Tech’s surveillance hopes stopped in their tracks

Silicon Valley had high hopes for surveillance reform -- but that was before Congress headed for the midterm exits amid talk of increased global terrorist threats.

The Senate fled Washington without taking action on a bill to rein in the National Security Agency’s bulk data collection, a measure that topped the industry’s agenda after Edward Snowden’s leaks about the NSA’s expansive snooping programs. Tech giants like Google, Yahoo and Microsoft have pushed the Senate to act on the legislation, which they regard as far tougher on the spy agency than what previously passed the House.

Congress will have just a narrow window to tackle NSA reform when it returns after the midterm elections, and lawmakers like Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) have suggested hitting the brakes given new threats from the terrorist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. And with immigration reform dead in Congress, tech has been pushing President Barack Obama to boost high-skilled labor programs through a series of promised executive orders, but it’s unclear what the White House can -- or will -- do on that front. Some industry players remain hopeful, but the bruised, battle-weary tech sector easily could end up 0-for-2.