( CNN ) -- In a development that should surprise absolutely no one , anti-NSA activists were quick Friday to say that President Barack Obama 's efforts to limit the agency 's spying activities did n't go far enough . Leading up to a speech in which he outlined reforms that include requiring court approval for analysts to dig into telephone data , Obama had promised to address privacy concerns while defending digital surveillance in the name of national security . Advocates who feel that the National Security Agency 's techniques , some of which have been exposed by former contractor turned international fugitive Edward Snowden , represent a massive intrusion into citizen privacy responded quickly and often harshly . Some examples : . Alex Fowler and Chris Riley , policy experts at Mozilla ( makers of Web browser Firefox ) `` We 'd hoped for , and the Internet deserves , more . Without a meaningful change of course , the Internet will continue on its path toward a world of balkanization and distrust , a grave departure from its origins of openness and opportunity . '' Carl Messineo and Mara Verheyden-Hilliard , co-founders of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund . `` Rather than dismantling the NSA 's unconstitutional mass surveillance programs , or even substantially restraining them , President Obama today has issued his endorsement of them . ... The speech today was 'historic ' in the worst sense . It represents a historic failure by a president to rein in mass government illegality and violations of fundamental rights . '' Electronic Frontier Foundation ( via Twitter ) `` Today , Obama took several steps toward reforming NSA surveillance , but there 's a long way to go . Now it 's up Congress & courts . '' ( The foundation gave Obama 3.5 points out of 12 on a scorecard it had created on its hopes for `` real NSA reform . '' Anthony D. Romero , executive director , American Civil Liberties Union . `` The president 's speech outlined several developments which we welcome . Increased transparency for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court , improved checks and balances at the FISA court through the creation of a panel of advocates , and increased privacy protections for non-U.S. citizens abroad -- the first such assertion by a U.S. president -- are all necessary and welcome reforms . `` However , the president 's decision not to end bulk collection and retention of all Americans ' data remains highly troubling . The president outlined a process to study the issue further and appears open to alternatives . But the president should end -- not mend -- the government 's collection and retention of all law-abiding Americans ' data . '' Julian Assange , WikiLeaks founder . `` I think it 's embarrassing for a head of state like that to go on for almost 45 minutes and say almost nothing . ... It 's clear that the President would not be speaking today without the actions of Edward Snowden and whiste-blowers before him . ... Security whistleb-lowers have forced this debate . This president has been dragged , kicking and screaming , to today 's address . He 's been very reluctant to make any concrete reforms , and unfortunately , today we also see very few concrete reforms . ''
Critics say Obama 's first speech was not enough . Obama supports reforms while defending surveillance . Julian Assange says the speech was ` ` embarrassing ''