it is absolutely amazing that this plus the "military facilities being mapped via Strava data" etc never lead to a serious discussion about privacy in general in the US. why does the government allow this commercial database to exist at all?
No new boss at NSA until it answers questions on buying location, browsing data
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Re: No new boss at NSA until it answers questions on buying location, browsing data
#72> This won't guarantee answers, however. It does mean the NSA will either need to satisfy Wyden's request, or Congress will need to hold a procedural vote to push through the confirmation. So, the most probable outcome is that this will delay the process for a few weeks at most until congress just pushes it through. At least it shines a bit light on the whole charade. Not that it makes much of a difference for me, si…
> So, the most probable outcome is that this will delay the process for a few weeks at most until congress just pushes it through. Tell that to all of the high ranking military positions that Senator Tuberville is still holding up months later.
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Re: No new boss at NSA until it answers questions on buying location, browsing data
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
Unfortunately, there’s only one candidate over 70 with a real chance.
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What? If you mean Trump, I think it’s pretty dishonest or at best ignorant to liken them to each other. He absolutely has his flaws, tons of them, but categorically excluding him from the discussion isn’t justified.
Re: No new boss at NSA until it answers questions on buying location, browsing data
#74Earlier quoted context omitted.
> But that would mean going against companies and we can't have that now, can we? Exactly. Surveillance capitalism is orders of magnitude more invasive than the NSA and does not answer to anyone. Regulations don’t even really work because they can just offshore anything shady or do it through fly by night data brokers.
But private companies do not have the legal option to invade your home or use physical force on you.
They can use the cops against you. Ask Kim Dotcom (whatever else you think of him).
Re: No new boss at NSA until it answers questions on buying location, browsing data
#75[flagged]
Re: No new boss at NSA until it answers questions on buying location, browsing data
#76Earlier quoted context omitted.
But private companies do not have the legal option to invade your home or use physical force on you.
They can use the cops against you. Ask Kim Dotcom (whatever else you think of him).
That wouldn't happen without power delegated from the government. We leave capitalism and free enterprise behind when that happens, yet still insist on using the same terms to label the consequences.
See also patent trolls, predatory DRM and copyright enforcement, and (often) the creation and maintenance of harmful monopolies.
Re: No new boss at NSA until it answers questions on buying location, browsing data
#77> This won't guarantee answers, however. It does mean the NSA will either need to satisfy Wyden's request, or Congress will need to hold a procedural vote to push through the confirmation. So, the most probable outcome is that this will delay the process for a few weeks at most until congress just pushes it through. At least it shines a bit light on the whole charade. Not that it makes much of a difference for me, si…
> So, the most probable outcome is that this will delay the process for a few weeks at most until congress just pushes it through. Tell that to all of the high ranking military positions that Senator Tuberville is still holding up months later.
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Re: No new boss at NSA until it answers questions on buying location, browsing data
#78Earlier quoted context omitted.
The United States is this limited government, with strict limits on what it's allowed to do. Yeah, I know. It hasn't worked out that way. But do you think other governments, starting with fewer restraints, are doing less than the US? Or more? I could see saying that the US is doing it in higher volume, because it's got more money to spend on government excess.
Incentives are a factor too though. The us needs to hold a mostly voluntary empire together, that requires a lot more intrigue than the average country.
>voluntary empire
lmao ycomb.
Re: No new boss at NSA until it answers questions on buying location, browsing data
#79So it's like a canary: the senator has the answer but wants to make it public.
If the answer was "no" then he wouldn't be pushing for it, so the answer is obviously yes, they are buying data of american citizens in bulk, warrantlessly
Re: No new boss at NSA until it answers questions on buying location, browsing data
#80Earlier quoted context omitted.
These data are probably legally collected and sold, as mentioned in page 573 of the terms and conditions users have agreed with.
> ... as mentioned in page 573 of the terms and conditions users have agreed with Except that it's not how EULA do work. If it's made illegal by law (which GP suggess), then lawyers writing these EULAs can write anything they want in fineprint: it's not superseding the law.
You can't make this blanket illegal. For example, if you buy something online, the seller will need to share your address with the delivery company, unless they do the delivery themselves, with is impractical most of the times. So you can make laws regarding the transfer of personal information, but these are bound to be really complicated, just look at GDPR.