Apple, Google, Facebook flock together to curb NSA surveillance powers

A report has said that tech giants and internet companies are lobbying to curb United States National Security Agency surveillance powers and to demand greater transparency on government data requests.

The Reform Government Surveillance coalition, consisting of Facebook, Google, Twitter, Microsoft and Apple, has thrown its weight behind a bill which will restrain mass data collection from emails and internet metadata, reported The Guardian.

The bill will also allow tech companies to disclose the number and types of data demanded by the government.

The coalition urged the US Senate in an open letter to vote on the bipartisan USA Freedom Act this week and pass the bill which "protects national security and reaffirms America's commitment to the freedoms we all cherish."

If the bill fails to pass through the Senate before the end of the year, the process will begin again in January and will be examined by a new Congress controlled by the Republican Party which favours government surveillance.

The USA Freedom Act was passed by the House of Representatives in May with bipartisan support and is now set for a vote in the Senate after majority leader Harry Reid filed a procedural motion to discuss the bill.

The Senate vote is scheduled to take place today and will allow debate on amendments to begin on the bill.