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Judge Who Authorized Police Search of Privacy Activists Wasn't Told About Tor

thestranger.com

11–20 of 236 posts

Re: Judge Who Authorized Police Search of Privacy Activists Wasn't Told About Tor

#11
Money quote in the last paragraph:

"When we get into things like this," [Judge William Downing] said, "anonymizing stuff, that’s well over my head technologically, then it becomes very murky and hazy."

That sounds to me like the judge likely wouldn't have known what a TOR node was if the police had told him these guys were running one.

Technology isn't slowing down, so how can we make sure the law keeps up?

Re: Judge Who Authorized Police Search of Privacy Activists Wasn't Told About Tor

#12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It really shouldn't be illegal, it should be protected, like free speech, as noted in the article, "It's like raiding the mailman's house for delivering an illegal letter with no return address" In fact I think that's why they withheld the fact that he runs a TOR node from the judge.

Especially since the agencies in question can easily "plant" the network evidence they want.

Can they? Does the client have any control over the route that their traffic takes through the network?

Not a rhetorical question^

Re: Judge Who Authorized Police Search of Privacy Activists Wasn't Told About Tor

#13
post #11

Money quote in the last paragraph: "When we get into things like this," [Judge William Downing] said, "anonymizing stuff, that’s well over my head technologically, then it becomes very murky and hazy." That sounds to me like the judge likely wouldn't have known what a TOR node was if the police had told him these guys were running one. Technology isn't slowing down, so how can we make sure the law keeps up?

Let's hope that was his quick answer to reporters. I'd hate to think that when a Judge has a hard time learning something he decides, well I don't understand this so, let's just violate someone's 4th amendment rights and go harrass them rather than learning how I should apply the law (aka do my job).

Re: Judge Who Authorized Police Search of Privacy Activists Wasn't Told About Tor

#14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Especially since the agencies in question can easily "plant" the network evidence they want.

Can they? Does the client have any control over the route that their traffic takes through the network? Not a rhetorical question^

Yes the user can choose the exit node in the client very easily. Even a dirty cop could figure it out.

Re: Judge Who Authorized Police Search of Privacy Activists Wasn't Told About Tor

#15
Point of clarification: I know the police are allowed to lie and fudge the truth to suspects and defendant, but is there a legal requirement for them to be forthcoming and truthful to Judges in warrants?

Also, tending to agree that even if they had included TOR in the search warrant, the judge would have most likely signed it anyways becasue child porn is a big "must do something" thing, and the technology would have probably gone over the Judges' head anyways. In this day if the police use the words "child porn" they could get a warrant for just about anything under the sun.

Re: Judge Who Authorized Police Search of Privacy Activists Wasn't Told About Tor

#16
post #11

Money quote in the last paragraph: "When we get into things like this," [Judge William Downing] said, "anonymizing stuff, that’s well over my head technologically, then it becomes very murky and hazy." That sounds to me like the judge likely wouldn't have known what a TOR node was if the police had told him these guys were running one. Technology isn't slowing down, so how can we make sure the law keeps up?

The tech community would undoubtedly volunteer resources in the interests of a better world, the problem is it seems the government has very little interest in the justice system actually dispensing justice, it seems to increasingly be one of many tools used to control the populace. It's not only "a" tool, it is almost a magical "wild card" where you can put any opponent away forever if you so choose, and it is completely indefensible.

Re: Judge Who Authorized Police Search of Privacy Activists Wasn't Told About Tor

#17
post #2

This is probably what I find most worrying about the TOR concept. By running an exit node, you open yourself up to all sorts of legal actions. But if you can't run a TOR exit node as an average citizen, won't all exit nodes end up being run by NSA, GCHQ, and their ilk?

It's actually really sad because I was wanting to see if I could implement an exit node all by myself as a side proejct, but then I realized the potential danger I'd be putting myself in. Naturally, I'd have to host it to test it, so I had to throw this one to the way-side

You still can but, make sure you don't do it in your house. Even one of the operators said, I guess I should have rented a server for this. Not that I agree with the warrant however, I'm not putting my dog's and children's lives in danger.

Re: Judge Who Authorized Police Search of Privacy Activists Wasn't Told About Tor

#18
post #2

This is probably what I find most worrying about the TOR concept. By running an exit node, you open yourself up to all sorts of legal actions. But if you can't run a TOR exit node as an average citizen, won't all exit nodes end up being run by NSA, GCHQ, and their ilk?

I seem to recall Mozilla talking about running some exit nodes. I wonder if that fizzled out under government or law-enforcement pressure.

Relays, not exit nodes, and they still run them: https://globe.torproject.org/#/search/query=mozilla

Re: Judge Who Authorized Police Search of Privacy Activists Wasn't Told About Tor

#19
post #11

Money quote in the last paragraph: "When we get into things like this," [Judge William Downing] said, "anonymizing stuff, that’s well over my head technologically, then it becomes very murky and hazy." That sounds to me like the judge likely wouldn't have known what a TOR node was if the police had told him these guys were running one. Technology isn't slowing down, so how can we make sure the law keeps up?

It likely will never 'keep up' and really, the law never has been 'up to date' with technology. American law allows most things until a lawyer is needed and then makes a decision to forbid or not (this is law, so there are many exceptions). We are a common law system (except Louisiana), not a code law or theocratic law system [0]. As such, the law will inherently lag. Remember, we are dealing with humans here, nothing can be perfect nor can we anticipate the ingenuity of idiots.

[0] http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/law/3-kinds-of-legal-syste...

Re: Judge Who Authorized Police Search of Privacy Activists Wasn't Told About Tor

#20

Point of clarification: I know the police are allowed to lie and fudge the truth to suspects and defendant, but is there a legal requirement for them to be forthcoming and truthful to Judges in warrants? Also, tending to agree that even if they had included TOR in the search warrant, the judge would have most likely signed it anyways becasue child porn is a big "must do something" thing, and the technology would have…

is there a legal requirement for them to be forthcoming and truthful to Judges in warrants?

This is called Perjury[0]. There is no law enforcement exception to it.

[0] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perjury

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