The issue focused on a new set of policies that would make it easier for the government to monitor Internet activity of private and government entities that handle digital data.

The new rules, published online Friday, would require ISPs and other internet service providers to keep customers' Web history, Internet searches, Internet activity and other personal data private.

In a statement, the government urged Internet companies to make data privacy more secure by making sure that data collected online has a "backdoor encryption key" in place and that