What is Digg?124 Comments
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9I think if you're a taxpayer you should be able to wiretap the government.
*shrugs* - riskable, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Sigh, why do people keep bringing up things like: "If you don't have anything to hide, why are you afraid of wire taps???"
To the ignorant and ambivalent, the answer is simple: Everyone has something they want to hide, they just don't realize it.
You can say to yourself, "I never say or do anything interesting enough for the Feds to care." But the truth is that you're severely undervaluing your privacy. What's to stop a federal agent from recording a conversation of yours and then using to blackmail you? Don't think it could happen? It's happened before:
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761569691_4/Federal_Bureau_of_Investigation.html
...even the most mundane conversations can be used against you. Think about this scenario: You're not satisfied with your job so you're contacting other companies and doing phone interviews on your own time. A government employee who's been listening in calls you up, "Pay me $1,000 or I'll forward your phone conversations to your boss".
Ever say something stupid while drunk on the phone? Ever confess *anything* over the phone to a friend or colleague? Ever talk about someone ELSE's private information on the phone? Say you're a doctor seeking the opinion from a remote colleague and you reveal that your patient has been recently diagnosed with AIDS. These are all things that could be used against you, your friends, or even people you work with. Still think your privacy isn't worth it?
Even more mundane: Imagine a federal employee that only listens for specific kinds of information and then sells it to healthcare companies: "Sally Smith was just diagnosed with HIV at an anonymous free clinic." "Thank you. You will receive your standard fee." "So what will happen to her?" "We'll either increase her rate--if she can afford it--or we'll drop her altogether. Too much money."
-Riskable
http://riskable.com
"I have a license to kill -9" - slamm6, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I've never been blown up, not once that I can recall (I would have remembered that). And I have always enjoyed a certain level of privacy. Are you saying that if I don't want to ever get blown up, I have to give up my civil liberties and if I want to keep my civil liberties, I'll get blown up. Sounds kind of simplistic, if you ask me. What exactly are my chances of getting blown up ? Maybe you could calculate it like, chances of getting blown up per year times average lifespan. I'm sure it would come out like 0.000001 %-years. If that's the case, I think I'll keep my civil liberties, but thanks for offering.
- pjtip, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Remember when the Republicans were conservatives? Those were the days.
- floppytaco, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. - Benjamin Franklin
- crpietschmann, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3EFF needs to fight this one.
Whether I have anything to hide or not is not the questions. We have the right to privacy. If they want to see what my internet activity is, then they'll just have to put a tap in place at my ISP. Stay out of my router and other hardware. - Bobster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"The fact is you're going to have to give up some "civil liberties" if you don't want to get blown up. " Didn't Hitler say something similar to the German people in 1930-something???
I like freedom and civil liberties, and for me at least, it's worth the risk of getting blown up to have them. - chrisc2, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I guess none of you idiots watch the Colbert Report. IT WAS SARCASM. God damn...
- littleglitch, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Scary to say the least, but at least it's getting some awareness. There's a similar article with links here: http://wulfsnews.blogspot.com/2006/01/fcc-mandate-would-build-in-back-door.html
- eastshores, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@nazzdeq
You know what... prior the the september 11th attacks on America, the FBI had already gained serious ground on surveillance without court order. It has been a trend that continues now, yet, it did not prevent the attacks then. In all the violations of possible citizen rights, we never found WOMD.. I think knowing what the enemy is doing is vital.. but do that on the ground.. if we want safety and liberty.. we PAY for it.. but we always been willing to do that.. but ask us to put faith in government almighty... you may have nothing to hide, but if you care about what America is supposed to stand for, you should have something to fear. - samfrench, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I will not buy anything with the wiretap backdoor, they are already too intrusive on our information.
- geoboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2This isn't a matter of privacy. This is a matter of giving the government too much ***** power. More power only leads to more abuse and corruption by the government.
