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Showing Original Post only (View all)The NSA Is Commandeering the Internet - TheAtlantic [View all]
The NSA Is Commandeering the InternetTechnology companies have to fight for their users, or they'll eventually lose them.
BRUCE SCHNEIER - TheAtlantic
AUG 12 2013, 10:05 AM ET
<snip>
It turns out that the NSA's domestic and world-wide surveillance apparatus is even more extensive than we thought. Bluntly: The government has commandeered the Internet. Most of the largest Internet companies provide information to the NSA, betraying their users. Some, as we've learned, fight and lose. Others cooperate, either out of patriotism or because they believe it's easier that way.
I have one message to the executives of those companies: fight.
Do you remember those old spy movies, when the higher ups in government decide that the mission is more important than the spy's life? It's going to be the same way with you. You might think that your friendly relationship with the government means that they're going to protect you, but they won't. The NSA doesn't care about you or your customers, and will burn you the moment it's convenient to do so.
We're already starting to see that. Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and others are pleading with the government to allow them to explain details of what information they provided in response to National Security Letters and other government demands. They've lost the trust of their customers, and explaining what they do -- and don't do -- is how to get it back. The government has refused; they don't care.
It will be the same with you. There are lots more high-tech companies who have cooperated with the government. Most of those company names are somewhere in the thousands of documents that Edward Snowden took with him, and sooner or later they'll be released to the public. The NSA probably told you that your cooperation would forever remain secret, but they're sloppy. They'll put your company name on presentations delivered to thousands of people: government employees, contractors, probably even foreign nationals. If Snowden doesn't have a copy, the next whistleblower will.
This is why you have to fight. When it becomes public that the NSA has been hoovering up all of your users' communications and personal files, what's going to save you in the eyes of those users is whether or not you fought. Fighting will cost you money in the short term, but capitulating will cost you more in the long term.
Already companies are taking their data and communications out of the US.
The extreme case of fighting is shutting down entirely. The secure e-mail service Lavabit did that last week...
<snip>
More: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/08/the-nsa-is-commandeering-the-internet/278572/
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More And More Are Beginning To Awake To The Fact That Government Is Spying On Citizens
cantbeserious
Aug 2013
#1
Hey Toad, I prefer that my phone calls, mail, & email were private. As they should be unless there
peacebird
Aug 2013
#27
If my E-mails are public, then anyone can read them. We should also be able to be able to read
RC
Aug 2013
#41
I love this line of reasoning the best. "Come on" they say... "How can you not know this was going
Ed Suspicious
Aug 2013
#12
It's an uphill battle fighting against the power of your "why bother" attitude, but
Ed Suspicious
Aug 2013
#20
Why are we responding to the Toad? It seems to be a disruptor, at least in this thread
peacebird
Aug 2013
#29
Oh no, Uncle Sam knows about my fetish for tranny porn omg what am I going to do???
Heather MC
Aug 2013
#3
I guess you never have to worry about people infringing on your rights when you never exercise them
Taitertots
Aug 2013
#9
We have to trust the government because they don't trust us. Or, something like that.
Tierra_y_Libertad
Aug 2013
#34