University of Central Florida

The Hidden Impact of the National Security Agency on the Business World

Dasha Karpovtsev
ENC 3315
Professor Weaver
21 April 2014

The purpose of this paper is to inform a targeted audience of corporate CEOs including
Virginia Rometty of IBM and Garcia Martore of Gannett, on the implications that their online
business branches are currently facing, specifically due to the NSAs constant online
surveillance. I intend to illustrate the consequences of of profit loss and censorship, as well as
provide viable actions for the CEOs to engage in, ultimately aiding in the establishment of
limitations and guidelines for the NSA.
Dasha Karpovtsev
Corporate CEOs

Karpovtsev 2

ENC 3315
19 April 2014
The Hidden Impact of the National Security Agency on the Business World
It seems that after Edward Snowdens release of classified information in regards to the
National Security Agencys phone and internet spying, there have been heightened discussions
on the topic of online privacy. One might view their actions as a safety precaution, while others
may see it as both an unethical and unconstitutional approach. Recently the White House has
even pushed Congress to implement changes to the NSA Surveillance Program, because there
was growing potential for power abuse. The predicament seems to intertwine the aspects of
personal rights, safety, and overall censorship when it comes to allowing the NSA to monitor us,
while at the same time alluding to the impact it has on the business world. Yes, even the business
world. Our society may not emphasize on the business consequences of this online surveillance
program, but it is quickly becoming evident on the negative impact it is portraying through
quantitative and qualitative findings. Due to the NSAs constant online surveillance, corporations
are now losing profit and struggling with governmental censorship, resulting in the crucial need
for guidelines and limitations. This brings up the question whether the NSAs work is actually
focused on only safety measures, or suggests an increase of unnecessary censorship and limitless
corporate spying? CEOs of corporations such as IBM and Gannett need to fathom the
implications that the NSA is creating for their businesses, as well as realize the necessary steps
they can take in order to help ameliorate the current predicament.
Evidently, we begin to ask ourselves on how exactly we let the NSA spying get this bad?
The overall nature of the situation is simply, secrecy. The NSA started off as a surveillance

Karpovtsev 3

program that the public was not aware of, and was implemented by disclosed congress and court
rulings (Toomey, Kaufman). Therefore we can clearly agree that we, as citizens, were not
provided with specific details and understanding to the extent of their work, nor did we ever give
consent. We can of course refer to their work as being the governmental protection stated in
under the constitution, but where are their limitations or even guidelines? I agree with the article,
The Guardian wrote, that stated The more we learn, the clearer it is that our surveillance laws
and oversight rules are in dramatic need of reform, like the USA Freedom Act, that provide both
transparency and real protections for privacy (Toomey, Kaufman). Now Im not saying that we
should try fully eradicate NSAs surveillance and censorship facets, but they certainly do need to
be regulated. Businesses are facing negative drawbacks from the decrease in European
customers, as well as the issue of censorship, therefore we need to implement some changes. I
stated in the beginning how the White House has been pushing Congress to alter NSAs data
collection program regarding phones, and I think that this is a very important step in
revolutionizing the idea of privacy. The Obama administration has stated that the presidents goal
was to end government mass collection of Americans phone records, specifically since it was
not necessary unless there was a warrant or an emergency from the FIA (Nakashima, Ellen). If
even the White house quotes that there is potential for abuse, shouldnt that foreshadow that
the NSA maybe taken advantage of their power? By taking into consideration the actions that
Obama has been trying, it is clear that modifications in our current online privacy for businesses
and censorship need to be reevaluated.
One of the main predicaments of NSAs constant monitoring that many corporations are
not aware of, is revenue loss. Its understandable that many businesses may not take into
consideration that governmental spying could pose potential threats for them, but they now need

