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Encrypting private data and private communications is now an ethical duty

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Re: Encrypting private data and private communications is now an ethical duty

#51

Post by jasonlotito »

crazygringo wrote: post #27

I can sympathize with the general notion that more encryption is better, even if I wouldn't go to the extreme of declaring it a duty . But the author just completely lost me at: > We should all use PGP, SSL or equivalent tools; VPNs, Tor and/or SSH tunnelling; IPFS, or other distributed file systems — and ditch proprietary OS's in favour of Linux or truly free Android distros... Those tools and techniques should ceas…

> it undercuts my ability to take the rest of the piece seriously at all.

This lack of ability to be able to control your emotions undercuts my ability to take the rest of the comment seriously at all. It's not any kind of seriously considered rational comment, weighing the pros and cons of the thoughts presented -- it's bad commentary.

Re: Encrypting private data and private communications is now an ethical duty

#52

Post by rakoo »

high_5 wrote: post #47
Citizen_Lame wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see it as unrealistic, as for your comprehension ability, that's debatable. For this to work on everything, it needs to be hardware implemented (security chip/SOC), to avoid taxing the CPU and rest of the system. Software engineering has been lax for so long, but paradigm is changing and it should be security first.

It's not unrealistic in technological but sociological terms.

That's not unrealistic then, it's just a lack of will.

Re: Encrypting private data and private communications is now an ethical duty

#54

Post by pmarreck »

crazygringo wrote: post #34
nonrandomstring wrote: post #5

> you would be morally obliged to disobey In days of yore my CS law module was taught by a QC - that's a high ranking barrister in the UK - who explained the world of difference between the "The Rule of Law" and "the law" in a class called "jurisprudence". Rule of Law (capitalised conceptual) is there as permanent ground truth in contrast to the ephemeral du-jure laws. At times I still struggle with that profound cou…

Of course, the idea that there is any kind of "permanent ground truth" around morals/laws is very much up for debate. Some philosophers think it exists (usually called "natural law" [1]), while many others think it's nonsense. I would guess that most anthropologists, for instance, would say it's rubbish -- people who have studied the exceedingly wide variation in what is considered moral or immoral across cultures. A…

I think the Law of Power (basically, "might makes right") will run circles around any other "law" concept. Whether even this conforms to some "natural law" underneath, is secondary IMHO.

Re: Encrypting private data and private communications is now an ethical duty

#55

Post by EliRivers »

jessenaser wrote: post #6

The easiest way to combat "you have nothing to hide" is if you were in a country taken over by dictators or terrorists, those leaders don't care and cannot be reasoned with. They will use the backdoor at any time to punish dissent or any misalignment with their rules. And if people say, "but our country is free", tell them that if your country was not, how would you get back to freedom? Is your software and hardware…

The easiest way to combat "you have nothing to hide"...

How about saying I have lots to hide.

I want to hide what I had for breakfast. I want to hide what book I'm reading. I want to hide what time I went to bed. I want to hide how many times I go to the gym each week. I have lots and lots to hide. I am not the property of the state and neither are my actions; I have lots to hide.

Re: Encrypting private data and private communications is now an ethical duty

#56

Post by high_5 »

> Those tools and techniques should cease to be arcane nice-to-haves for nerds: we must get more non-technical people onboard.

I'm having a feeling that the OP either had a lot of luck at persuading and educating non-techie people or hasn't yet had many such encounters with the general population.

Re: Encrypting private data and private communications is now an ethical duty

#57

Post by nemo »

globular-toast wrote: post #48
crazygringo wrote: post #27

I can sympathize with the general notion that more encryption is better, even if I wouldn't go to the extreme of declaring it a duty . But the author just completely lost me at: > We should all use PGP, SSL or equivalent tools; VPNs, Tor and/or SSH tunnelling; IPFS, or other distributed file systems — and ditch proprietary OS's in favour of Linux or truly free Android distros... Those tools and techniques should ceas…

What's unrealistic about it? I've been doing it for more then a decade.

What's unrealistic about it? "We should all."

Re: Encrypting private data and private communications is now an ethical duty

#58

Post by gavinhoward »

I absolutely agree with the article.

I moved my wife and I to a Matrix server that I control, with disk encryption on top of the Matrix encryption. Signal was great for us, for a long time, but it was time to move on.

I've even set up a Matrix chat server for my business for "office hours." The governments of the world have no right to see my comms with my (future) customers.

And as soon as I can (when I have customers), I will be donating to the people who run Matrix. I'll probably set up a support contract.

If you can set up a Matrix server for friends and family, do it.

Also, I believe we as programmers have more duties to stop this tide of authoritarianism. I'm writing a blog post now called "Your Loved Ones Are Prisoners, and You Made the Chains" because yes, this is partially our fault.

So we need to step up and do more to stop this.

Re: Encrypting private data and private communications is now an ethical duty

#59

Post by nemo »

rakoo wrote: post #52
high_5 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not unrealistic in technological but sociological terms.

That's not unrealistic then, it's just a lack of will.

No, it's simply unrealistic. Effort is besides the point.

Re: Encrypting private data and private communications is now an ethical duty

#60

Post by lazide »

pmarreck wrote: post #54
crazygringo wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course, the idea that there is any kind of "permanent ground truth" around morals/laws is very much up for debate. Some philosophers think it exists (usually called "natural law" [1]), while many others think it's nonsense. I would guess that most anthropologists, for instance, would say it's rubbish -- people who have studied the exceedingly wide variation in what is considered moral or immoral across cultures. A…

I think the Law of Power (basically, "might makes right") will run circles around any other "law" concept. Whether even this conforms to some "natural law" underneath, is secondary IMHO.

Yup. And underlying ‘might makes right’ is another even more basic one, ‘they who survive and reproduce wins’.

Everything else gets layered on top, with more and more sophistication.

Ethics and morals are attempts to encode various ideas of long term successful strategies for that longer term goal, to help counteract many of the shorter term incentives. But, like most ‘shoulds’, they are often just wishes by those disconnected from the actual reality on the ground or from those that have no ability to make them actually make sense.

Local vs Global maxima perhaps? Or ideal vs reality? Or protective delusions? Or wisdom of the ages? Or tools to direct the median? Or longer term goals?

For someone wiser than me to decide, I imagine.

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