Why why WHY does the government "need" to do this? They don't. If you think they do, then get the ***** out of the U.S.A. and move to China. - schrags, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Not going to happen
- samfrench, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"And in fact, says Brad Templeton, chairman of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), some router makers already include such a backdoor. So your hardware may be vulnerable." - Does anyone know what routers those are?
- thenativeraver, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4all hail king bush and his tyranny.
- Bobster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Ah yes, the ultimate argument of the ignorant: " Like Colbert says... "If you don't have anything to hide, why are you afraid of wire taps???" "
- TuxFan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Sinclair Lewis' "It Can't Happen Here" seems to be happening here. Good book and a warning to the dangers of fascism.
- brandonhines, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Like Colbert says... "If you don't have anything to hide, why are you afraid of wire taps???""
I'm not afraid of wire taps. But this is an intentional backdoor into all my data. Everything is on my computer. If the Feds see I could care less. But I don't want the cracker kid in a basement checking out my personal files. Becuase that will happen. At some point. - SniperGX1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Good thing IP Tables and Asterisk are open source.
- ghostaliaz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Look people this crap has nothing to do with catching any terrorist or bad guys, These old prunes only want to control everything and money and power is there main objective, they do not care about us the regular everyday people, but also they highly underestimate us geeks because with an extra PC & a certain Linux distro & about 5 nic cards I can and have made a router, so I say to Big Bro(ki** my A**) as long as I have spent my money on my own computer then I will do what I want on it as long as I am not hurting anyone else and that is the rules I live by. Republicans thugs in suits are making the whole world a big company theft ring to grab all they can at our expense, I mean people look at the cost of medicine and fuel, they may as well say stick um up sucker, because they are ripping us all off and now they want to bug everything we do like we are in china or the soviet union. And to all you people that say if you have not done anything then you are okay & if you do not have anything to worry about, please you small brains you should be worried because they can take one of your searches & let's say about lasers & then say you are a terrorist just for being interested in lasers and most computer geeks just love tech of all kinds & we tend to read about everything because it is cool, but our crazy gov will turn it all into your the bad guy and before you know it you got these pain in the a* suits knocking on your door & you have not done a thing, that is what I am worried about. Look you all have to thing about this, They can go to war against people that share music, but they cannot go to war with drug dealers or really catch the true terrorist that comes out with a new video every week, duh Dum Big Bro interrogate aljazeera reporters or shoot just tail them(follow them) and find out where they are getting these tapes from, but no they can't even do that right, but they keep insisting to take are right away from us and we are not terrorist and we are just everyday working Americans & they are treating us all like dirt, but I will tell you one thing if they keep on the way that they are doing, then it is going to only make it bad for them because sooner or later people will re-bell and I have already begin my rebelling by starting to learn everything about Linux(UNIX) because the next mac OS & the next windows OS will include the DRM crap and I will and will never buy anything that has that crap in it and I am also going to take me some electronic classes so I can learn how to take there spy chips off and put my own on my motherboards or learn how to flash the chips and reprogram the software because I am going to be free even if it is against the law to be free, so Big Bro and people that think like them, bite a big one!
- userlain, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1linux & iptables
- mistshadow2k4, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Like Colbert says... "If you don't have anything to hide, why are you afraid of wire taps???""
Ok, I'm a person who is paranoid aobut national security and various other stuff. And now I'm suspicious of you. I'm going to go through all the files on your computer, tap your phone, open your mail and basically stalk you until you do something illegal or whatever I consider wrong. But don't worry, if you're correct, then you have nothing to hide, right?
So what exactly is the difference between the government watching you like Big Brother and some paranoid wack job stalking you? NONE. - endernet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"If you don't have anything to hide, why are you afraid of wire taps???"
And what if I do have something to hide? Ever heard of Privacy? - Stelmate, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Well if Microsoft is to design this "backdoor" it will be cracked and used for the advantage of hackers within a matter of days, if the NSA designs it I'll give it a few weeks before it's cracked. NO backdoor is safe, if the FBI can hack into your computer than so can a smarter-than-thou hacker as well. Damn republicans are gettin' the big head, they need to relax a little and just do their damn job without breaking the law to do it, checks and balances people, checks and balances.
