to move forward on meaningful change to our surveillance programs.
We encourage you to support the USA Freedom Act.