Another nail in the coffin of internet freedom

[Balthazar]

One of the few internet services that weren't part of PRISM just shut down.

Email service Lavabit abruptly shut down citing government interference

Lavabit, an email service that boasted of its security features and claimed 350,000 customers, is no more, apparently after rejecting a court order for cooperation with the US government to participate in surveillance on its customers. It is the first such company known to have shuttered rather than comply with government surveillance.

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Remember, it's for your own security, people. We need to catch those terrorists, pedophiles and whistleblowers. F*ck freedom and privacy. "If it can save only one life"...


On a serious note, thumbs up to the owner of Lavabit who refused to participate in this tyranny. You, sir, are a great human being.

 

[dunover]

Yes, but it demonstrates how hard it is for citizens to escape the tentacles of state interference. As you may know the UK has more CCTV cameras than any other country on earth, and obviously our government does similar to our communications too, though not so openly via legislation more by decree of the home secretary. I'm pleased they wouldn't cave in to government interference.

 

[vinylweatherman]

It could have a negative effect on security too. Driving US companies out of the market unless they cooperate with PRISM only opens the door to non US companies to offer the same service. instead of having a US company refusing to cooperate, they could have a Russian or Chinese company offering the service and completely out of the reach of the US courts, as well as the potential that the Chinese or Russian governments might have better access to the data, with customers having been driven there through the loss of a US based provider.

There may well be completely unknown providers that have been set up specifically to serve the criminal and terrorist underworld that are not only out of reach, but off the radar altogether.

US companies will fight because this has damaged them commercially, as everyone now knows that the US secret services can probably get hold of their data from any US based service provider. This would give a non US based provider an immediate commercial advantage, which might be seen to outweigh the risk of trusting a non US company to provide the service securely and honestly.

The US ban on online gambling has driven the reputable casinos out, but customers have switched to the rogues, the ones MORE likely to be fronts for organised crime.

With the PCs of today, you don't even need a "provider" in many cases, just software that connects on a peer to peer basis. The filesharing networks that currently operate for music and movies could easily share encrypted files containing secret messages, which to those not meant to see the message just getting the MP3 they were after, but with the message being hidden and encrypted within said file so that the intended recipient could extract it. We already know that RIAA are snooping in these networks, so maybe the security agencies are too, but looking for evidence of secret messages being passed via the networks, rather than illegal music and movies.

 

[LaurieJim]

I have mixed feelings on this , good for the company not to comply

In the world we live in , I can see and applaud the reason for a limited Goverment spying on the internet to get those child molesting bastards and spying on real terrorists. They way overstep when it comes to our civil liberties and our pc's are apart of that. It just makes me sick that Big Brother is just so in our face now and there's not a thing we can do about it !!!

Laurie

 

[Simmo!]

I too have mixed feelings. I don't want to see censorship of the web and things like the Kentucky seizure of gambling domains and the UIGEA make you realise that "security" issues are just a smokescreen for making money.

However, I believe with things like CCTV and surveillance that, if you trust your government and you have nothing to hide, they are good things. But "trust" - unfortunately things like I stated above erode that and what should be a sensible approach often hides other agendas.

The whole extradition thing is another case in point. Whether or not you agree with what people like Assange and Snowden have done - and for the record, I don't - the sneaky and slimy ways in which the governemnt is trying to get them back makes you hope they escape it.

 

[Constantine]

As Plato once said:

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors

 

[Balthazar]

if you trust your government and you have nothing to hide

Really Simmo? Did you just say that?

Whether or not you agree with what people like Assange and Snowden have done - and for the record, I don't

I see.

 

[Stovetopp]

I too have mixed feelings. I don't want to see censorship of the web and things like the Kentucky seizure of gambling domains and the UIGEA make you realise that "security" issues are just a smokescreen for making money.

However, I believe with things like CCTV and surveillance that, if you trust your government and you have nothing to hide, they are good things. But "trust" - unfortunately things like I stated above erode that and what should be a sensible approach often hides other agendas.

The whole extradition thing is another case in point. Whether or not you agree with what people like Assange and Snowden have done - and for the record, I don't - the sneaky and slimy ways in which the governemnt is trying to get them back makes you hope they escape it.

Simmo see my posting at
https://www.casinomeister.com/forums/threads/58313/
and there is a question there I would like you to answer
thanks

 

[Constantine]

Simmo see my posting at
https://www.casinomeister.com/forums/threads/58313/
and there is a question there I would like you to answer
thanks

Hi All,

I would like to offer my view in regards to censorship in general.

Freedom of speech, expression and so on are fundamental necessities for all human beings and should not be restricted by any government which has been elected BY the people FOR the people. Let's not forget that!

if you trust your government and you have nothing to hide : We have countless of examples in the recent past where a government has decided to change policy on certain things. The result of that being: what was acceptable yesterday, is not acceptable today! So yes, we have everything to hide because of these erratic mood swings of governments. You never know when things can change rapidly and from being an outstanding law abiding citizen you become a target.

This is like saying, give up your liberties for the security of democracy! A bit contradicting i would say.

In regards to Assange and Snowden, I personally do hope they manage to escape the hunt! The petty "national security" excuse is outdated and quite frankly the majority of people don't buy into it any more. Especially this side of the pond.
All governments are accountable to it's people and should have nothing to hide from them. And yes, if governments operate in a mischievous way, people have the right to know. They should demand their governments to be accountable for their actions.

So praise to all whistle-blowers! Brave people that put the common good above their personal interests.

@Stovetopp : I don't think the US government can demand from CM for disclosure of our data because as you mentioned i believe CM is a German site. However, the US would be able to request that from Merkel which i do not believe she or the German government would accept. Gambling is acceptable in Germany and the EU in general and forcing CM would cause more problems for the government as it would become a bigger issue than merely forcing CM. It would become a discussion of the freedom of the internet.

Kind Regards

 

[Simmo!]

Really Simmo? Did you just say that?

I see.

Not sure I get your point Balthazar?

Simmo see my posting at
https://www.casinomeister.com/forums/threads/58313/
and there is a question there I would like you to answer
thanks

Don't know the answer to that Stovetopp. Sorry.