Today, TechFreedom joined a coalition of companies, industry associations and civil society organizations in signing a letter calling on Congress to pass the USA FREEDOM Act.
The letter states:
With Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act set to expire in just 26 days, we believe the USA FREEDOM Act offers an effective path forward. The USA FREEDOM Act allows Congress to support privacy and civil liberties while also preserving targeted intelligence capabilities. We urge Congress to swiftly pass this legislation without weakening it.
The bill would put an end to bulk data collection authorized under the PATRIOT Act. It would also significantly improve transparency by requiring the disclosure of important rulings by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, increasing government reporting requirements regarding surveillance activities, and allowing greater levels of reporting by private entities that receive surveillance demands.
While the USA FREEDOM Act is far from comprehensive surveillance reform, it is an important step in the right direction that Congress should continue to build upon.