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John McCain wants to outlaw encryption that the US government can't crack

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Re: John McCain wants to outlaw encryption that the US government can't crack

#121

Post by mark_l_watson »

gnoway wrote: post #16
an_account wrote: post #4

I love how Republicans believe that outlawing guns won't stop criminals from having guns while at the same time believing that outlawing encryption will keep criminals from using encryption. Encryption methods are far easier to transport and spread illegally than gun are.

"Republicans" Rand Paul is pretty openly pro-encryption. Hillary Clinton is equivocating; I think she's probably anti-encryption. These may be exceptions that prove the rule but I think what we're really seeing is a combination of ignorance, pandering and authoritarianism across the spectrum.

Don't forget: Hillary Clinton and Fritz Hollings sponsored the horrible SSCA bill (all electronic devices must have a back door) when she was a junior Senator.

At the time I wrote to my representative Bob Stump and he went and talked with Hollings and sent me a synopsis of their conversation.

It was Warren Buffett who said that we have had class warfare, and that his class won. So true.

Re: John McCain wants to outlaw encryption that the US government can't crack

#123

Post by Retra »

joering2 wrote: post #104
ecdavis wrote: post #36

Is it really worth leaving a thoughtful comment about such an ignorant statement? It's clear to me that these people have no idea what encryption actually is and only have a cursory understanding of what it does. They're aware that criminals and terrorists can use encryption to communicate covertly. That's why they want to ban it. Are they also aware that the exact same technology is used to protect their online bank…

> Are they also aware that the exact same technology is used to protect their online banking? Yes they are -- that's why it's not a matter of passing a one-page bill overnight, but rather a more complex piece of legislation that in order to be done right, need time and bi-partisan involvement. And I found it hard to believe you don't see a difference between encrypting your bank transaction, and encrypting your onlin…

You don't think it is feasible develop a messaging system that employs bank transactions?

Re: John McCain wants to outlaw encryption that the US government can't crack

#125

Post by Frondo »

c0achmcguirk wrote: post #112
Frondo wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah, what we need is fewer rich people and more women and people of color--a closer match to the actual demographics of the people of the country. I would no sooner put a anti-gov politician in charge than hire a manager who's opposed to the existence of the team he's managing.

> Nah, what we need is fewer rich people and more women and people of color Please no sexism, classism, and racism in choosing people. Best people for the job regardless of their income tax bracket or their skin color. Just put people in office that understand how to run a country and limit the powers of government.

Since our current batch of politicians is predominantly wealthy white men, it seems to me like we may already have sexism, classism, and racism going on.

That said, I'm not advocating quotas, and frankly speaking I'm all in favor of getting rid of sexism, classism, and racism.

But my money's on, if we did, our politicians at all levels of government would better reflect who they represented.

Re: John McCain wants to outlaw encryption that the US government can't crack

#126

Post by Gibbon1 »

whoopdedo wrote: post #66

Can we have a new rule when laws are proposed? Whenever you see the headline "(name of politician) wants to pass a law which will do ____" it should be rewritten to "Lobbyists have convinced (name of politician) that they need a law which will do _____". From opensecrets.org: Industry Favorite John McCain is a top recipient from the following industries in 2015-2016: Cable & satellite TV production (#1) Defense Aeros…

It's amazing how cheaply the public interest gets sold out for.

Re: John McCain wants to outlaw encryption that the US government can't crack

#128

Post by Swizec »

joering2 wrote: post #104
ecdavis wrote: post #36

Is it really worth leaving a thoughtful comment about such an ignorant statement? It's clear to me that these people have no idea what encryption actually is and only have a cursory understanding of what it does. They're aware that criminals and terrorists can use encryption to communicate covertly. That's why they want to ban it. Are they also aware that the exact same technology is used to protect their online bank…

> Are they also aware that the exact same technology is used to protect their online banking? Yes they are -- that's why it's not a matter of passing a one-page bill overnight, but rather a more complex piece of legislation that in order to be done right, need time and bi-partisan involvement. And I found it hard to believe you don't see a difference between encrypting your bank transaction, and encrypting your onlin…

> don't see a difference between encrypting your bank transaction, and encrypting your online conversation.

How is my online conversation with the bank any different than my other online conversations? Sure the content is different, but it's all the same medium, using the same sort of technology.

Re: John McCain wants to outlaw encryption that the US government can't crack

#129

Post by delinka »

tolmasky wrote: post #84
jdoliner wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

r/ELIaEO - Explain like I'm an elected official

"if you do this then I'll give you this campaign donation", is that the kind of explanation it would provide? Otherwise I don't see it getting very far.

This makes me think we need to implement a cryptographic protocol to revoke donations when politicians go back on the words that solicited the donation.

Re: John McCain wants to outlaw encryption that the US government can't crack

#130

Post by dogma1138 »

strayptr wrote: post #109
dogma1138 wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You've missed the 2nd half of my post I see, I said that if any even half arsed measures are going to be in place the crackdown will become more effective with time. If you can stall or slow down the evolution of open encryption sufficiently so state actors can catch up then that's effectively makes that encryption useless. Today for example the NSA can break weak DSA configurations, and factor weak RSA keys in 2-3 y…

There are a variety of algorithms which are safe in a post-quantum crypto world. Developing and deploying them will take time, but they exist. Making them safe will take longer, but it will happen. The threat you describe sounds like a race. But in fact, it's more like a switch. Right now the world is pre-quantum. When the switch is flipped, to post-quantum, a lot of algorithms will break. But not all of them. See ht…

Today there won't be much issues, I'm talking about a reality in which your Government (doesn't matter if it's the US, UK, Germany or China) is not only not helping you to build strong crypto (which they always done so in the past), but actually is working against you.

How easy would it to work on open encryption software if we'll have to revert to the Pre Bernstein V. United States era (which wasn't so long ago) and one that might actually be more heavily regulated than (restriction on actual work on encryption and related field rather than exporting software) before? Heck Phil Zimmermann almost ended up going to jail when PGP was "leaked" outside of the US, and this isn't East Germany, this is the US in the mid 90's.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernstein_v._United_States

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