Thoughtworks Supports USA Freedom Act, Calls on Congress to End NSA Overreach

Today, Thoughtworks issued a press release in support of the USA Freedom Act sponsored by Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and House Judiciary oversight leader Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.). The USA Freedom Act seeks to end the bulk collection of Americans’ phone records, install a special advocate at the country’s surveillance court, and increase transparency for government agencies and online service providers.

We endorsed the bill as an important first step towards curbing NSA overreach and ending mass surveillance. On the same day, we  also released a letter from President and Chief Operating Officer Craig Gorsline to members of Congress calling for urgent action to reign in the NSA.

“At Thoughtworks, we have witnessed the adverse effects of the National Security Agency interception of data from Internet transmissions and data centers first-hand and have been involved in many conversations concerning the future of our industry should this unauthorized blanket surveillance be continued without proper transparency and oversight," Gorsline writes.

"The government’s sweeping, capricious spying is causing businesses to reconsider the use of many efficient, cost-effective technologies that have become commonplace in recent years, because the NSA may intercept their data, or their customers’ data, during transmission or while at rest, in data centers. This practice threatens productivity, it is bad for business and Congress should end it.”

Read the entire letter online.