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The EARN IT bill is back, seeking to scan our messages and photos

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Re: The EARN IT bill is back, seeking to scan our messages and photos

#291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many seem to not realize that privacy is not about having something to hide (I guess that would be secrecy), but about the right to keep things to yourself. Those are two different concepts.

"Privacy is necessary for an open society in the electronic age. Privacy is not secrecy. A private matter is something one doesn't want the whole world to know, but a secret matter is something one doesn't want anybody to know. Privacy is the power to selectively reveal oneself to the world." -- excerpt from A Cypherpunk's Manifesto, Eric Hughes, March 9, 1993

> March 9, 1993

It's funny (not haha-funny) how political policy in 2023 is still trying to catch up to morality understood 30 years ago. I remember being annoyed at newscasters abusing the term "hackers" in the late 90s and extremely broad definitions of "hacking" being applied in court-rulings. It must still be really difficult to comprehend tech and the consequences of these kinds of policies for policy makers. Either that or policy makers really are maleficent towards life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Re: The EARN IT bill is back, seeking to scan our messages and photos

#292
post #3

I'm so tired. I wish we didn't have to keep going through constant attacks on our privacy. I know they're hoping that people will give up after a point out of weariness, and I'm afraid when it comes to many people they're right.

Remember when major websites used to blackout over TTIP and SOPA? Those were good days. Now many of the same websites (eg Reddit) are owned by large entities who don't care. Probably because they've made their money, so who needs a free Internet?

I bet some of the big social media companies like this legislation because it'll make it harder to run a web site, social media company, or chat app, thus insulating them from competition.

Onerous regulations are a kind of regressive tax on businesses, favoring very large firms with big budgets and lobbyists over upstarts and small business.

Re: The EARN IT bill is back, seeking to scan our messages and photos

#293
post #149
post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't need a mandatory retirement age, just term limits. For example, no more than two terms as a Senator, no more than three as a House member.

Why do you recommend different term limits for house members?

House positions last a third the amount of time (2 years versus 6).

Re: The EARN IT bill is back, seeking to scan our messages and photos

#294

4th amendment text: > The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. Let’s name names, the senators who introduced this are Mr. GRAHAM…

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Re: The EARN IT bill is back, seeking to scan our messages and photos

#295

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because she's not a Republican, and competitive primaries for long-time incumbents are often political suicide for the challenger. Voters have a poor set of choices and select the least bad.

California uses "jungle primaries" where the top two vote getters regardless of party advance to the general election. You can't blame the two-party system here, voters could easily choose another Democrat if that's what they wanted.

Definitely. IMO, the issue in California's particular case is that the Democrat senior leadership isn't too keen to oust one of their own, creating a culture that permeates down. Thus the only candidates willing to run against Feinstein are more fringe members of the party. If a relatively middle-of-the pack Dem ran, it would probably be a much closer race. Anthony Rendon, our current Speaker of the CA Assembly would be an obvious choice, with a largely inoffensive (to the CA Democrat majority, anyways) platform and voting record, but anybody with a bit of experience would do.

Re: The EARN IT bill is back, seeking to scan our messages and photos

#296
post #7

A reminder that "you have nothing to hide" argument is a fallacy because people abuse their power: Some first hits as reminders of places where their powers are abused [1]: "NSA staff used spy tools on spouses, ex-lovers: watchdog" https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-surveillance-watchdog... [2]: https://reason.com/2022/07/26/police-can-access-your-ring-ca... [3]: https://reason.com/2021/04/26/warrantless-border-s…

Even framing it as "nothing to hide" implies that hiding is the exception. Shouldn't it be the default?

For a society to work properly, yes. If we have zero rules around what a government can or cannot do, can or cannot have access to, and so on we will have created a moral hazard that will be grossly abused.

Re: The EARN IT bill is back, seeking to scan our messages and photos

#297
post #7

A reminder that "you have nothing to hide" argument is a fallacy because people abuse their power: Some first hits as reminders of places where their powers are abused [1]: "NSA staff used spy tools on spouses, ex-lovers: watchdog" https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-surveillance-watchdog... [2]: https://reason.com/2022/07/26/police-can-access-your-ring-ca... [3]: https://reason.com/2021/04/26/warrantless-border-s…

[deleted]

Re: The EARN IT bill is back, seeking to scan our messages and photos

#298

I’m reminded by a speech by Frederick Douglass [1] that >This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these w…

[flagged]

Most people have a cause, especially now, either actively or passively.

Re: The EARN IT bill is back, seeking to scan our messages and photos

#299

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Privacy is necessary for an open society in the electronic age. Privacy is not secrecy. A private matter is something one doesn't want the whole world to know, but a secret matter is something one doesn't want anybody to know. Privacy is the power to selectively reveal oneself to the world." -- excerpt from A Cypherpunk's Manifesto, Eric Hughes, March 9, 1993

> March 9, 1993 It's funny (not haha-funny) how political policy in 2023 is still trying to catch up to morality understood 30 years ago. I remember being annoyed at newscasters abusing the term "hackers" in the late 90s and extremely broad definitions of "hacking" being applied in court-rulings. It must still be really difficult to comprehend tech and the consequences of these kinds of policies for policy makers. Ei…

Oh, politics understands that alright, don't you worry about that. Politicians are the enemies of privacy for the masses, because a transparent population is a population that is easier controlled and manipulated.

That's also why terms are being used deliberately incorrectly, to move legitimate positions nearer to criminal activity. Just ask anyone interested in hobbyist chemistry.

Re: The EARN IT bill is back, seeking to scan our messages and photos

#300

Earlier quoted context omitted.

everyone with an opinion in this thread ought to do this. It really doesn't take any time at all.

some countries have a public policy of “don’t negotiate with terrorists”. it’s so tempting for me to adopt the same policy in my own life. if a burglar showed up at my door demanding entry, i wouldn’t debate them about why it’s morally preferable that they don’t enter against my will. but when it’s some politician demanding entry, suddenly everyone thinks i ought to engage in that debate. no. better to dispel the myt…

The problem is that this line of thinking usually turns into just doing nothing and letting them roll over us anyway because they've taken our silence as consent.
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