Dear President Obama:

Tragic acts of violence shouldn’t be exploited to violate our private lives with invasive surveillance measures.

As the heads of U.S. intelligence agencies and members of Congress push for increased surveillance powers in the wake of recent attacks, we need to send a clear message: Mass surveillance is not the answer.

Indiscriminate spying has never been proven an effective method for stopping terrorist attacks. And the same people pushing to spy on more Americans have lied repeatedly about the effectiveness of the government’s surveillance programs — all while violating our constitutional rights.

I urge you to stand with me, reject these dangerous attempts to exploit real tragedies and oppose more government spying on innocent people.

    Not ? Click here.

    You will receive periodic updates from Free Press and the Free Press Action Fund. You may unsubscribe at any time.

    Tell President Obama: Mass surveillance is not the answer

    As the world reels from a series of tragic terrorist attacks, the heads of the CIA and the FBI are exploiting public fears to push for more power to track our every call, Web search and movement.

    CIA Director John Brennan dismissed the public outcry over unchecked government spying as "a lot of hand-wringing." FBI chief James Comey is trying to use the attacks to justify giving the government new backdoors into your mobile phones and private communications. These same officials have been lying for years about the so-called effectiveness of unchecked and unwarranted surveillance programs.1

    We must grieve these terrible tragedies. But we can’t allow any expansion of the government's surveillance programs. Taking away our rights won't make us safer.

    Tell the president that more spying is not the answer.

    1. "Mass Surveillance Isn't the Answer to Fighting Terrorism," New York Times, Nov. 18, 2015: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/18/opinion/mass-surveillance-isnt-the-answer-to-fighting-terrorism.html

    Original photo by Flickr user Simon Law