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Confirmed: The NSA is Spying on Millions of Americans

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Re: Confirmed: The NSA is Spying on Millions of Americans

#161

Post by kriro »

rvschuilenburg wrote: post #123
Proleps wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Weird thing is, nobody seems to care. I care, it's one of the reasons I will keep voting for the pirate party.

Same here, and it confuses the hell out of me. Everytime i tell someone about yet-another-privacy-issue, and each time they answer "well, i have nothing to hide".

I think the standard counterargument is started by asking them if they have any curtains or blinds and if so, why?

[or you can ask them if they'd be willing to have a streaming camera installed in their bedroom]

Re: Confirmed: The NSA is Spying on Millions of Americans

#162

Post by flexie »

digitalengineer wrote: post #82

Dutch person here with a little insight what's to come for you guys. Some information about our tiny little country (in Wester Europe, very pro-US) with just 17 million people. Our government listens in on more calls every year than in the whole of the US combined. All our telecommunications providers are forced to have the capability to intercept all traffic (phone and internet). Encrypted data must be stored for an…

Dane here. Todays headline in Danish news is that the government just learned that a database containing ID numbers of all people with a driver's license was hacked last year and an unknown amount of information may be leaked. The Danish ID numbers can be used to get just about any information on Danes, whether it's tax related, education, health, criminal records, addresses, bank accounts etc.

Re: Confirmed: The NSA is Spying on Millions of Americans

#163

Post by kriro »

ojii wrote: post #145
baddox wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So let us boycott the government! Oh wait, unlike Verizon, the government will lock you up for doing that.

You can easily boycott the government without getting locked up: move to another country!

For US citizens it is really hard to get rid of their citizenship. And you pretty much have to pay US taxes as long as you are a citizen no matter where you live (and thus implicitly support the government).

Re: Confirmed: The NSA is Spying on Millions of Americans

#164

Post by ErikGelderblom »

killerpopiller wrote: post #147
dirktheman wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fellow Dutchman here, and I couldn't agree more. I actually helped building the electronic patient file in two major hospitals, and I can't tell you enough about the massive clusterfuck that is. The government requires you to finish it before a certain date, only they provide you with the exact requirements after that date. Basic security measures like encrypting data? No way! To me, America is still the land of the…

no, it is, fanfare.., Germany. I read this above report and can't believe it. When that this happen? Our data privacy laws are thorough and sometimes an obstacle, but many projects got stopped because of privacy issues: e.g. the digital stored medical records on ones health insurance card The stop of the data retention directive by our beloved Bundesverfassungsgericht (they are awesome) is another milestone. Core of…

This might sound like a Godwin, but I guess we're slowly building our own Stasi and need to experience it first before we realize what happened. If it's not too late.

Re: Confirmed: The NSA is Spying on Millions of Americans

#165

Post by timthorn »

mtgx wrote: post #11

I give this maybe 2-3 months before the whistleblower behind this is being prosecuted by the Obama administration for "harming national security and putting people's lives in danger, and/or espionage".

There might be a reason that the original report is from a UK newspaper.

Re: Confirmed: The NSA is Spying on Millions of Americans

#166

Post by digitalengineer »

flexie wrote: post #162
digitalengineer wrote: post #82

Dutch person here with a little insight what's to come for you guys. Some information about our tiny little country (in Wester Europe, very pro-US) with just 17 million people. Our government listens in on more calls every year than in the whole of the US combined. All our telecommunications providers are forced to have the capability to intercept all traffic (phone and internet). Encrypted data must be stored for an…

Dane here. Todays headline in Danish news is that the government just learned that a database containing ID numbers of all people with a driver's license was hacked last year and an unknown amount of information may be leaked. The Danish ID numbers can be used to get just about any information on Danes, whether it's tax related, education, health, criminal records, addresses, bank accounts etc.

Holy cr*p. That's my nightmare as well. The Public transport system has been hacked many times. What is the Electronic Patient, Electronic Passport or Tax system gets hacked? Anyone could take all your information and you're screwed. I think anyone owning any system whatsoever should be FORCED to go public if there system gets hacked. (Especially banks!)

Re: Confirmed: The NSA is Spying on Millions of Americans

#167

Post by qwertzlcoatl »

venomsnake wrote: post #154
mtgx wrote: post #11

I give this maybe 2-3 months before the whistleblower behind this is being prosecuted by the Obama administration for "harming national security and putting people's lives in danger, and/or espionage".

And killing puppies with chainsaw. Think of the puppies. The US is behaving more and more like authoritarian regime - see no evil, hear no evil - no evil exists. And if someone sheds light on our misdealing - it is their fault and must be punished. Nixon was born in the wrong time. Poor guy.

Turkey is burning right this moment for (arguably) less evil by their government leaders.

Re: Confirmed: The NSA is Spying on Millions of Americans

#168

Post by ppod »

kriro wrote: post #161
rvschuilenburg wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same here, and it confuses the hell out of me. Everytime i tell someone about yet-another-privacy-issue, and each time they answer "well, i have nothing to hide".

I think the standard counterargument is started by asking them if they have any curtains or blinds and if so, why? [or you can ask them if they'd be willing to have a streaming camera installed in their bedroom]

People who argue very strongly against government intrusion often seem to ignore the distinction between private and public spaces. I have no problem with any amount of recording equipment in public spaces. Anywhere that a policeman could stand and watch; I see a camera as an efficient aid. I won't let a policeman into my house unless they have a warrant - and not because I have anything to hide, but because upholding the principle is important.

Re: Confirmed: The NSA is Spying on Millions of Americans

#169

Post by alan_cx »

nkurz wrote: post #156
alan_cx wrote: post #141

As a Brit, can I ask: Why don't I see Fox "News" presenters, and the like, crying daily on screen about the death of the USA over things like this? Unlike the birth certificate of Obama or attempts to being free health care to people, this really is destroying US citizen's basic rights. But no Fox tears and hysterics. Why is that? I mean, surely this is a fantastic way to attack the "hated" Obama, surely. Aren't they…

I'm American, and don't know if I have any more insight than you do. I think the issue is that both major parties in the US (at least publicly) prioritize security over privacy. Fox doesn't cry out about this because Fox viewers are rarely in uproar about such trade offs. If anything, I'd guess this policy has greater support among mainstream Republicans than Democrats. Privacy issues are viewed in an entirely differ…

Understood.

Does seem to me though that there is little idealogical or political consistency in what the left and right campaign for.

I'm now wondering if it is the same here in the UK. That, I'll have to give some thought to.

Re: Confirmed: The NSA is Spying on Millions of Americans

#170

Post by alan_cx »

adventured wrote: post #157
alan_cx wrote: post #141

As a Brit, can I ask: Why don't I see Fox "News" presenters, and the like, crying daily on screen about the death of the USA over things like this? Unlike the birth certificate of Obama or attempts to being free health care to people, this really is destroying US citizen's basic rights. But no Fox tears and hysterics. Why is that? I mean, surely this is a fantastic way to attack the "hated" Obama, surely. Aren't they…

Well you're slightly wrong. See: Judge Andrew Napolitano (former New Jersey Superior Court Judge). He's a host on Fox News and does in fact regularly make an issue of these types of abuses. Take a look at his books: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Napolitano#Writing_caree... Fox News is a 2/3 conservative bastion (and they're for big government, big spending, big military, big debt), but it also has a small mixtu…

Hang on, conservatives for big government? Im sure I remember "big government" being the evil that was being fought off when Obama care was a big deal. Wasn't that conservatives?

Hands up. Im confused!!

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