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Judge orders tech company to release Web user data from anti-Trump website

washingtonpost.com

31–40 of 115 posts

Re: Judge orders tech company to release Web user data from anti-Trump website

#31

There's lots of disturbing internet precedents being set in the last few weeks, both legal and corporate policy. I try not to be hyperbolic but I really am beginning to worry about the future of freedom of expression and association on the net.

I don't think its hyperbole. This is deeply concerning. We're entering a new era of authoritarianism.

More accurately we're entering a new era of politically slanted selective memories.

See: The bulk phone data collection programs instituted by the Patriot Act, the vast expansion of NSA data collection (of us all) under the Obama administration, the straight-to-the-wire tapping of critical internet infrastructure and providers such as Google, Microsoft etc. enabled by the establishment of the secret FISA court which has never denied a warrant, and so much more.

Let's also not forget the persecution endured by the whistleblowers for the above institutions by the Obama regime.

Set your partisan, hyperbolic "outrage" aside.

Re: Judge orders tech company to release Web user data from anti-Trump website

#32
post #25

Pretend we're talking about Daily Stormer and Charlottesville and I bet you'd see things differently.

"Yes Mr. Bar Owner, a few of your patrons incited a racist mob a few weeks back. We'll need the names and addresses of all the people who visited this place for the last year please."

Nope, I still feel the same. It's going too far.

Re: Judge orders tech company to release Web user data from anti-Trump website

#33
Every week we're seeing more and more news like that - whether its the government or internet companies - in which people's right to privacy and to freedom online are being severely threatened. I'm not an american, but I grew up seeing the USA as an example of freedom and progress. It's very sad that this is becoming less and less true every passing day.

We must build a decentralised web. Now.

Re: Judge orders tech company to release Web user data from anti-Trump website

#34
post #25

Pretend we're talking about Daily Stormer and Charlottesville and I bet you'd see things differently.

Not at all.

If you have individual user accounts that you want more info on, and have evidence that they used the forum to plan a serious crime, sure that passes muster.

Giving the Committee for Public Safety the names and addresses of every single user that registered or posted there, hell no.

Re: Judge orders tech company to release Web user data from anti-Trump website

#35
post #25

Pretend we're talking about Daily Stormer and Charlottesville and I bet you'd see things differently.

You can pretend all you want about something that didn't happen. That is a counterfactual: a conditional statement the first clause of which expresses something contrary to fact, as “If I had known.”.

There have been no judicial orders requiring the Daily Stormer to turn over any records relating to Charlottesville. Instead, quite the apposite, various private companies have decided that having anything to do with the Daily Stormer was beyond the pale.

We have a shared fact set called reality. Argue that.

Re: Judge orders tech company to release Web user data from anti-Trump website

#36
Dreamhost is a hosting provider. Why do they keep these records in the first place and especially over six months later? It seems to me that there will be a big market for hosts that don't keep such logs or delete them after a specified period where they might be useful to debug issues (24-48hrs).

Re: Judge orders tech company to release Web user data from anti-Trump website

#37
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think its hyperbole. This is deeply concerning. We're entering a new era of authoritarianism.

More accurately we're entering a new era of politically slanted selective memories. See: The bulk phone data collection programs instituted by the Patriot Act, the vast expansion of NSA data collection (of us all) under the Obama administration, the straight-to-the-wire tapping of critical internet infrastructure and providers such as Google, Microsoft etc. enabled by the establishment of the secret FISA court which…

Should we not be outraged though? Everything listed in both the patent and the grandparent is worrying to me. I feel like I owe 80% of my identity to my activities and time on the Internet. Many my age feel the same.

My home is under attack.

Re: Judge orders tech company to release Web user data from anti-Trump website

#38
I'm not really surprised at this. I was in DC for the inauguration at an officially permitted protest. Afterwards I'm heading back on the Metro with a small sign saying "illegitimate president." When I get to the platform level there are several armed people in camoflauge, I'm assuming military, but I'm not 100% positive. I'm told by one of them that I need to leave the station immediately. I responded "is this a joke?" (Hindsight 20/20 that probably wasn't the best idea) and she says "no" as more armed people start approaching. Needless to say I left the station, but at that moment I realized something was different this time. You may disagree with the message I was carrying, but having military (or their look-a-likes) booting out people with messages against the official government line is pretty scary.

Re: Judge orders tech company to release Web user data from anti-Trump website

#39
post #25

Pretend we're talking about Daily Stormer and Charlottesville and I bet you'd see things differently.

"Yes Mr. Bar Owner, a few of your patrons incited a racist mob a few weeks back. We'll need the names and addresses of all the people who visited this place for the last year please." Nope, I still feel the same. It's going too far.

Pretend further that an angry mob at work would get you fired if they don't like your stance on this issue.

Re: Judge orders tech company to release Web user data from anti-Trump website

#40
post #15
post #4

This is terrifying; am I reading it correctly that the government is, on behalf of the President, going after people who have opposed him and is starting a register maybe of those persons who hurt the feelings of the glorious leader? I wonder how far down the rabbit hole we are going :-(

It can't happen here.

Not only can it happen here, but the founders of the country thought it would by the mid 1800s.
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