US tech players tell Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to focus on encryption
Apple, Uber and Facebook's letter to presidential candidates outlines their key issues
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Amazon, Apple and Facebook have pressured the US presidential candidates to consider issues like encryption and foreign skilled workers if they win this year's election.
The tech giants - also including Uber and others - raised the policy recommendations in a joint letter seen by Reuters. The companies are not, however, aligning themselves with either the Democrats or Republicans and intend the recommendations for whoever triumphs.
The group also wants the successful candidate - likely either Republican candidate Donald Trump or Democrat frontrunner Hillary Clinton - to prevent online censorship, support the sharing economy and introduce a simplified tax code.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal would make it simpler for companies in the US to hire the right workers from overseas, and it is a cause that neither Trump nor Clinton have backed publicly yet. The deal was signed in February but has not yet been approved.
The letter has also been signed by groups including the Internet Association, Telecommunications Industry Association and Information Technology Industry Council, who are calling for "narrowly targeted government access to user data" and recognition of encryption as critical to security.
Similarly, neither Trump nor Clinton have been able to reconcile national security concerns and privacy, with Trump pushing for the restoration of the National Security Agency's (NSA) bulk collection of US phone records and supporting a boycott of Apple during its controversial battle with the FBI over an encrypted iPhone.
Others who have signed the letter include Allied for Start-ups, BSA, The Software Alliance, Computer Technology Industry Association, Computer & Communications Industry Association, Consumer Technology Association, Semiconductor Industry Association, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Software & Information Industry Association, Technology CEO Council and TechNet.
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Caroline has been writing about technology for more than a decade, switching between consumer smart home news and reviews and in-depth B2B industry coverage. In addition to her work for IT Pro and Cloud Pro, she has contributed to a number of titles including Expert Reviews, TechRadar, The Week and many more. She is currently the smart home editor across Future Publishing's homes titles.
You can get in touch with Caroline via email at caroline.preece@futurenet.com.
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