- thund3rstruck, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Give me a break people. Please STOP posting these idiot blog sites. The author is a scare mongerer as the article he's interpreting is here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/27/AR2006012701086.html and this is for VoIP. Which, by the way would extend the existing wiretapping laws to VoIP as it exists in the legacy land line phone system.
- stisev, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1""And in fact, says Brad Templeton, chairman of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), some router makers already include such a backdoor. So your hardware may be vulnerable.""
thank GOD for open source WRT54GS.
^_^ - xedeon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1that is so pointless those backdoors are just gonna be exploited by malicious individuals..
- Bobster, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Learn about emigrating to Canada!!!
http://canadainternational.gc.ca/gtc/Immigrating-to-canada-en.aspx - zetsurin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This is ***** insane. But... how (and why) should this affect the sane world, ie. the parts that don't include the 'US of A'?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1the parts of the world that think they aren't part of the us are in denial.
I am going to be a patriot and just get the NSA on three way conference when ever i make a call.
Eventually they will get tired of my voice much like the people i am calling. I mean if i am going to be tapped i want to be able to immediately clarify things i say. Like when i say i hope the panthers kill the seahawks doesn't mean i want targeted assassinations part of football. - t3hCyborg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1To all of you who think that a back-door is no problem, you need to pull your head out of the closet and think. What are your passwords for? Why do you have your accounts passworded on sites and to gain access to your computer? To block others out, it's for your privacy. Why do you have doors and locks on your homes? For protection and privacy. If there is to be a backdoor mandated into all Internet applications and hardware, your information, everything private about your life is wide open to the feds and to hackers. That back-door is just like telling a robber: "Hey, my front door is locked, but tell you what, if you REALLY want to steal my stuff, go around the back, the door is wide open for my security, believe it or not."
I am a proud Republican and I swear, this is crossing the line. I was unsure about the patriot act, but I am definitely against this. This mandate goes against one of the main things America stands for: Personal freedom and privacy. We can not have that freedom and more importantly, privacy, if the government is constantly peeking over our shoulders like a paranoid parent.
It seems like "Big Brother" is coming sooner than expected. George Orwell's novel is finally synonymous with the truth, 22 years later. - cyberworm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Hmm.. I don't think it will cause a loss of innovation, as much as it will cause a loss of people wanting to upgrade. The best solution to these kinds of things will be people freezing at certain software versions (or perhaps reverting), TOR, or taking networks into the private sector completely. I don't have anything to hide, but the fact that I don't have anything to hide, is exactly why I don't want them snooping on me. I've done nothing wrong. To those that say "well, if you don't have anything to hide why worry?" You probably close your curtains when you're changing your clothes. Bbbbbut you're not doing anything illegal, so why not leave them open? For instance, say my girlfriend and I are trading naked pictures of each other, that's not illegal, and I dont' want some pervy bastard intercepting those communications between her and I any more than I want some perv looking in my window.
- diggscreenname, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1All you bush bashers are insane to think this is some "W" thing. The feds have been trying to do this sort of thing since the early 90's (at least). Back when there was a democrat in the white house. So don't be surprised if this scheme is still around in 2009 after a democrat has taken over.
- karamba_kid, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1That's pretty scary, and to think I thought China's firewall was bad.
- budlight, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It's not even that this is that bad in itself, I mean honestly if you think the FBI has enough manpower to monitor everyone, then you're disillusioned. It's simply the fact that they're taking privacy away, if they get away with this, then what next. I think this famous poem illustrates it best:
"First they came for the Jews.
But I didn't speak up because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the communists.
But I didn't speak up because I was not a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists.
But I didn't speak up because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics.
But I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me.
And by that time no one was left to speak up."
(Pastor Martin Niemoller)
I'm not trying to draw an comparisons with the U.S. and Nazi Germany, But I do think this poem illustrates how that if you don't fight for what's right just because it doesn't affect you, then someday you will wish you had. - QuantaS, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1even if the mandate is for VoIP hardware only, it's still a huge step in the direction that no one wents it to go. Rome wasn't built in a day and they'll just pass more and more bills/laws (whatever) until it does turn into "all net hardware". Not this week or this year but it could happen.
