SAN FRANCISCO — A Who's Who of tech companies including Amazon, Facebook, Google, Twitter and Yahoo have signed an open letter to president-elect Donald Trump encouraging him to curtail government surveillance, protect encryption and reform immigration policy.

Published Monday, the letter congratulates Trump on his recent election and on behalf of The Internet Association, says the Internet industry looks forward to working with him on policies that contribute to growth, innovation and consumer choice.

In its ten pages, it outlines an Internet-focused agenda that is often at odds with Trump's stated positions on surveillance, immigration and the free flow of data.

The letter comes after many tech executives had been openly critical of Trump during his run for the presidency.

A June letter signed by more than 100 executives at technology companies said that a Trump presidency would be "a disaster for innovation," and that his policies stood against the open exchange of ideas.

During the two-month fight between Apple and the FBI over a government demand that the tech company break into an iPhone used by 
San Bernardino gunman Syed Rizwan Farook, Trump called for a boycott of Apple for its refusal to cooperate.

The Internet Association, a trade group for Internet-focused tech companies, notes the tech sector is a crucial part of economic growth, responsible for 6% of the U.S. economy and nearly $1 trillion in GDP in 2014. It lists multiple, mostly nuts -and-bolts issues members feel are important for that growth to continue.

Many are highly detailed. Of most interest to the general public are the areas in which the tech companies differ with Trump.

Wish list

The group advocates for policies that allow individuals and companies access to strong encryption that "protects users from repressive governments looking to stifle speech and democracy."

In addition to Trump's stated belief that Apple should have aided government intelligence agents, the Trump transition team includes two strong supporters of the National Security Administration, which has fought against strong encryption as a hindrance to law enforcement and anti-terrorism activities.

The group also wants immigration reform to allow more high-skilled graduates and workers to come to and work in the United States, and calls for an expanded and improved Green Card program.

Trump focused his campaign on keeping immigrants out, with little comment on visa programs for highly educated workers with specific skills.


The letter comes the same day the Coalition for Cybersecurity Policy and Law held a symposium on Cybersecurity Under the Next President in San Francisco to address some of the issues of what a Trump White House is likely to mean for encryption and online security.

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