Washington DC: Setting aside their differences, top American technology companies including AOL, Apple, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Microsoft, have joined hands to press the Obama Administration and the Congress to reform the secretive National Security Agency.

 The agency is in controversy following the leak of classified documents that it was indulged in massive telephone and internet surveillance both inside and outside the US, at time sneaking into the private communications on people, compromising the security settings of these technology giants.

 "This summer's revelations highlighted the urgent need to reform government surveillance practices worldwide," these firms wrote in an open letter to the US President and Members of the Congress in national print advertisements on 9 December' 2013.

 "The balance in many countries has tipped too far in favour of the state and away from the rights of the individual rights that are enshrined in our Constitution. This undermines the freedoms we all cherish. It's time for a change," the letter said.

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