In end result, Snowden may well hurt Google (et al) more than hurt US Intelligence

[cthulu2016]

The real world is about money.

The perception/reality that using US based internet companies feeds your activities directly to the NSA is not great global advertising.

It may become a handicap for US firms... rightly or wrongly.

Google currently has a suit againt the govt. seeking the right to disclose more about their part in the NSA programs because any reality is less bad than the assumptions that secrecy encourages. And I see their point.

Discuss.

[DirkGently]

1. They certainly seemed worried about it. Good.

But there's more money than just the Internet companies involved here. A lot of this surveillance is going to private contractors, and it's already a multibillion-dollar market.

To me, that's the larger implication of the monied interests regarding the emerging surveillance state. As we saw from the HBBary / BOA / Greenwald affair, these private security companies are completely comfortable selling their expertise in collecting and utilizing digital information not only for pure profit, but for malicious attacks on critical voices.

This is what happens when the profit motive is grafted onto functions of the state. In every case, from the military to prisons to schools, we have seen corruption arise almost immediately.

There is no way surveillance of this size and scope can or will be limited to "defense." We've already seen it being employed to gain economic advantage in trade negotiations. That's just the tip of the dirty iceberg. Less powerful business entities will be undermined. Unpopular critics will be "destroyed" as HBGary promised to do to Greenwald.

There is no legitimate application for privately-run / assisted global surveillance. It's just another tool the empowered to increase their leverage through their favorite method -- cheating and dirty play, lubricated with barrels of cash.

[truedelphi]

2. + 10,000 n/t

[truedelphi]

3. K & R. n/t