Eight major U.S. web companies, including Apple, Google and Facebook, made a joint call on Monday for tighter controls on how governments collect personal data, intensifying the furor over online surveillance. In an open letter to U.S. President Barack Obama and Congress, the companies said recent revelations showed the balance had tipped too far in favor of the state in many countries and away from the individual. Several of the eight companies, which have a combined market capitalization of nearly $1.4 trillion, have responded by publicizing their decision to boost encryption and security on their sites. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/09/us-usa-security-surveillance-idUSBRE9B807K20131209 I hope that their attempts will be successful. And you? What do you think about online surveillance?