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Yahoo scanned customer emails for US intelligence

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Re: Yahoo scanned customer emails for US intelligence

#151

I think the attitude here that most tech companies are rolling over and just complying without a single ethical consideration is misplaced. The government has been doing an excellent job of basically extorting these companies into compliance. They threaten the full weight of the US government's wraith and then tie every order up with classifications and gag orders. You aren't legally allowed to talk to other companie…

I don't buy this argue...Open Whisper Systems managed to not roll over and they are only less than half a dozen people...

Re: Yahoo scanned customer emails for US intelligence

#152

I think the attitude here that most tech companies are rolling over and just complying without a single ethical consideration is misplaced. The government has been doing an excellent job of basically extorting these companies into compliance. They threaten the full weight of the US government's wraith and then tie every order up with classifications and gag orders. You aren't legally allowed to talk to other companie…

I don't buy this argue...Open Whisper Systems managed to not roll over and they are only less than half a dozen people...

Devils advocate: They have less to lose.

Re: Yahoo scanned customer emails for US intelligence

#153
post #72

Some people here laud some companies for being good about user privacy and security. This shows they have not yet reached table stakes for privacy and security. This is why no provider can be trusted. Every routine communication should be e2e encrypted. Otherwise this WILL happen.

This is where I remind everyone about S/MIME. A bit awkward to setup for the first time, but with good email clients it is a pretty transparent experience once you have it setup.

Re: Yahoo scanned customer emails for US intelligence

#154
post #13
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But as a user, I would never use a service run by Marissa Mayer again. She lost that trust for good. Realistically, this is every American company. Why trust anyone?

Microsoft and Apple have both been in court during the last 12 months to block US government over-reach. Yahoo joins Amazon in ethusiastically facilitating it. Your assertion isn't realistic, it's nonsense.

Court isn't likely to solve this. Only a wholesale rejection of terrorism as a realistic threat to, well, anything but our political process is going to do it.

I assume the FBI is reading my email. You should, too, or you will be unhappy when you find out they are.

Re: Yahoo scanned customer emails for US intelligence

#155

I think the attitude here that most tech companies are rolling over and just complying without a single ethical consideration is misplaced. The government has been doing an excellent job of basically extorting these companies into compliance. They threaten the full weight of the US government's wraith and then tie every order up with classifications and gag orders. You aren't legally allowed to talk to other companie…

I don't buy this argue...Open Whisper Systems managed to not roll over and they are only less than half a dozen people...

It's easy to say with confidence "These 6 people that I know well and represent are OK losing their jobs when you fine my company out of existence".

It's much harder to say "I will defy you and in the process cost 10k+ people their jobs without them having any say or knowledge of this".

Re: Yahoo scanned customer emails for US intelligence

#156

I think the attitude here that most tech companies are rolling over and just complying without a single ethical consideration is misplaced. The government has been doing an excellent job of basically extorting these companies into compliance. They threaten the full weight of the US government's wraith and then tie every order up with classifications and gag orders. You aren't legally allowed to talk to other companie…

isn't the whole premise that the Big Companies actually control the government? "They threaten the full weight of the US government's wraith and then tie every order up with classifications and gag orders."

full weight? You mean like a small fine ? That's what happened to Wells Fargo. The govt . seems really angry about it, but what can they really do to a corp that is considered an entity?

Re: Yahoo scanned customer emails for US intelligence

#157
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Microsoft and Apple have both been in court during the last 12 months to block US government over-reach. Yahoo joins Amazon in ethusiastically facilitating it. Your assertion isn't realistic, it's nonsense.

I'm curious, when has Amazon facilitated US government over-reach? I couldn't think of anything off the top of my head, and googling only provided a bunch of documentation for AWS's cloud offerings to government agencies.

Amazon chose to boot WikiLeaks immediately after a US senator expressed displeasure with WL's original high-profile tranche of leaks.

Re: Yahoo scanned customer emails for US intelligence

#158
post #45

The lesson from this is to not trust corporations with out privacy. Sadly, it seems many of us are not learning it.

The lesson from this is to not trust corporations with out privacy. I'm as upset about this as anybody, but realistically speaking... they had a gun to their heads. The real problem here isn't Yahoo! (or the other corporations), it's the government.

The thing you quoted doesn't assign blame. It simple says you can't trust that corporations will/can protect your privacy.

Re: Yahoo scanned customer emails for US intelligence

#159
post #45

The lesson from this is to not trust corporations with out privacy. Sadly, it seems many of us are not learning it.

Yes, it's totally the fault of tech companies that the US Federal government forces them to give up access to any information they want, and a non-profit email org would immune US intelligence agencies. /s

Non-profit is not the opposite of corporation. In fact, most non-profits are corporations.

The message is obviously to control your own security to the maximum extent practicable. Esau didn't assign fault in their comment. You might disagree with their assertion, but your comment is attacking a straw man, rather than the claim posted.

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