Earlier quoted context omitted.
So what do we do?
Use GPG. Don't use smartphones, don't use any closed software (especially non-free OSes.) Vote.
Between having to use GPG or just accept Orwellian dystopia, the choice is... not easy
European Parliament approves mass surveillance of private communication
121–130 of 434 posts
Re: European Parliament approves mass surveillance of private communication
#122Earlier quoted context omitted.
The EU already has unprecedented control over commerce. Notice how they chopped up the UK during Brexit. EU adopting this measure means the enforcement will likely be corrupt and impossible to enforce standards.
> The EU already has unprecedented control over commerce. Unprecedented compared to who? Every sovereign state has more control than the EU does: US, China, etc. > Notice how they chopped up the UK during Brexit. How did the EU chop up the UK?
The EU is not a sovereign state.
The EU chopped up UK business marketshare, business leadership, professional lives for little more than a gram of power.
I feel like it is necessary to point out the similarities between the CCP and European Parliament.
>72% of citizens oppose digital monitoring, while 77% of their representatives vote for laws they emphatically do not want
Re: European Parliament approves mass surveillance of private communication
#123Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah, but how sustainable is the EU really, in the long term? I’m still convinced it will either dissolve or devolve into a rump organization within my lifetime.
EU gets a lot of stick but deep below, the boring stuff keeps it together. Brexit showed just the enormous depth of high quality glue keeping all remaining countries together. So I don’t think the EU will be collapsing any time soon, certainly not for rational reasons.
It's all stick, no carrot. Unsustainable.
Re: European Parliament approves mass surveillance of private communication
#124This is what people mean when they say “turnkey surveillance states”: you end up 1-3 laws away from almost instant total government surveillance of all citizen activity. The trillion dollar infrastructure was built by you and me for free from their POV (we paid them to do it with taxes), and now they can just say they want to use it
Access to all peoples communications is simply incredibly lucrative. If it is out there, and it is, those with interest in it will attempt to get it.
If it's not done openly, will be done secretly(like in the USA as revealed by Wikileaks).
Normally I support the position of political progress("We" and the politicians are not different subset of people, EU is not bunch of Belgians) instead of technological solutions. However, this time I think we need a technological solution.
No matter who is in charge, the temptation is too big if the access is possible. They don't even have to have malicious intents, all kind of people's job will get much easier if they had access to the communications of others.
Re: European Parliament approves mass surveillance of private communication
#125Re: European Parliament approves mass surveillance of private communication
#126I mean not to be a conspiracy theorist, but I am pretty convinced they and other gov orgs (US, UK) are probably doing it already if I had to guess. This makes the stuff they find legally useable for evidence I guess.
Also to normalize "black boxes" that are run by private companies to monitor thaffic.
Re: European Parliament approves mass surveillance of private communication
#127Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think that's true. Most people use Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp; privacy isn't really a selling point for the majority of people. "I've nothing to hide" is the common response.
Whatsapp is end to end encrypted.
The metadata hosted on Facebook's servers is worth more than the actual content.
Re: European Parliament approves mass surveillance of private communication
#128You do have to wonder about the long term stability of a nominal democracy where 72% of citizens oppose digital monitoring, while 77% of their representatives vote for laws they emphatically do not want. Put more bluntly, is this even a democracy in anything other than the trappings?
A discussion I've never really seen take place is, "Why does law enforcement have a (prominent) seat at the table for which laws should be passed?" We in the US continually hear from the FBI and other agencies how they need to abridge rights in order to be more effective. IMO, that really shouldn't be in their wheelhouse. They should be enforcing only laws that exist. Making new laws for their convenience should be n…
Good point.
Of course every kind of worker has his wishes to change law/rules for work. But the agencies are really good in pushing for new laws (and more work .. perpetum mobile).
Re: European Parliament approves mass surveillance of private communication
#129Earlier quoted context omitted.
So what do we do?
Pen and paper.
If you send a letter, the USPO automatically takes and stores a picture of the envelope, and will show it to law enforcement upon request - no warrant required. Pen & paper has is a meta-data leak.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail_Isolation_Control_and_Tra...
Re: European Parliament approves mass surveillance of private communication
#130You do have to wonder about the long term stability of a nominal democracy where 72% of citizens oppose digital monitoring, while 77% of their representatives vote for laws they emphatically do not want. Put more bluntly, is this even a democracy in anything other than the trappings?
- this is not new, it only is an urgent law to enable continuation of current practices as a previous law ran out
- this is temporary legislation limited to 3 years
- hopefully we get some real dialogue on the final legislation