Investment Firms Say Corporate Role in Government Surveillance Programs Raises ‘Serious Concern’

Citing the potential of “unprecedented and dangerous threats to the privacy of hundreds of millions of people” from government surveillance programs, a group of leading sustainable investment firms has called upon publicly-held U.S. companies to demonstrate leadership by adopting “a pro-active, principled approach to protecting the privacy and rights of their users.”

In an open letter to companies, the investors said that while the surveillance programs “stem from a legitimate concern over terrorism and national security - a concern that we share deeply – we believe companies must, not only for commercial reasons, exercise independent, principled and critical judgment in protecting the privacy of their customers and clients consistent with international human rights norms and standards.” Signers of the letter included executives from Boston Common Asset Management, Trillium Asset Management, Clean Yield Asset Management, Newground Social Investment, Zevin Asset Management and Arjuna Capital.