Tech giants join forces to stop NSA snooping

Microsoft, Apple, AOL, Google, Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo and LinkedIn team up to urge US government to reform its practices

A handful of tech giants embroiled in the National Security Agency (NSA) data snooping scandal have joined forces to urge the US government to address its security practices.

In the summer, US security analyst Edward Snowden leaked information which he claimed proved that the NSA was allowed access to a range of tech firms' customer data, sparking global outrage from users and governments around the world.

Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Twitter, AOL and Paltalk were all accused of allowing the NSA to see their customers' data at the time – and many denied it – and today all but the latter have joined together to fight back.

In an open letter, the eight tech giants urge US president Barack Obama and members of Congress to reform the country's security practices or risk undermining freedom.

"We understand that governments have a duty to protect their citizens... but this summer's revelations highlighted the urgent need to reform government surveillance practices worldwide," the letter reads.

"The balance in many countries has tipped too far in favour of the state and away from the rights of the individual – rights that are enshrined in our constitution. This undermines the freedoms we all cherish. It's time for a change."

The companies' proposals centre around limiting governments' authority to collect users' information, clearer accountability process and more transparency, respecting the need to freely transfer data across countries and avoiding conflicts between governments when it comes to data access.

Microsoft's executive vice president for legal and corporate affairs, Brad Smith, said it was essential for people to be able to trust technology.

"People won't use technology they don't trust. Governments have put this trust at risk, and governments need to help restore it," he said.