- samfrench, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The whole government was set up with checks and balances, now with this war on terrorism Bush thinks he is the king, he is just the head of the executive branch, and commander of the army, not our overlord. America was built on free speech.
- Darkness123, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Wasn't American build to protect privacy or something?
They are doing a 180 on it. lol - Regnak, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Want an example of how much people don't care about our civil liberties? The story about google bookmarks has twice the number of diggs and twice the comments this story has, in half the time. This should be on the front page of the times; instead it's a mediocre digg on a Monday afternoon. whee.
*and yes, i dugg it, though i wanna beat the guy who's idea it was over the head with the constitution. - sremick, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"This country belongs to the people and whenever they shall grow weary of their government they can exercise their constitutional right to amend it, or revolutionary right to dismember it or overthrow it." - Abraham Lincoln
"A little rebellion now and then is a good thing." - Thomas Jefferson
"All that is essential for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." - Edmund Burke
"In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, brave, hated, and scorned. When his cause succeeds however, the timid join him, for then it cost nothing to be a patriot." - Mark Twain
"Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficent ... the greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding." - Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis
"God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. ... And what country can preserve its liberties, if it's rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." - Thomas Jefferson
"To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men." - Abraham Lincoln
"It is not the function of our government to keep the citizen from falling into error; it is the function of the citizen to keep the government from falling into error." - United States Supreme Court - jpatch, on 10/12/2007, -0/+02+2 DOES NOT EQUAL 5!
*beats two of you in the face*
2+2 equals whatever BushBrother TELLS you it equals!!!
(Man, I love Orwell) - slack31337, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"I'd move out to Canada.. but it's ***** cold as ***** there lol"
which in turn produces hard nipples and cold (real) beer it aint all that bad - zbeast, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0this crap has been going for years.
I'm surprised that there asking for an act to do it.
They usually go to manufactures and ask / tell them to put in back-doors or hidden features so that
"the government" can gain access to your communications.
If I know your cell phone number and your Phone Company Uses and Openwave "SMS" message router. I can send and SMS message to your phone and find out where your at. "Without you knowing." All part of a nice FBI requested feature. Nice. these days if its not open source you just cant trust it.
- JimXugle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I say we (nerds) Build a completely free (beer/speech) Internet based on satellite links. no government in space ya know! we need to design a new technology for transmission though... 1 point something K/s isn't to appealing to me.
Each satellite will be equipped with 1 dozen missiles. if anyone tries to disable/destroy any of the satellites in the network, they'll get a nice little courtesy call from Mr. Boom.
No Wiretaps, encrypt if you wish, no censorship, IPv6, base system run on open software, communications hardware can be made out of a wind chime, fork or pocket knife (for the people in china), everyone is responsible for defending their own systems, etc. etc. etc.
Satellites can be built by revenue generated by pay pal donations, google adsence, bank transfers from shady east European banks, charity eBay auctions, etc. - Neonlights, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0buy products overseas... they shouldnt have the tap in them right? same company different firmware?
- aussiehuw, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Watching the FCC is like watching a retarded kid headbutting random people. Sometimes it hurts other people, other times it just hurts itself.
- rodball, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0It's unfortunate. I encourage everyone to write (email = ignored, phone = ok, letter = good, hand-written note = best) their Congress-people and express their grave concern. I do support the government's efforts to intercept foreign communications with possible terrorists here in the US. But this move can have long-term consequences that can't be forseen right now. I actually do think fear of this kind of thing is overblown, but why take chances?
Not too much about this story elsewhere in the news, just in the "geek" circles. - docxxvi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0good one, i wonder how long it'll be before our beloved tony blair gets on this bandwagon! FCC have lost their marbles... maybe this will be enough to drive everyone to open source - you can sure bet the Chinese/Taiwanese wont have a bar of it so components will prob be sweet
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