The Center for Democracy and Technology, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Electronic Privacy Information Center, New America Foundation and other advocacy groups urged the Obama administration on Thursday to open up negotiations pertaining to a proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. The groups wrote to President Obama expressing "deep concerns about the lack of transparency" surrounding the pact, which is the focus of a meeting in Seoul, South Korea this week.

In their letter, they reference Obama's day one memo pledging increased openness and participation in executive decision-making and directing agencies to "take affirmative steps to make information public." The continuing Open Government Initiative indicates a strong commitment to applying the principles in practice but multiple aspects of ACTA fail to meet those standards, they said. Read the text of the letter here (PDF).