IT companies Microsoft and Google have decided to join their forces in order to get the rules regarding the privacy of IT connectivity users simplified and clarified. They also want to fight against the right of the US government to snoop on Internet surfers. The search rivals have got more than 20 other IT services providers to join their cause and update a law that affects peoples' internet communications that was written in 1986. Microsoft general counsel Mike Hintz said that "Citizens need government action to ensure that as more information moves from the desktop to the cloud, the country retains the traditional balance of privacy vis-à-vis the state. A balanced approach can help ensure that citizens' data will be protected, law enforcement will have the tools they need and America will continue to lead in technological innovation." Ryan Radia, associate director of technology studies and the Competitive Enterprise Institute also behind the Coalition said that "The purpose is not to cripple law enforcement, the goal is to restore a better balance between privacy and law enforcement."
