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Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fighting Terrorism

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Re: Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fighting Terrorism

#121

Post by h0w412d »

ccvannorman wrote: post #119

I am surprised that a search for "math" only turned up one result in this thread, about car accidents vs terrorist victims. Isn't it true that encryption legislation or policy is sort of irrelevant next to the very clear math that says encryption will always be ahead of decryption? Even in a (hopefully avoidable) dystopia where encryption is illegal, would that really stop technology companies from continuing to do w…

Yep. Cory Doctorow has talked about this: how the universe "makes it easy" to secure communications because mathematically, it's really easy to encrypt (verify that a number is prime) and really difficult to decrypt through hacking (factor a huge prime number).

And because of that, outlawing encryption is really outlawing math, which is ridiculous. Math is a universal API everyone has access to simply by existing. You can't outlaw math.

Re: Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fighting Terrorism

#122

Post by x1798DE »

mixblast wrote: post #98
jccc wrote: post #82

Before you comment, please consider whether you'd prefer to vent your frustration in online message boards with like-minded people, or spend that potential energy in other ways: "What you can do about it: -- You can contact the Obama White House online to comment on strong encryption. https://www.whitehouse.gov/webform/share-your-thoughts-onstr... -- You can contact your state Senators and Representatives via the con…

And what about the rest of the world? Can we do anything other than just trusting the US citizens to get their government to do the right thing?

You can donate to the EFF or support open source encryption technology like Signal and GPG.

Re: Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fighting Terrorism

#123

Post by emodendroket »

zerohm wrote: post #94
emodendroket wrote: post #79

It seems clear to me that if all the money we spent on fighting terrorism since 9/11 were instead spent on, say, reducing traffic fatalities, it would have saved a lot more people.

We are veering off topic here, but I agree with your perspective. "The US spends more than $500 million per victim on anti-terrorism efforts. However, cancer research spending is only $10,000 per victim." http://thinkbynumbers.org/government-spending/anti-terrorism...

Well, it's all of a piece -- the prominence and attention terrorism and preventing it are given over all sorts of issues varied and sundry is completely disproportionate, whether that's shredding the Bill of Rights or lighting piles of money on fire to appease the terror gods.

Re: Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fighting Terrorism

#124

Post by wiz21 »

emodendroket wrote: post #90
wiz21 wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's so clear and so mathematically obvious, +100 karma point for you ! That's basic risk analysis

I mean, it's "clear and obvious" to me, but since it's a major issue every campaign season and the risks presented by our old and crumbling infrastructure, global warming, and other menaces that don't make gruesome cell phone videos is not most people don't seem to have noticed.

100% agree... My old age tells me that politics are a necessary evil...

Re: Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fighting Terrorism

#125

Post by rogersmith »

CWuestefeld wrote: post #110
rogersmith wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disappointing with regards to the rest of his track records? re: Guantanamo, reining in Wall Street, cracking down on whistleblowers, widespread use of drones to perform extra-judicial assassination? If after 8 years you still think Obama is the Nobel peace prize wielding progressive philanthropist you've been fooled into thinking he is, joke's on you tbh.

While I agree with you, I also think this isn't the appropriate place for that discussion. I imagine that explains the downvotes you're getting.

Parent comment expresses incredulity at Obama's comment on the topic being discussed in the thread.

I point out said comment is perfectly in line with the policies implemented by Obama and his administration during his two terms and OP's incredulity is unwarranted.

Not sure how that's OT or inappropriate but furry muff, HN works in mysterious ways.

Re: Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fighting Terrorism

#126

Post by fl0wenol »

TACIXAT wrote: post #68
Silhouette wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's also a horribly counter-productive argument. This is obviously a politically charged subject, but let's try to be rational for a moment. It seems likely that by far the most prolific creators of child pornography today are... children. What today's parent and grandparent generations used to do in relative privacy behind the metaphorical bike shed, surely today's teenagers are doing with their phones and laptops,…

While I agree that privacy and secure communications are the best means to protect kids in the first world, there are still enough horrible people in the world who rape children and take pictures, as well, there is child sex trafficking. We shouldn't forget that these things exist and reduce child porn to snapchat and selfies.

The availability of strong encryption does not enable or disable child rape or human trafficking. This will happen behind traditional closed doors and guarded with guns and/or money unless other aspects of society and human nature change.

Re: Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fighting Terrorism

#127

Post by fjiwbjebe »

CWuestefeld wrote: post #110
rogersmith wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disappointing with regards to the rest of his track records? re: Guantanamo, reining in Wall Street, cracking down on whistleblowers, widespread use of drones to perform extra-judicial assassination? If after 8 years you still think Obama is the Nobel peace prize wielding progressive philanthropist you've been fooled into thinking he is, joke's on you tbh.

While I agree with you, I also think this isn't the appropriate place for that discussion. I imagine that explains the downvotes you're getting.

Fuck HN Moderation. HN mods support government fascists, and absolutely accept the statui quo, will bury Snowden news, and allow government shills to post. Fuck HN mods.

Re: Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fighting Terrorism

#128

Post by awakeasleep »

wyager wrote: post #113
arebop wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Make your own country less corrupt, more free, and better for the economically-worst-off, so that your own entrepreneurs may eventually overtake the authoritarian superpowers?

>and better for the economically-worst-off, Not that I disagree with this, but how is this supposed to help entrepreneurs? If anything, it will just increase the tax burden of running a business.

paying for a stable and educated society increases the size of the talent pool you can draw from.

Re: Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fighting Terrorism

#129

Post by steveax »

jacquesm wrote: post #2

> No, David. If I were in the job now, I would have simply told the FBI to call Fort Meade, the headquarters of the National Security Agency, and NSA would have solved this problem for them. They're not as interested in solving the problem as they are in getting a legal precedent. That's quite the quote, especially given his history of employment. The weirdest thing about this whole cell-phone saga to me is that the…

It's worth listening to the audio to hear how surprised David is with this blunt charge. Clearly unexpected.

Also: parallel construction (i.e.: the NSA doesn't want to reveal it has already done this)

Re: Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fighting Terrorism

#130

Post by richmarr »

dopamean wrote: post #116
masklinn wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And IIRC the phone in question is the perp's work phone, they also had personal phones which they destroyed , so the perps themselves knew phones could hold valuable data but saw no value in the the phone the FBI wants unlocked.

I think the FBI already acknowledged very early on that they didn't expect to find anything useful on the phone for these very reasons.

I imagine there's a Venn diagram of overlap between what a nutjob thinks is worth hiding and what would be of interest to law enforcement organisations. For example I doubt many of these extremists would both trying to hide information that could be used for psychological profiling of future attackers
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