CCIA Cautions Against Legislation on Electronic Surveillance

File Under: 2006, CCIA

Sep 7, 2006

WASHINGTON – Policymakers should proceed slowly before broadly authorizing warrantless electronic surveillance of personal and business communications, the Computer & Communications Industry Association told the Senate Judiciary Committee in a letter today.

Following partial markup of several bills o n electronic surveillance, CCIA urged the committee to reject proposals that effectively undermine constitutional checks and balances. "In addition to their constitutional problems, proposals that vest invisible and unrestrained surveillance power would likely facilitate improper pressure upon industry entities to be law enforcement surrogates, sacrificing customers’ privacy," said CCIA President & CEO Ed Black.

CCIA believes that the threat of widespread, secret, and unchecked surveillance of the billions of messages that flow between our customers, especially U.S. citizens, will be corrosive of the fundamental openness and freedom necessary for our communications networks. "The loss of a sense of privacy in personal and confidential business communications will have a long term, harmful impact o n the dynamic and innovative growth of our sector of the economy," Black continued.

The letter also states that the issue has international implications. The U.S. Government needs greater credibility to help shield U.S. companies from foreign surveillance practices that can result in oppression. Current efforts to broaden executive surveillance powers erode the credibility of the U.S. Government o n privacy matters. This lack of U.S. leadership undermines U.S. companies who must contend with censors, regulators and secret police in other nations.