Privacy group outlines cost of surveillance

Spying at the National Security Agency and elsewhere is hurting U.S. businesses, American foreign policy and security across the Internet, according to new analysis from a group of civil liberties advocates.

The 60-page report released by the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute on Tuesday comes on the same day that Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is introducing his new version of a bill to reform the contested spying outfit, and could provide a boost for critics of the agency. 

“Our findings indicate that the NSA’s actions have already begun to, and will continue to, cause significant damage to the interests of the United States and the global Internet community,” the organization wrote in its report.

At the top of the list are tech companies, who have suffered losses estimated to be in the billions of dollars due to people’s loss of trust in their services. They could be further hurt by foreign governments who begin to distrust the current structure of the Internet and call for new laws that data be held in their countries or assert more control online.

Additionally, disclosures that the U.S. had snooped on foreign leaders in Brazil, Germany and other countries have damaged the countries’ international alliances, and the friction could be felt for years.

“The U.S. government is fighting an uphill battle at the moment to regain credibility in international Internet governance debates and to defend its moral high ground as a critic of authoritarian regimes that limit freedom of expression and violate human rights online,” the organization said in its report. “Moreover, the fallout from the NSA’s surveillance activities has spilled over into other areas of U.S. foreign policy and currently threatens bilateral relations with a number of key allies.”  

Finally, NSA operations to find vulnerability online and ensure agents have “backdoors” to peer into people’s communications “have undermined trust in the security of the Internet itself,” the report declared.

The report comes as Leahy is set to introduce his new, more aggressive version of the USA Freedom Act, which tech companies and organizations including the Open Technology Institute have rallied behind.

Kevin Bankston, the organization’s policy director, said in a statement that the new bill “would go a long way toward stemming the costs of the NSA’s spying programs and restoring trust in the American Internet industry, by prohibiting bulk records collection and providing substantially more transparency around the NSA’s surveillance programs.”

Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/technology/213638-privacy-group-outlines-cost-of-surveillance#ixzz38uK1NEbd 

You need to be a member of Ashtar Command - Spiritual Community to add comments!

Join Ashtar Command - Spiritual Community

Email me when people reply –

Topics by Tags

Monthly Archives

Latest Activity

Andromedaner Z left a comment on Comment Wall
"anti-government protests in Ireland since yesterday and as of today France's farmers and truck drivers joined them"
6 hours ago
Love & Joy posted a discussion
 Affirmations For Awakening The Divine Presence By Steven Hutchinson  How To Maximize the Divine Benefits of these I Am Affirmations: I invite you to move to a quiet and peaceful place and use your spiritual practices to get into a relaxed, peaceful…
7 hours ago
Drekx Omega left a comment on Comment Wall
"Along with fictional characters, such as Lord Emsworth of Blandings castle, or Bertie Wooster and Jeeves......the real life Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, could easily present himself, in a similar style of English eccentricity and mannered, upper-crust…"
8 hours ago
Roberto Durante left a comment on Comment Wall
"This is Germany of Ursula v Der Lies and crimes In resume, it is a muslim manifestation in Germany require for their right to have a caliphate…"
10 hours ago
Drekx Omega left a comment on Comment Wall
"Thanks Donald.......!! Trump is a greater "British" patriot, than Starmer ever was, or ever could be...
"Starmer Talks Out Of His ANUS!" | Presenter ROASTS Labour After Trump Forces Chagos U-Turn…"
10 hours ago
Drekx Omega commented on Drekx Omega's blog post Greta Thunberg's Alarmist Tactics Suit Elite Agendas
"Frankly, the more obnoxious and disruptive Palestinian protesters are, in western cities, the more the local populations will be turned off their manic cause....They seek to cause trouble...they will receive trouble...The wider world is bored with…"
10 hours ago
Drekx Omega left a comment on Comment Wall
"Update on the Iran situation, is that several anti-islamic regime, guerrilla groups, like HDO, are using their newly acquired US weapons to attack and execute the murderous IRGC....This is in fact, a self defence operation.....and swift justice,…"
12 hours ago
Drekx Omega commented on AlternateEarth's blog post SHOCKING 3I ATLAS Pictures… Comet 2026 EATEN by the Sun? Where Is the Artemis Crew?
"Timings cannot be given, at present...Much needs to be completed following the foundational work of the timelord...
When will the Elohim architects arrive, to complete the final stages..?? We are not privy to that information, at present, as I…"
12 hours ago
More…

A basic conclusion is provided at the end for the uninitiated. Per astrology research, the Pleiades Cluster is associated with "calamities, rebellion, public protests, and public craziness." Transiting…

Read more…