Karpovtsev 4

to understand that it is directly affecting their revenue. Analysts including Forrester Research
predict billions in losses for U.S. Internet services such as Dropbox and Amazon because of
suspicion from technology consumers, particularly in Europe, in the wake of Snowdens
revelations (Regalado, Antonio). This information was explicated in the MIT Technology
Review, and its pretty much foreshadowing the idea that if consumers do not trust the
government, then they cannot trust their services. Foreign consumers are becoming worried that
their personal information will be breached or that their business could potentially be hacked
through the use of the NSAs online surveillance programs. So what exactly is happening? It
seems as if the internet has actually become the governments weapon, and it may become too
risky for corporations and businesses to engage with. Some of the implications are already
visible, such as consumers are favoring more anonymous apps and even large Internet
companies, like Google, are encrypting all their communications ( Regalado, Antonio). Another
example is that American firms such as Cisco Systems are stating that their Chinese customers
are turning away, due to Snowdens documents suggesting that the NSA inserts back door in
gear, software, and undersea cables in order to spy (Regaldo, Antonio). Even though American
customers are concerned about the NSA, it seems that both European and Asians customers are
much more serious about their decisions in staying away from American services. It is important
to acknowledge this information, because for example, When it comes to Europe, many of the
American corporations make large revenues over seas, having Apple make 22% of their net
income for example, and over 261 million Facebook users (Ganesan, Arvind). This means that
many corporate companiess revenues are based off of European and Asians markets, therefore if
the NSA continues their online monitoring, than American corporations will be surely begin to
suffer. By analyzing these statistics, it becomes clear that this is not just some sort of

Karpovtsev 5

preconceived idea that future problems may arise, its the idea that this is already happening
now, and changes need to be implemented.
One of the other main implications concerning online privacy is of course censorship for
businesses. I can fathom the purpose of censorship in specific situations, but Im not sure I can
concur with the NSA censoring non threatening and government defamatory information off the
internet. In recent years, even Google has explicated an alarming rise in censorship requests from
the government, which begs the question the nature of their actions. In one incident cited in the
report, a U.S. law enforcement agency asked Google to take down a blog that "allegedly
defamed a law enforcement official in a personal capacity" (Sutter, John). We live in a
democratic society whose constitution allows us the freedom of speech, therefore why was this
blog being censored? Its censorship like this that creates issues, because we should be able to
have the right to express our thoughts and opinions, thus referring to the issue of online
governmental interference. Also, in the last half of 2011, U.S. agencies asked Google to remove
6,192 individual pieces of content from its search results, blog posts or archives of online videos,
according to their reports ( Sutter, John). It really does become worrying as well when you see
the amount of removals the NSA requests according to Googles transparency report, and makes
you think that their elucidation of spying for safety may not actually be accurately portrayed. It
is perfectly understandable that we live in an era where attacks and threats are constantly present,
but how is censoring sources about government workers or the government in general an ethical
approach?
You may be wondering now, how exactly does this censorship information correlate to
your business? Simply put, advertising. The reason for providing these statistics and explanations
about censorship, is to emphasize on the lack of freedom we are currently experiencing online

Karpovtsev 6

and how it may affect the advertising field. If the NSA is constantly requesting google to take
down blogs and information that is not obscene, then how can they promise not to take down
your advertising and marketing ventures? The online world needs to provide an environment
where your corporations ideas and services will flourish, without the constant harassment and
requests from the government. Also, corporations are not aware the the NSA actually uses their
advertisements as a way to track their so called targets. What do I exactly mean by this?
According to the Business Insider, the NSA is using the tracking data intended for Googles
advertisers to locate its target, and hack that specific computer to access its information (Feloni,
Richard). The NSA is using corporate advertisements as a new approach to hack into their
customers computers and take advantage of their spying nature. We once again would allude
this implication to the trust aspect, the idea that our customers are not trusting us anymore,
therefore our business revenues decreasing.
A perfect example of this customer trust implication, was when the Rovio Entertainment
company (software company behind the Angry Birds app) was furious finding out that the NSA
was breaching into their data through the use of advertisements, as well as hacking into their
customers information. Their CEO released a statement saying Our fans trust is the most
important thing for us and we take privacy extremely seriously, We do not collaborate, collude,
or share data with spy agencies anywhere in the world (Ball, James). This company was focused
on illustrating the concept that there was no compliance to the NSA spying on them and their
customers, and they do not wish to have a relationship with the disparate ad platforms. Once
again, there was no warrant for this purpose, the NSA just decided to obtain their information,
thus alluding to the concept of constant governmental interference. This is the type of thinking
that businesses such as IBM and Gannett need to adopt, to understand that their customers come

