Washington, D.C. — TechNet, the national,
bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, today
urged a House subcommittee to
recognize that strong encryption is a commercial necessity that underpins
millions of daily transactions and allows companies to safely store and move
sensitive information.

This letter comes in the wake of the national
debate over encryption, where some have called on companies to find ways to
undermine the security of their products.

In a letter to the Chairman and Ranking
Member of the House Oversight
and Investigations Subcommittee, TechNet president and CEO, Linda Moore,
wrote: “We appreciate the time that the Committee is taking to bring these
issues to the public. We
hope that the hearing will address the value of encryption and serve
as a catalyst for a dialogue to chart a way forward on the complicated set of
legal and technical issues surrounding encryption. TechNet is committed to finding balanced
solutions that protect the safety and privacy of our citizens without damaging
public trust, undermining security, and hindering economic growth and job
creation.”

The
text of the letter follows.

The Honorable Tim Murphy
Chairman
Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
House Energy and Commerce Committee
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Diana DeGette
Ranking Member
Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
House Energy and Commerce Committee
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Murphy and Ranking Member DeGette,

TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of innovation
economy CEOs and senior executives, thanks you for holding today’s hearing,
“Deciphering the Debate Over Encryption: Industry and Law Enforcement
Perspectives.”

As the debate on encryption continues, we urge the committee
to recognize that strong encryption is a commercial necessity that underpins
millions of daily transactions and allows companies to safely store and move
sensitive information. We have concerns
over calls for weakened encryption and the privacy, security, economic, and
competitive implications of these actions.

We are pleased that the committee has put together an expert
discussion that can consider the legitimate rights and needs of consumers,
businesses, governments, and the American economy. Our smartphones, and the other devices that
we depend on, are essential parts of our lives.
They hold our most personal information, including our health and
financial data. This information needs
to be protected from those who would seek to compromise our privacy and
security.

At TechNet, we have great respect for the job that the FBI
and other law enforcement agencies do. We fully understand that our nation
faces grave threats and that we must be vigilant in protecting our homeland. Tech companies often work with law
enforcement to provide expeditious access to data that companies possess
through a valid legal process and emergency requests.

The challenge facing many technology companies, and now
Congress, is that when a company does not have access to data, new legal
requirements to create access points could force companies to eliminate
security features from their products that would be counterproductive for both
our nation’s security and economic leadership.
From a security perspective, once a vulnerability is established, it
could be exploited by others who do not share the FBI’s good intentions. The result: common transactions will become
easy prey for bad actors, and customers around the world could lose faith in the
trustworthiness of American products and choose alternatives that don’t have
the same vulnerabilities.

We appreciate the time that the Committee is taking to bring
these issues to the public. We hope that
the hearing will address the value of encryption and serve as a catalyst for a
dialogue to chart a way forward on the complicated set of legal and technical
issues surrounding encryption. TechNet
is committed to finding balanced solutions that protect the safety and privacy
of our citizens without damaging public trust, undermining security, and
hindering economic growth and job creation.
We are willing to work with Congress to achieve to these goals.

About TechNet
TechNet is the national,
bipartisan network of technology CEOs and senior executives that promotes the
growth of the innovation economy by advocating a targeted policy agenda at the
federal and 50-state level. TechNet’s
diverse membership includes dynamic startups to the most iconic companies on
the planet and represents more than two million employees in the fields of
information technology, e-commerce, advanced energy, biotechnology, venture
capital, and finance. TechNet has
offices in Washington, D.C., Silicon Valley, Sacramento, Seattle, Boston, and
Austin.