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There is always a trade-off between usability / efficiency and security, and this trade-off has to take into account the attacker model. Tor is a low-latency n
by hiq 11y ago
There is always a trade-off between usability / efficiency and security, and this trade-off has to take into account the attacker model.
Tor is a low-latency network by design, so right from the start it gives up some security to be more usable instead. That probably still works against many attackers, including some state agencies, although not the most powerful.
We should also keep the bigger picture in mind. Sure, if the NSA really wants to know everything about you, it's going to keep a record of your outgoing packets, and match it with packets from exit nodes to have all your metadata. But how much is it going to cost? How does it scale? I think we can assume that if everyone were to use Tor, mass surveillance would be at least far more costly. Each new user adds noise in the correlation measures.
I can also argue that if you use Tor from your home or any location that is associated to you in any way, you're not really trying to avoid target surveillance by your government.
- imglorp 11y agoIt's everyone's civic duty to contribute to the noise and to increase the expense to all state actors.
- programmarchy 11y agoIs it also our civic duty to pay the taxes to these state actors? Asking because this tactic seems a bit like striking at the branches, rather than the root.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- knodi123 11y agoHe wasn't sent to prison for asking questions any more than drug dealers are sent to prison for "asking" whether the US has a rational policy for drug enforcement.
- pdkl95 11y ago> rather than the root So run for office. I would certainly vote for someone who was against this crap. > It's everyone's civic duty to contribute to the noise That's a tactic. While it may be useful, a strategy that works to gain political influence is better in the long-run.
- programmarchy 11y ago> So run for office. No thanks. In my experience, participation inside the political machinery is a waste of time, about as useful as joining the KKK to influence its members to stop lynchings. I think non-violent direct action is a more effective strategy.
- pdkl95 11y agoI agree that direct action is almost certainly necessary (and likely to be more effective). That's no reason not to pursue all options; working within the system is can be done in parallel.