Privacy fight is far from over

The Senate's passage of the USA Freedom Act marks the first time since the Nixon administration that Congress chose to rein in a powerful intelligence agency such as the NSA. Ending the National Security Agency's ability to collect data wholesale was a significant step toward reclaiming Americans' privacy rights. But Congress is not close to restoring a presumption of privacy -- or to rebuilding trust in digital communication, the foundation of the tech industry that drives the American economy. The cost to the tech industry as a result of NSA spying is estimated to reach $200 billion by 2016, as Americans and our European and Asian allies lose confidence in our security software. The expiration of the Patriot Act signals the end of mass collection of Americans' phone records without a warrant. But really, the reforms in the USA Freedom Act are modest. They leave intelligence agencies ample room to continue needless invasions of privacy.