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Microsoft says it's prepared to hand over Skype users' data to Russia

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Re: Microsoft says it's prepared to hand over Skype users' data to Russia

#31

Post by fulafel »

lucian1900 wrote: post #29
fulafel wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course it wasn't absolutely secure, but it was designed against large scale interception and against the insider threat of lawful-interception orders.

Not really, no. There was nothing preventing the NSA from running lots of supernodes, just like they run lots of tor exit nodes. If it offered anything at all, it was a false sense of security.

Requiring the NSA to mount an expensive and invasive attack with high risk of exposure counts as pretty decent in my book.

Especially back then, 10 years ago. Even people like Bruce Schneier didn't suspect the NSA would as ruthless as recently revealed.

Re: Microsoft says it's prepared to hand over Skype users' data to Russia

#33

Post by blueskin_ »

Anyone who cares about being spied on abandoned Skype long, long ago. So now governments have tools that let them spy on ordinary people, but not their purported legal targets, who have moved on to more secure methods of communication directly in response to dragnet-style surveillance, while if it was kept low-key and appropriately targeted and selective, many would likely not even know.

Re: Microsoft says it's prepared to hand over Skype users' data to Russia

#34

Post by blueskin_ »

romanovcode wrote: post #14
gtirloni wrote: post #2

"if required by law." How's that different from any other company? Even "secure" companies like Fastmail and others comply if they receive a court order for information on specific users. Looks like an attempt to capitalize on the recent events by implicitly saying Microsoft will share everything about every user in bulk. What a surprise.

I think this might be very effective tactic to make sure your data is distributed to government services. Think about it: Everyone is yelling on top of their lungs that Microsoft is giving your data, as if only Microsoft is doing that. Now your average Joe will think that he would be rather using other services, e.g. Google because he thinks that only Microsoft is giving away your data ergo Google does not. I'm not e…

...while reporting all their personal information back to Canonical and Amazon the whole time, I guess?

I'd bet the average Ubuntu user doesn't even realise it's possible to turn off the adverts.

Re: Microsoft says it's prepared to hand over Skype users' data to Russia

#36

Post by Zigurd »

All providers of communications services could, if they wanted to, put open secure client software in their customers' hands that would thwart spying.

Skype made a choice. Other choices were open to them, as they are now to every other provider of communication and storage. There is no excuse.

Re: Microsoft says it's prepared to hand over Skype users' data to Russia

#37

Post by Shivetya »

coldcode wrote: post #30

So everyone's business has to change to meet the most restrictive country's laws? What next, the internet is ruled by sharia law? I guess thats what happens when global companies become the only choice, no matter what your country allows, we have to do what Elbonia wants.

Yes.

The US isn't exactly the open country many pretend it to be. The primary difference seems to me, many countries openly declare they want the data, the US just does it anyway, denying it until caught.

Companies must balance the needs to customers versus doing business at all in some countries. Do they forgo the revenue because in some areas people are offended? Do they forgo revenue and fire their local workers to appease groups in other countries? As in, where does the process stop? Who is more right?

Re: Microsoft says it's prepared to hand over Skype users' data to Russia

#38

Post by DominikR »

Eye_of_Mordor wrote: post #13
gtirloni wrote: post #2

"if required by law." How's that different from any other company? Even "secure" companies like Fastmail and others comply if they receive a court order for information on specific users. Looks like an attempt to capitalize on the recent events by implicitly saying Microsoft will share everything about every user in bulk. What a surprise.

I don't mind the law, but they shouldn't be collecting data in the first place. No data - no problem.

The problem is that those laws make it mandatory to save the data for 6 months.

We have the same kind of laws in Europe, and I'm pretty sure that the US requires it too.

And not complying with (secret - at least in the US) court orders just isn't an option if you want to keep your business in that country.

Re: Microsoft says it's prepared to hand over Skype users' data to Russia

#40

Post by ds9 »

coldcode wrote: post #30

So everyone's business has to change to meet the most restrictive country's laws? What next, the internet is ruled by sharia law? I guess thats what happens when global companies become the only choice, no matter what your country allows, we have to do what Elbonia wants.

They generally won't apply laws of country A in country B - it's just that if they want to do business in A they have to follow laws of A in their operations in A.

Profit-oriented organizations will comply rather than leave the country, unless it would lose them more business elsewhere. For this reason (among others), commercial-ware and commercial services are categorically untrustable.

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