Karpovtsev 7

first, or their revenue, and that the NSA should not have the authority to breach such
regulations. Their possible solutions were to re-evaluate working with third party advertising
networks, as well as try to restrict the NSA from breaching into their systems. As you can see,
they were not willing to use third party advertisements currently, which potentially could of been
one of your corporate advertisements on their page. You will begin to realize that everything
turns into a vicious cycle with the NSAs impact on your business, and the loss of your
customers trust will be one of the biggest implications you will have to face in regards to
advertising and selling your products.
So after elucidating on the possible outcomes and implications regarding NSAs online
surveillance, what is there left for you to do? Join the Reform Government Surveillance! Bigname Internet such as Apple and Microsoft have launched the Reform Government Surveillance
(RGS) coalition, arguing for heavy restrictions on the NSAs ability to do all the economy-size
surveillance thats been revealed over the last seven months (Auerbach, David). Their official
website goes into details about the governments authority to collect users information,
transparency reports, accountability, as well as respecting the free flow of information. Each of
these points are further elaborated on with specific examples on what kind of guidelines and
limitations need to be implemented, as well as the necessary steps needed for these changes to
occur. This coalition is establishes the rights that companies deserve to have, as well as providing
a an open letter to the President and members of Congress in Washington, in regards to their
request of limiting the NSAs powers. I think that this was one of the important actions that they
took in terms of trying to get their message across, because by providing an open letter to these
powerful individuals, theres a higher chance that amends would be made. The Obama

Karpovtsev 8

Administration is already pushing forth radical changes in the NSAs surveillance program for
phone spying, therefore they surely may take online privacy into considerations as well.
Ultimately, these are the types of steps that businesses need to be taking in order to
implement guidelines and limitations for the NSA, as well as fathom the current implications of
revenues and censorship associated with their online ventures. We need to understand that
sometimes the negatives out weight the positives, and thats what seems to be happening with the
NSA in relation to our American businesses. Just as the White House is trying to push Congress
to set forth limitations on the NSA, companies are already striving to establish changes with the
Reform Government Surveillance coalition, and hopefully, your businesses will too.

Works Cited
Auerbach, David. "Google, Apple, and Other Insanely Powerful Companies Try to Limit Insane
Powers of Government." Slate Magazine. N.p., 8 Jan. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
Borger, Julian, James Ball, and Glenn Greenwald. "Revealed: How US and UK Spy Agencies
Defeat Internet Privacy and Security." Guardian Weekly. Guardian News and Media,
06

Sept. 2013. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.

Karpovtsev 9

Feloni, Richard. "The NSA Is Using Google's Advertising Cookies To Track Its Targets."
Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 11 Dec. 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
Ganesan, Arvind. "How the NSA Scandal Hurts the Economy." Global Public Square RSS.
CNN, 15 July 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Nakashima, Ellen. "White House Pushes Congress to Quickly Pass Changes to NSA Surveillance
Program." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
Regalado, Antonio. "Spying Is Bad for Business." MIT Technology Review. N.p., 18 Mar.
2014.
Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
Sutter, John D. "Google Reports 'alarming' Rise in Government Censorship Requests." CNN.
Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
Toomey, Patrick, and Brett Max Kaufman. "How Did We Let the NSA Spying Get This Bad?"
Theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 20 Nov. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.

