Washington, D.C. — TechNet, the national, bipartisan
network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, today expressed
concerns about draft legislation circulated by Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-VA) that could weaken encryption and technological
standards designed to safeguard information contained on mobile devices.

“This legislation could establish
standards that force companies to eliminate security features that may be
exploited by others who do not share law enforcement’s good intentions,”
said Linda Moore, president and CEO of
TechNet. “The results are that common transactions will become easy prey for bad
actors and that customers around the world could lose faith in the
trustworthiness of American products and choose alternatives that don’t have the
same vulnerabilities.”

On March 1, TechNet wrote
to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee in advance
of their hearing on encryption to express its opposition to efforts to weaken
security on iPhones and other devices, and to urge a national dialogue on these
issues. TechNet also filed an amicus brief on March 3 in support of
Apple in its case opposing a federal magistrate’s ruling to force the company
to develop unique software to weaken security features on its devices.

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.