Using Backdoors for Government Surveillance is “A Stupid Idea”.
The US government is looking for ways to obtain more sensitive personal information from its citizens. To do so, a proposal was made a few weeks ago to have companies build in a “backdoor” into their hardware and programs, through which the government can gain access to user data. However, even Michael Chertoff, former head of the Department of Homeland Security, thinks this approach is “a stupid idea”. A few weeks ago, the topic of “going dark”” was presented by FBI officials, and a solution was proposed. That solution would force manufacturers of hardware and software to build in....
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An EU draft resolution calling for a “balance” between encryption and surveillance once again underscored the need for technologies like Bitcoin. The post As Governments Seek Encryption Backdoors, Bitcoin Becomes Critical appeared first on Bitcoin Magazine.
The United Kingdom recently passed legislation providing the government with sweeping new surveillance powers on Internet activity, unprecedented in any Western democracy. The Investigatory Powers Bill will authorize the UK government’s mass surveillance program of online activity. This will mandate a record be kept for one year of every citizen’s Web activity, including phone metadata. All Internet service providers will be required to keep Internet connection records for their customers, and will be paid to do so by the government. Then, law enforcement will be able to request this....
With the new Investigatory Powers Act, the UK government can now force communication companies to create backdoor access for them. The definition of democracy and fundamental rights have changed over time. Each passing day, the governments are working hard to turn their respective countries into military states. The United Kingdom, with its latest Investigatory Powers Act, is soon going to make NSA and other US law enforcement organizations look like second-rate agencies. These developments are a gross violation of privacy in the name of national security and the only way to save one’s....
By now, most of the world is well aware of the U. S. National Security Agency's dragnet surveillance programs. Whistleblower Edward Snowden obtained nearly 2 million classified documents from the NSA and revealed just how far governments were willing to invade online privacy, typically with the excuse of thwarting terrorism. A recently-proposed piece of legislation called the "Freedom Act" could have limited the NSA's authority, yet it failed to obtain the necessary votes in the Senate. That's why third party human rights groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Amnesty....
In the past year and a half, a lot of focus has been put onto privacy and how governments have been spying on both citizens of their own country, as well as other officials in foreign countries. A draft bill has surfaced in The Netherlands, which would regulate bulk surveillance from an online perspective. Our society has been evolving in such a way that most people have [gladly] given up their privacy in return for more convenient ways to spend their lives. However, every time the topic of privacy comes up, these same people are the first ones to complain about how their human rights are....