Dasha Karpovtsev
ENC 3315
Rough Draft #1
7 April 2014

The NSA: Keeping Our Country Safe, Or Just a Spying Epidemic?

Karpovtsev 10

It seems that after Edward Snowdens release of classified information in regards to the
National Security Agencys phone and internet spying, there has been a dissociation of opinions
on the topic of internet privacy. One might view their actions as a safety precaution, while others
may see it as both an unethical and unconstitutional approach. The predicament seems to
intertwine the aspects of personal rights, safety, and overall censorship when it comes to
allowing the NSA to monitor us, while at the same time alluding to even the impact it has on the
business world. Recently the White House has pushed Congress to implement changes to the
NSA Surveillance Program, because there was growing potential for power abuse. This brings up
the question whether the NSAs work is actually focused on counterterrorism, or suggests an
increase of censorship and lack of personal freedom. I find that the idea that we should
constantly be under surveillance and even censored goes against our constitutional rights,
therefore we should seek both changes and limitations in terms of NSAs Surveillance Program.
One of the key predicaments concerning internet privacy is of course censorship. I can
fathom the purpose of censorship in specific situations, but Im not sure I can concur with the
NSA censoring non threatening and government defamatory information off the internet. In
recent years, even Google has explicated an alarming rise in censorship requests from the
government, which begs the question the nature of their actions. In one incident cited in the
report, a U.S. law enforcement agency asked Google to take down a blog that "allegedly
defamed a law enforcement official in a personal capacity" (Sutter, John). I believe that we live
in a democratic society whose constitution allows us the freedom of speech, therefore why was
this blog being censored? Its censorship like this that creates issues, because we should be able
to have the right to express our thoughts and opinions, thus referring to the issue of online
governmental interference. Also, in the last half of 2011, U.S. agencies asked Google to remove

Karpovtsev 11

6,192 individual pieces of content from its search results, blog posts or archives of online videos,
according to their reports ( Sutter, John). It really does become worrying as well when you see
the amount of removals the NSA requests according to Googles transparency report, and makes
you think that their elucidation of spying for safety may not actually be accurately portrayed. It
is perfectly understandable that we live in an era where attacks and threats are constantly present,
but how is censoring sources about government workers or the government in general an ethical
approach? There should be limitations in regards to the censorship aspect, because if the
government continues to censor articles or blogs that criticize their reputation, then surely our
First Amendment right would be violated.
Another facet of the situation that may not be recognized as downside of the NSAs
constant monitoring, are businesses. Its understandable that many individuals may not take this
into consideration when they allude to governmental spying having no effects on our society, but
they easily miss this important aspect. Analysts including Forrester Research predict billions in
losses for U.S. Internet services such as Dropbox and Amazon because of suspicion from
technology consumers, particularly in Europe, in the wake of Snowdens revelations (Regalado,
Antonio). This information was explicated in the MIT Technology Review, and its pretty much
foreshadowing the idea that if consumers do not trust the government, then they cannot trust their
services. When it comes to Europe, many of the American corporations make large revenues
over seas, having Apple make 22% of their net income for example, and over 261 million
Facebook users (Ganesan, Arvind). So what exactly is happening? It seems as if the internet has
actually become the governments weapon, and it may become too risky for corporations and
businesses to engage with. Some of the consequences are already visible, such as consumers are
favoring more anonymous apps and even large Internet companies, like Google, are encrypting

