Congress Still Has a Long Way to Go On Surveillance Reform

[Commentary] In 2013, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation estimated that if concerns about US surveillance caused even a modest drop in the expected foreign market share for cloud computing services, it could cost the United States between $21.5 billion and $35 billion by 2016. But it has since become clear that the US tech industry as a whole, not just the cloud computing sector, has underperformed as a result of the US government’s surveillance activities. Therefore, the economic impact will likely far exceed the ITIF’s initial estimate. To turn back the tide of protectionism and boost US competitiveness in the tech sector, it is incumbent on Congress and the Obama Administration to establish new standards for transparency, cooperation, and accountability.

First, the US government should be forthcoming and transparent about its surveillance practices and clearly inform the public about the data it collects domestically and abroad. Second, the US government should work with its trading partners to establish international legal standards for government access to data. This should include international rules for transparency, settle questions of jurisdiction, and limit unnecessary access by governments to citizens of other countries. Only by being forthcoming and honest with the world can the United States hope to repair the trust it has lost and regain its competitiveness.

[Alan McQuinn is a research assistant with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation]