Dive Brief:

• Six tech trade groups called on lawmakers to include new privacy protections for Internet users into Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, according to PC World.

• Section 702 gives the National Security Agency authority to view internet and other communications of people living outside the United States.

• Congress is expected to extend Section 702 before it expires at the end of the year, but tech trade groups – which include BSA, among others — sent a letter to lawmakers Wednesday, asking for safeguards.

Dive Insight:

The question of government oversight into private data could be cause for concern for many companies. Some think such surveillance programs are important to security, but others believe user privacy is more critical. It’s a growing debate in many countries, highlighted by the revelations Edward Snowden made about U.S. spy programs.

It's also causing tension between countries, which increasingly use sophisticated technology to spy on each other. The EU is especially concerned about how the U.S. handles the personal data of citizens, a concern that resulted in Privacy Shield, the new rules for transferring European Union citizens' personal information to the U.S., which was officially adopted last July.