Karpovtsev 12

all their communications ( Regalado, Antonio). We can clearly see these changes taking place in
our current day society, theyre new tactics in which consumers are trying to create some sort of
privacy without governmental interference. Businesses have even taken radical actions, having
the big-name Internet companies launching the Reform Government Surveillance (RGS)
coalition, arguing for heavy restrictions on the NSAs ability to do all the economy-size
surveillance thats been revealed over the last seven months (Auerbach, David). These are the
types of steps our society needs to be taking in order to set rules for the NSA, and inform people
on the current problem of internet privacy we are facing today. We need to understand that
sometimes the negatives out weight the positives, and thats what seems to be happening
here. Just as the White House is trying to push Congress to set forth limitations on the NSA,
companies are also attempting to establish changes with the Reform Government Surveillance
coalition.
Evidently, we begin to ask ourselves on how exactly we let the NSA spying get this bad?
The overall nature of the situation is simply, secrecy. The NSA started off as a surveillance
program that the public was not aware of, and was implemented by disclosed congress and court
rulings. Therefore we can clearly agree that we, as citizens, were not provided with specific
details and understanding to the extent of their work, nor did we ever give consent. We can of
course refer to their work as being the governmental protection stated in under the constitution,
but where are their limitations or even guidelines? I agree with the article, The Guardian wrote,
that stated The more we learn, the clearer it is that our surveillance laws and oversight rules are
in dramatic need of reform, like the USA Freedom Act, that provide both transparency and real
protections for privacy (Toomey, Kaufman). Now Im not saying that we should try fully
eradicate NSAs surveillance and censorship facets, but they certainly do need to be regulated. As

Karpovtsev 13

discussed throughout this paper, businesses are facing negative drawbacks from the decrease in
European customers, as well as the issue of censorship, therefore we need to implement some
changes. I stated in the beginning how the White House has been pushing Congress to alter
NSAs data collection program regarding phones, and I think that this is a very important step in
revolutionizing the idea of privacy. The Obama administration has stated that the presidents goal
was to end government mass collection of Americans phone records, specifically since it was
not necessary unless there was a warrant or an emergency from the FIA (Nakashima, Ellen). If
even the White house quotes that there is potential for abuse, shouldnt that foreshadow that
the NSA maybe taken advantage of their power? By taking into consideration the actions that
Obama has been trying, it is clear that modifications in our current internet privacy situation need
to be reevaluated.

Dasha Karpovtsev
ENC 3315
Rough Draft #2
14 April 2014

The Hidden Impact of the National Security Agency on the Business World
It seems that after Edward Snowdens release of classified information in regards to the
National Security Agencys phone and internet spying, there have been heightened discussions
on the topic of online privacy. One might view their actions as a safety precaution, while others

Karpovtsev 14

may see it as both an unethical and unconstitutional approach. Recently the White House has
even pushed Congress to implement changes to the NSA Surveillance Program, because there
was growing potential for power abuse. The predicament seems to intertwine the aspects of
personal rights, safety, and overall censorship when it comes to allowing the NSA to monitor us,
while at the same time alluding to the impact it has on the business world. Yes, even the business
world. Our society may not emphasize on the business consequences of this online surveillance
program, but it is quickly becoming evident on the negative impact it is portraying through
quantitative and qualitative findings. Due to the NSAs constant online surveillance, corporations
are now losing profit and struggling with governmental censorship, resulting in the crucial need
for guidelines and limitations. This brings up the question whether the NSAs work is actually
focused on only safety measures, or suggests an increase of unnecessary censorship and limitless
corporate spying? CEOs of corporations such as IBM and Gannett need to fathom the
implications that the NSA is creating for their businesses, as well as realize the necessary steps
they can take in order to help ameliorate the current predicament.
Evidently, we begin to ask ourselves on how exactly we let the NSA spying get this bad?
The overall nature of the situation is simply, secrecy. The NSA started off as a surveillance
program that the public was not aware of, and was implemented by disclosed congress and court
rulings. Therefore we can clearly agree that we, as citizens, were not provided with specific
details and understanding to the extent of their work, nor did we ever give consent. We can of
course refer to their work as being the governmental protection stated in under the constitution,
but where are their limitations or even guidelines? I agree with the article, The Guardian wrote,
that stated The more we learn, the clearer it is that our surveillance laws and oversight rules are
in dramatic need of reform, like the USA Freedom Act, that provide both transparency and real

