Tech Companies Reel as NSA's Spying Tarnishes Reputations

[Brian4Liberty]

Just another kick to the US economy.

U.S. technology companies are in danger of losing more business to foreign competitors if the National Security Agency’s power to spy on customers isn’t curbed, researchers with the New America Foundation said in a report today.

The report, by the foundation’s Open Technology Institute, called for prohibiting the NSA from collecting data in bulk, while letting companies report more details about what information they give the government. Senate legislation introduced today would fulfill some recommendations by the institute, a Washington-based advocacy group that has been critical of NSA programs.

Citing concerns from top executives of Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) and other companies, the report made a case that NSA spying could damage the $150 billion industry for cloud computing services. Those services are expanding rapidly as businesses move software and data to remote servers.
...
Microsoft joined with Yahoo! Inc., Google Inc. and other companies in a coalition calling for broad restrictions on NSA spying.
...
U.S. technology companies may lose as much as $35 billion in the next three years from foreign customers choosing not to buy their products over concern they cooperate with spy programs, according to an earlier study by the Washington-based Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.
China Sales

Cisco became one of the first companies to go public with concerns about NSA spying. The revelations affected sales in China and caused customers in other countries to hesitate when making decisions about buying products, John Chambers, chairman and chief executive officer for the San Jose, California-based company, said during an earnings conference call in November.

In a May 15 letter to President Barack Obama, Chambers said confidence in a free and open Internet “is eroded” by revelations of government surveillance and called for “a new set of rules of the road.”

A Cisco spokesman, John Earnhardt, declined to comment on whether the company has continued to see slow sales, saying its fiscal year fourth-quarter earnings will be reported Aug. 13.

The government of Germany also has announced that it plans to cancel a contract with Verizon Communications Inc. in response to the spying disclosures.

It’s not possible to put an exact dollar figure on the cost of lost business for U.S. companies as a result of the NSA revelations, Dawson and Hopfensperger said.

“If a customer goes directly to a non-U.S provider for something, you never know that you didn’t get the call,” Hopfensperger said.
...
More:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-0...r-clients.html

[HOLLYWOOD]

These same companies/corporations didn't have any problem taking stolen loot from Uncle Sam's plunder chest, to turnover YOUR/everyone's communications, information, and actively spy on everyone around the world for the same government pirates... a generous charge of course. Same goes for the banking cartel system...

Oh no, it's affecting their bottom line, now it's a problem? They knew the repercussions, but since it was all TOP SECRET, they took the risk to make some hidden cash and were all exposed by Eduard Snowden. These same corporations didn't fight back, since the US government was bribing them with a lucrative deal, but wound up destroying the trust in their products/business... so deal with it MicroSux, Gaggle, HP, EMC-RSA, NetcrApp, CISCO, IBM, et al... y'all sold out America/Americans/Customers and rightfully so, your businesses should suffer the consequences.

[Brian4Liberty]

These same companies/corporations didn't have any problems taking stolen loot from Uncle Sam's plunder chest, to turnover YOURS/everyones communications, information, and actively spy on everyone for the same government pirates... for a generous charge of course. Same goes for the banking system...

Oh no, it's affecting their bottom line, now it's a problem? They new it would, but since it was TOP SECRET, they took the risk to make some hidden cash and were all exposed by Eduard Snowden. These same corporations didn't fight back, since the US government was bribing them with a lucrative amount of cash, and destroy the trust of their products/business... so deal with it MicroSux, Gaggle, HP, EMC, NetcrApp, CISCO, IBM, et al... you all sold out America/Americans/Customers and rightfully so, your businesses should suffer the consequences.

Yeah, they have made a ton of money catering to government. Unfortunately for them, this exposure has limited their income from other governments, who don't want US backdoors built into all of their tech.

No worries, the corporatist plan is to make up for lost revenue by getting rid of American workers and replacing them with cheaper imports. That will be part of the plan to "help" them. Another successful big corporation and government partnership.

[DamianTV]

Yeah, they have made a ton of money catering to government. Unfortunately for them, this exposure has limited their income from other governments, who don't want US backdoors built into all of their tech.

No worries, the corporatist plan is to make up for lost revenue by getting rid of American workers and replacing them with cheaper imports. That will be part of the plan to "help" them. Another successful big corporation and government partnership.

Fascism is apparently dependant on Profits as well as workers with zero ethics.

Ya know, I always wondered how these super geniuses that work at the NSA are unable to figure out that the actions of our own Govt are the ones provoking the Terrorism around the world. They cant figure out that the Banks are the ones that really run this country. They cant figure out that their own actions are provoking reactions. Have they not figured out that the Powers That Be see even NSA Employees as disposable as every other human being that isnt a part of the Status Quo? It doesnt take a Genius to see this $#@!. I guess this is where all the Psychological Sociopathy comes into play. As long as I get my big fat paycheck from the US Govt, and more importantly, take from those the US Govt stole it from to begin with, then screw everyone else. Do they genuinely believe that Totalitarianism in its absolute worst form is really the type of society they want to live in?

United States of North Korea apparently, and not enough have a problem with it.

[Anti Federalist]

$#@! 'em... hope they all go tits up.

Ya lie with dogs, yer gonna get fleas.

[Anti Federalist]

Everybody gets rep...

[Working Poor]

FU tech companies for selling out the people.

[brushfire]

Jerk offs... reminds me of an old tool song. Something about consequences dictating the course of action.

I agree, let every one of those mother grabbin' sell outs burn.

[osan]

Am I the only one to find it oddly amusing that of all companies, Microsoft is complaining about government intrusions of this sort when they have been so deeply involved in cooperating with the same government and providing much of the means for conducting the very operations of which they now bemoan?

[amy31416]

It's all a show.

[idiom]

How is the NSA escaping prosecution from Congress?

Putting backdoors in all this equipment has surely opened America to attacks on its strategic infrastructure from enemies like Russia and China.

Its criminal.

[DamianTV]

The one time this statement might actually be right...

The NSA did this to itself.

[HOLLYWOOD]

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