Tech giants pushing U.S. Senate to limit NSA spying

PanARMENIAN.Net - Trade groups representing Facebook Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. are pushing the Senate to pass legislation limiting National Security Agency spying before the Republican majority takes control of the chamber, Bloomberg reports.

A coalition of Internet and technology companies, which also include Google Inc. and Twitter Inc., support a bill the Senate plans to vote on Nov 18 to prohibit the NSA from bulk collection of their subscribers’ e-mails and other electronic communications. Many of the companies opposed a Republican-backed bill the House passed in May, saying a “loophole” would allow bulk collection of Internet user data.

Members of the Consumer Electronics Association “have already lost contracts with foreign governments worth millions of dollars,” in response to revelations about U.S. spying, Gary Shapiro, president and chief executive officer of the group that represents Apple, Google and Microsoft, wrote in a letter sent to all senators on Nov 13.

U.S. Internet and technology companies are confronting a domestic and international backlash against government spying that may cost them as much as $180 billion in lost business, according to Forrester Research Inc.