ind ▁them ▁that ▁there ▁are ▁limits ▁to ▁what ▁we ▁will ▁pay ." ▁He ▁said ▁that ▁" intern et ▁tit ans " ▁like ▁Google ▁should ▁ask ▁themselves ▁why ▁they ▁wer en ' t ▁" f ight ing ▁for ▁our ▁interests ▁the ▁same ▁way ▁small ▁business es ▁are ." ▁ ▁Imp act ▁on ▁trade ▁ ▁In ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁reported ▁that ▁revel ations ▁of ▁NS A ▁sp ying ▁had ▁cost ▁U . S . ▁te ch ▁companies , ▁including ▁Microsoft ▁and ▁IBM , ▁over ▁$ 1 ▁billion . ▁A ▁senior ▁anal yst ▁at ▁the ▁Information ▁Technology ▁and ▁In nov ation ▁Foundation ▁said ▁it ▁was ▁" clear ▁to ▁every ▁single ▁te ch ▁company ▁that ▁this ▁is ▁affect ing ▁their ▁bottom ▁line ," ▁and ▁predicted ▁that ▁the ▁U . S . ▁cloud ▁computing ▁industry ▁could ▁lose ▁$ 3 5 ▁billion ▁by ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁For r ester ▁Research , ▁an ▁independent ▁technology ▁and ▁market ▁research ▁company , ▁said ▁losses ▁could ▁be ▁as ▁high ▁as ▁$ 1 8 0 ▁billion , ▁or ▁ 2 5 ▁percent ▁of ▁industry ▁re venue . ▁ ▁Al leg ations ▁of ▁ad verse ▁consequences ▁for ▁US ▁and ▁UK ▁security ▁ ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁General ▁Keith ▁Alexander , ▁then ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁NS A , ▁said ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁" Th ese ▁le aks ▁have ▁caused ▁significant ▁and ▁irre vers ible ▁damage ▁to ▁our ▁nation ' s ▁security ." ▁He ▁added ▁that ▁" the ▁ir respons