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Google encrypts data amid backlash against NSA spying

washingtonpost.com

11–20 of 153 posts

Re: Google encrypts data amid backlash against NSA spying

#11

But if they can encrypt the data so the NSA can't read it--that is, if the NSA can't force them to reveal the data--then why were they revealing it in the first place?

It seems like they're either encrypting communication between each server or between each data center: the article is very vague. Either way, your data is still unencrypted inside a server (which is obvious: you can't search through your mail without knowing the plaintext.)

Re: Google encrypts data amid backlash against NSA spying

#12
post #10

Google has been cooperating with the NSA, I distrust Google, this looks more like damage control to me.

What US company doesn't cooperate with the NSA? Google responds to lawful requests by the US government as appropriate. It's up to US citizens to change the law if they don't like it.

If Google really wants to help then it should stop tracking their users, stop spying on me and stop trying to force me to sing up to G+, they cannot give data to the NSA if they stop getting it as simple as that, but, all the NSA has to do is buy the information from Google, after all, they sell it.

Re: Google encrypts data amid backlash against NSA spying

#13

Meh. My most importance source of data in Google's control is my email. They aren't doing much to help me protect myself there. My only wish is that they provide a stable hook for tools like Firegpg [1] to encrypt the email's plaintext. Their constant tweaking of the textbox led FireGPG's developers to throw in the towel. I understand that Google wants to read your emails to power their ads. I doubt the fraction of p…

Instead of trying to reverse-engineer a proprietary compressed Javascript codebase that changes daily, you should use Thunderbird and Enigmail. http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/ https://www.enigmail.net/

Or just use KMail (which integrates with GnuPG by default) on your shiny open-source Linux or BSD that you're surely using already. :)

Re: Google encrypts data amid backlash against NSA spying

#14
post #4

A salient bit: [Eric] Grosse echoed comments from other Google officials, saying that the company resists government surveillance and has never weakened its encryption systems to make snooping easier — as some companies reportedly have, according to the Snowden documents detailed by the Times and the Guardian on Thursday. “This is a just a point of personal honor,” Grosse said. “It will not happen here.” Some folks a…

Or so they say.

I'm not convinced that this is not Google's version of "trust us". Keep in mind there is no PR loss for Google to adopt a pro-encryption stance now. If they are really serious about this, they would a) stop trawling emails and b) help develop tech for seamlessly encrypting both in-flight and at-rest email.

Re: Google encrypts data amid backlash against NSA spying

#15

It's theoretically impossible for the NSA to decrypt the data. In practice, however, it seems they can. So what's the point of encrypting then? Is Google thinking they are smarter than the NSA at cryptography?

I know what you're trying to say, but your wording is off. Something cannot be theoretically impossible but practically possible.

Re: Google encrypts data amid backlash against NSA spying

#16

Meh. My most importance source of data in Google's control is my email. They aren't doing much to help me protect myself there. My only wish is that they provide a stable hook for tools like Firegpg [1] to encrypt the email's plaintext. Their constant tweaking of the textbox led FireGPG's developers to throw in the towel. I understand that Google wants to read your emails to power their ads. I doubt the fraction of p…

This is not just about email. Its about your entire browsing history, location, texts, phonecalls.

Re: Google encrypts data amid backlash against NSA spying

#17
post #10

Google has been cooperating with the NSA, I distrust Google, this looks more like damage control to me.

What US company doesn't cooperate with the NSA? Google responds to lawful requests by the US government as appropriate. It's up to US citizens to change the law if they don't like it.

Wait, how are we supposed to change laws we don't know about?

Re: Google encrypts data amid backlash against NSA spying

#19
post #4

A salient bit: [Eric] Grosse echoed comments from other Google officials, saying that the company resists government surveillance and has never weakened its encryption systems to make snooping easier — as some companies reportedly have, according to the Snowden documents detailed by the Times and the Guardian on Thursday. “This is a just a point of personal honor,” Grosse said. “It will not happen here.” Some folks a…

Or so they say. I'm not convinced that this is not Google's version of "trust us". Keep in mind there is no PR loss for Google to adopt a pro-encryption stance now. If they are really serious about this, they would a) stop trawling emails and b) help develop tech for seamlessly encrypting both in-flight and at-rest email.

Meanwhile, Google Argues for Right to Continue Scanning Gmail

"This company reads, on a daily basis, every email that's submitted, and when I say read, I mean looking at every word to determine meaning," said Texas attorney Sean Rommel, who is co-counsel suing Google.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/google-argues-con...

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_24021944/google-argue...

Re: Google encrypts data amid backlash against NSA spying

#20
post #5

> Encrypting information flowing among data centers will not make it impossible for intelligence agencies to snoop on individual users of Google services, nor will it have any effect on legal requirements that the company comply with court orders or valid national security requests for data. How does this do anything about pervasive NSA spying? The NSA has broken SSL and VPNs by corrupting the CAs and the VPN vendors…

I would assume Google is big enough and smart enough to competently vet and deploy trusted encryption techniques.
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