Karpovtsev 15

protections for privacy (Toomey, Kaufman). Now Im not saying that we should try fully
eradicate NSAs surveillance and censorship facets, but they certainly do need to be regulated.
Businesses are facing negative drawbacks from the decrease in European customers, as well as
the issue of censorship, therefore we need to implement some changes. I stated in the beginning
how the White House has been pushing Congress to alter NSAs data collection program
regarding phones, and I think that this is a very important step in revolutionizing the idea of
privacy. The Obama administration has stated that the presidents goal was to end government
mass collection of Americans phone records, specifically since it was not necessary unless there
was a warrant or an emergency from the FIA (Nakashima, Ellen). If even the White house quotes
that there is potential for abuse, shouldnt that foreshadow that the NSA maybe taken
advantage of their power? By taking into consideration the actions that Obama has been trying, it
is clear that modifications in our current online privacy for businesses and censorship need to be
reevaluated.
One of the main predicaments of NSAs constant monitoring that many corporations are not
aware of, is revenue loss. Its understandable that many businesses may not take into
consideration that governmental spying could pose potential threats for them, but they now need
to understand that it is directly affecting their revenue. Analysts including Forrester Research
predict billions in losses for U.S. Internet services such as Dropbox and Amazon because of
suspicion from technology consumers, particularly in Europe, in the wake of Snowdens
revelations (Regalado, Antonio). This information was explicated in the MIT Technology
Review, and its pretty much foreshadowing the idea that if consumers do not trust the
government, then they cannot trust their services. So what exactly is happening? It seems as if
the internet has actually become the governments weapon, and it may become too risky for

Karpovtsev 16

corporations and businesses to engage with. Foreign consumers are becoming worried that their
personal information will be breached or that their business could potentially be hacked through
the use of the NSAs online surveillance programs. Some of the implications are already visible,
such as consumers are favoring more anonymous apps and even large Internet companies, like
Google, are encrypting all their communications ( Regalado, Antonio). Another example is that
American firms such as Cisco Systems are stating that their Chinese customers are turning away,
due to Snowdens documents suggesting that the NSA inserts back door in gear, software, and
undersea cables in order to spy (Regaldo, Antonio). Even though American customers are
concerned about the NSA, it seems that both European and Asians customers are much more
serious about their decisions in staying away from American services. It is important to
acknowledge this information, because for example, When it comes to Europe, many of the
American corporations make large revenues over seas, having Apple make 22% of their net
income for example, and over 261 million Facebook users (Ganesan, Arvind). This means that
many corporate companiess revenues are based off of European and Asians markets, therefore if
the NSA continues their online monitoring, these corporations will be begin to lose profit. By
analyzing these statistics, it becomes clear that this is not just some sort of preconceived idea that
future problems may arise, its the idea that this is already happening now, and changes need to
be implemented.
One of the other main implications concerning online privacy is of course censorship for
businesses. I can fathom the purpose of censorship in specific situations, but Im not sure I can
concur with the NSA censoring non threatening and government defamatory information off the
internet. In recent years, even Google has explicated an alarming rise in censorship requests from
the government, which begs the question the nature of their actions. In one incident cited in the

