Obama to meet with tech CEOs amid NSA concerns

Published December 17, 2013
This Jan. 20, 2009, file photo taken by and provided courtesy of Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., shows President Barack Obama speaking on the day of his inauguration at a luncheon given in his honor on Capitol Hill in Washington. — AP (File Photo)
This Jan. 20, 2009, file photo taken by and provided courtesy of Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., shows President Barack Obama speaking on the day of his inauguration at a luncheon given in his honor on Capitol Hill in Washington. — AP (File Photo)

WASHINGTON DC: President Barack Obama is meeting Tuesday with executives from leading technology companies, including Google, Twitter and Apple.

The White House says the meeting will focus on efforts to repair the Obama administration's HealthCare.gov website and reform government information technology.

The National Security Agency's surveillance programs are also on the agenda.

A number of the companies attending, including Yahoo, Microsoft and Facebook, are urging Obama to curb surveillance programs after the extent of the information the US collects through their systems was revealed. Several companies are introducing more encryption technology to shield users' data from government spies and other prying eyes.

CEOs from Netflix, Comcast, LinkedIn, Etsy and AT&T will also join Tuesday's session.

Opinion

Editorial

Rebuilding trust
Updated 15 May, 2025

Rebuilding trust

Both countries will have to restart the dialogue process. One major step India can take would be to honour the IWT.
Political off-ramp
15 May, 2025

Political off-ramp

IN the midst of every crisis, there lies great opportunity. With the nation basking in the afterglow of Pakistan’s...
Awami League ban
15 May, 2025

Awami League ban

BANGLADESH stands at a key crossroads. While the ouster of Sheikh Hasina Wajed’s government and the formation of ...
Crisis averted
Updated 14 May, 2025

Crisis averted

As nuclear nations, both countries must wield their powers with utmost responsibility and immense restraint.
US-Israel ties
14 May, 2025

US-Israel ties

AS Donald Trump landed in Riyadh on Tuesday to a regal reception, questions were swirling whether the American...
PSL resumption
14 May, 2025

PSL resumption

THE Pakistan Super League is back on. Postponed last week following escalating Pakistan-India tensions, the ...