The Global Network Initiative has joined with a wide range of privacy and human rights advocates, technology companies, and trade associations to agree on key elements of U.S surveillance reform.
In a letter to Congress and the Obama Administration, the coalition has urged a clear, strong, and effective end to bulk collection practices under the USA PATRIOT Act, transparency and accountability mechanisms for government and company reporting, and a declassification regime for Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court decisions.
As Congress and the executive branch consider surveillance reforms, GNI urges them to consider the international implications of U.S. reforms. The United States has an opportunity to demonstrate real leadership by enacting reforms that would bring oversight and control over surveillance regimes commensurate with their capacity. Reforms should help to ensure an approach to national security surveillance worthy of adoption globally that protects the privacy rights of all persons.
GNI participants, including companies who are members of the Reform Government Surveillance coalition, and civil society organizations including the Center for Democracy & Technology, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, PEN American Center, and World Press Freedom Committee signed the letter.