i2Coalition Statement on State of the Union Address

Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coaliton) Co-Founder and Board Chair Christian Dawson released the following statement in response to President Obama’s State of the Union address: “In regards to NSA surveillance, it is imperative that we strike the appropriate balance between privacy and security. Without actions that include meaningful reforms to both bulk surveillance, and the indiscriminate use of National Security Letters, all together such a balance is unlikely to be achieved. Bulk collection programs employed by the National Security Agency are neglecting civil liberties and undermining privacy. Reports of unchecked and often warrantless electronic surveillance deepen the concerns that our customers have over their information’s security, at home and overseas. This has a strong economic impact on US Internet companies, potentially costing US based cloud providers up to $35 billion in revenue. […] The Internet is a story of economic success, and one that shines especially bright in a struggling overall economy. The President and Congress need to work together to ensure that all impacted industries have a seat at the table so that this engine of economic growth continues to move forward. Washington must rise up to the challenge to ensure that Internet innovation continues to fuel the economic recovery.”