Dem senators ask tech giants Facebook, Google, Apple for cybersecurity support

Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) are asking the chief executives of Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple and other major tech companies to back their revised cybersecurity bill.

In letters sent to more than a dozen tech CEOs, the two Senate Democrats note the latest version of the bill includes "voluntary provisions on critical infrastructure protection" and updates to measures aimed at improving information sharing about cyberthreats between government and industry.

The move is aimed at drumming up industry support ahead of possible Senate action on the bill later this week.

In the letter, Rockefeller and Feinstein noted the outreach made to tech industry groups during the crafting of the cybersecurity bill. The technical language included in the bill was largely developed in partnership with "your industry," the two senators wrote.

"Where experts in the field expressed concerns, we have tried to address them and make changes," wrote Rockefeller and Feinstein, who are co-sponsors of Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-Conn.) cybersecurity bill. "Now that this legislation will soon be considered on the Senate floor, we ask for your strong support."

The letters are dated July 20 and were also sent to the chief executives of Xerox, EMC, Symantec, Comcast, Sprint, Verizon Communications, AT&T, IBM, Yahoo, Intel, Dell, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Oracle, Cisco, LinkedIn and the tech trade association Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

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