Karpovtsev 17

report, a U.S. law enforcement agency asked Google to take down a blog that "allegedly
defamed a law enforcement official in a personal capacity" (Sutter, John). We live in a
democratic society whose constitution allows us the freedom of speech, therefore why was this
blog being censored? Its censorship like this that creates issues, because we should be able to
have the right to express our thoughts and opinions, thus referring to the issue of online
governmental interference. Also, in the last half of 2011, U.S. agencies asked Google to remove
6,192 individual pieces of content from its search results, blog posts or archives of online videos,
according to their reports ( Sutter, John). It really does become worrying as well when you see
the amount of removals the NSA requests according to Googles transparency report, and makes
you think that their elucidation of spying for safety may not actually be accurately portrayed. It
is perfectly understandable that we live in an era where attacks and threats are constantly present,
but how is censoring sources about government workers or the government in general an ethical
approach?
You may be wondering now, how exactly does this censorship information correlate to your
business? Simply put, advertising. The reason for providing these statistics and explanations
about censorship, is to emphasize on the lack of freedom we are currently experiencing online
and how it may affect the advertising field. If the NSA is constantly requesting google to take
down blogs and information that is not obscene, then how can they promise not to take down
your advertising and marketing ventures? The online world needs to provide an environment
where your corporations ideas and services will flourish, without the constant harassment and
requests from the government. Also, corporations are not aware the the NSA actually uses their
advertisements as a way to track their so called targets. What do I exactly mean by this?
According to the Business Insider, the NSA is using the tracking data intended for Googles

Karpovtsev 18

advertisers to locate its target, and hack that specific computer to access its information (Feloni,
Richard). The NSA is using corporate advertisements as a new approach to hack into their
customers computers and take advantage of their spying nature. We once again would allude
this implication to the trust aspect, the idea that our customers are not trusting us anymore,
therefore our business revenues decreasing.
Whats interesting, is that recently the Rovio Entertainment company (software company
behind the Angry Birds app) was furious finding out that the NSA was breaching into their data
through the use of advertisements, as well as hacking into their customers information. Their
CEO released a statement saying Our fans trust is the most important thing for us and we take
privacy extremely seriously, We do not collaborate, collude, or share data with spy agencies
anywhere in the world (Ball, James). This company was focused on illustrating the concept that
there was no compliance to the NSA spying on them and their customers, and they do not wish to
have a relationship with the disparate ad platforms. This is the type of thinking that businesses
need to adopt, to understand that their customers come first, or their revenue, and that the NSA
should not have the authority to breach such regulations. Once again, there was no warrant for
this purpose, the NSA just decided to obtain their information, thus alluding to the concept of
constant governmental interference. Their possible solutions were to re-evaluate working with
third party advertising networks, as well as try to restrict the NSA from breaching into their
systems. As you can see, they are not willing to use third party advertisements currently, which
potentially could of been one of your corporate advertisements on their page. You will begin to
realize that everything turns into a vicious cycle with the NSAs impact on your business, and the
loss of your customers trust will be one of the biggest implications you will have to face in
regards to advertising your products or services.

Karpovtsev 19

So after elucidating on the possible outcomes and implications regarding NSAs online
surveillance, what is there left for you to do? Big-name Internet such as Apple and Microsoft
have launched the Reform Government Surveillance (RGS) coalition, arguing for heavy
restrictions on the NSAs ability to do all the economy-size surveillance thats been revealed over
the last seven months (Auerbach, David). Their official website goes into details about the
governments authority to collect users information, transparency reports, accountability, as well
as respecting the free flow of information. Each of these points are further elaborated on with
specific examples on what kind of guidelines and limitations need to be implemented, as well as
the necessary steps needed for these changes to occur. This coalition is establishes the rights that
companies deserve to have, as well as providing a an open letter to the President and members of
Congress in Washington, in regards to their request of limiting the NSAs powers. I think that this
was one of the important actions that they took in terms of trying to get their message across,
because by providing an open letter to these powerful individuals, theres a higher chance that
amends would be made. The Obama Administration is already pushing forth radical changes in
the NSAs surveillance program for phone spying, therefore they surely may take online privacy
into considerations as well. These are the types of steps our society needs to be taking in order to
execute new rules for the NSA, and inform people on the current predicament of internet privacy
on businesses world today. We need to understand that sometimes the negatives out weight the
positives, and thats what seems to be happening with the NSA in relation to our American
businesses. Just as the White House is trying to push Congress to set forth limitations on the
NSA, companies are also attempting to establish changes with the Reform Government
Surveillance coalition, and hopefully, you will too.