Posted by
Steve Smith on
Aug 01, 2013; 5:54pm
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/Fwd-Russia-Grants-Snowden-1-Year-Asylum-NYTimes-com-tp7583554p7583561.html
Pamela -
Yes, really scary.
Doug, why do you say it doesn't really matter? (And fmi, what
is Black Hat?)
And extra scary to me because people use anecdotes like this to say
"see, if you don't have anything to hide, you have nothing to worry
about!" I've been through mild versions of this scene myself and
I'm not proud to say that I simply allowed it, letting the guns,
badges, suits, etc. bully me into quiet cooperation.
I think Doug's tongue was in his cheek when he said "it doesn't
really matter", but I could be wrong.
While it has never gone sideways on me, I don't particularly like
talking to people with guns, especially if they seem to think I
might have done something wrong. The badges are a mixed blessing.
Naturally I'm happy that they are "supposed" to be there to protect
and serve (local or national level) but I'm also unhappy that if
they get scared or confused that they will have a great deal more
presumed credibility than I will when push comes to shove. I've
known plenty of people in various law-enforcement roles and nearly
all of them are there *because* they are flawed in some way, not
*despite* their flaws. Most I would not want to trust being able
to see pretty much everything about me with a few keystrokes, yet I
think that we have come to a place where many think that is a good
idea, even neccesary.
If it is OK to record all metadata, and maybe even (for a while
only?) the data of actual telecommunications within the US, then
maybe it is OK too to break (sneak?) into our computers and look
through our (previously presumed private) data without cause (or
legal standing). Maybe it is OK to activate the microphones and
cameras on our computers "just to see if anything nefarious might be
going on". And if such things were to happen (and be disclosed),
there would be some (probably among us) who would say "better safe
than sorry". And even more would accept as an argument even one
single example where such invasion of privacy lead to stopping some
dangerous/illegal/scary action.
We do not have a good way to balance privacy vs security so we pick
simple principles and err hard on one side or the other and shriek
vehemenently when an exception occurs (on the other side's case),
while making belligerent excuses when a failure illuminates the
flaws in our own story.
- Steve
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