Memories of Stasi color Germans’ view of U.S. surveillance programs • Hacker News Board

Re: Memories of Stasi color Germans’ view of U.S. surveillance programs

#131

Post by canvia » Fri, Jun 28, 2013, 6:16 PM UTC

sneak wrote: post #83

VladRussian2 wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

this is the most destructive aspect of surveilance state - it is not that the state, ie. its proper officers and facilities, are doing - after all one can reasonably expect them to do all sort of nefarious things one can imagine and thus one is considered reasonably warned, it is about anybody (even friends and family) can happen to be a secret informant and collaborator. In case of USA the secretly imposed gag order…

I signed up for Google Plus reluctantly, mostly just to use hangouts as Skype doesn't work on the ARM Chromebook. I don't use Facebook and I host my own email, mostly because I'd like to keep my social graph private. However, Google knows everyone I'd have added on Plus already - and offers to add them for me. How? They've all uploaded their address books, and they all use gmail. 80-90%+ of my social graph is already…

It is the same with smart phones. Even if you don't install any apps or link any of your profiles (fb, g+, etc) all it takes is for one person you know to upload their address book to "find their friends" and suddenly there is linked: your phone #, email, fb (your picture included), g+, all in one spot, all without your permission or knowledge.

Even if you try and secure your data and privacy, unless everyone you know does the same thing it is pointless.

Re: Memories of Stasi color Germans’ view of U.S. surveillance programs

#132

Post by gtirloni » Sat, Jun 29, 2013, 4:14 AM UTC

walshemj wrote: post #114

raphman wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One might argue that ID cards actually preserve privacy. In order to give some company or person proof of my identity, I just have to show them my ID card. This transfers less personal information to them than a driver's license, birth certificate, etc. State-issued ID cards are usually much harder to falsify than those, too. Therfore, rarely something else beside them is needed for identification. Therefore, identit…

So there should be no problems with the NSA GCHQ storing all that data then by your argument. Are there any oversight committees that check that the police of European country aren't abusing the power to demand ID I Think Not.

I would be interested to hear how his statements support your claim bout NSA/GCHQ because I see only a very thin connection.

Re: Memories of Stasi color Germans’ view of U.S. surveillance programs

#133

Post by walshemj » Sat, Jun 29, 2013, 4:16 PM UTC

gtirloni wrote: post #132

walshemj wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So there should be no problems with the NSA GCHQ storing all that data then by your argument. Are there any oversight committees that check that the police of European country aren't abusing the power to demand ID I Think Not.

I would be interested to hear how his statements support your claim bout NSA/GCHQ because I see only a very thin connection.

He seems to be happy with the police having access to everyones id card data and appearing to have no oversite to see if the Police are abusing the power of asking people to present your id card or "papers please".

Re: Memories of Stasi color Germans’ view of U.S. surveillance programs

#134

Post by BrandonMarc » Wed, Jul 03, 2013, 4:51 PM UTC

ollysb wrote: post #108

BrandonMarc wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which blows my mind, since I live in Texas where you can drive 10 hours in the same direction on the same road at freeway speeds, and still be an hour or two from reaching another state.

For whatever reason people have a very different relationship with travelling in their own car and via some other form of transport. The perceived cost of a trip seems to drop for a lot of people, both with regards to price and time. Perhaps less so in the millennial generation but in the preceeding generation there is a very strong association between owning a car and personal freedom.

Probably because owning a car means you can go anywhere your wallet ($ for gas) and time will allow you to go. Anywhere, any time, with very little hassle. Taxis come close to this, but only in and for (geographically) small areas/trips. Bicycles also come close. Other forms of transit are limited in terms of endpoints (*ports for planes/ferries, stations for trains/subways, stops for buses), time (dependent on the schedule), and may cost more.

Owning a car often gives you a lot of options you don't have without it.

Unless you live in NYC/similar.