We know the NSA has generated negative headlines for its spying pursuits. But have these headlines hurt business across the nation? The leaders of the country’s largest tech firms think so. They told Pres. Obama all about it during a recent meeting at the White House. The Washington Post reported on the meeting. The consensus from the tech leaders? The NSA program has the potential to further slow the country’s already sluggish economic recovery.
Concerns
According to the Post’s story, tech leaders had a unified message: The NSA spying revelations have prompted many customers to steer clear of U.S.-branded products. That’s exactly what one executive from Cisco Systems said in the meeting. Other tech leaders — including those from IBM and Verizon — said that NSA spying headlines have resulted in angry shareholders.
Suggestions
The tech leaders told Obama that they want limits put on how much spying on U.S. customers that the NSA does. They also announced they wanted more transparency with how the agency operates. In summary, they want the government to do what it can to make their customers less angry about the spying program.
Response
The Post story stated that Obama told the tech companies that he understood their concerns and that he would keep them in mind as the White House completed its review of NSA surveillance programs. Tech companies are important to the U.S. economy. They have largely led the country’s slow but steady economic recovery. It makes sense, then, for the White House to do what it can to keep these firms happy.