4 ms·

DRM is about neither security nor freedom.

mintplant 10y ago
But the more secure we make our devices, the more opportunities we create for them to be locked down. One person's security update is another's anti-jailbreak patch. Trusted computing can be used to protect against malware and to block users from saving Netflix streams.
- catnaroek 10y ago
  I disagree with the notion of a computing system being “secure” in absolute terms, without reference to what the user wants to do with it. A system is secure if it's unlikely to compromise the integrity and/or privacy of information the user deems sensitive, which of course varies from one user to another. Without reference to a specific user, all you can talk about is a computing system being restricted or unrestricted, and I don't want my computing devices to have restrictions imposed by someone other than myself.
tetrep 10y ago
DRM is surprisingly security oriented, if you think about it,the premise of DRM is not trusting the user, which is more extreme than most security models (allow the user root/admin access to the OS is anithetical to not trusting the user).
- tedunangst 10y ago
  It's funny. People get all excited about homomorphic encryption, which is basically DRM with a mathematical proof.
  - StavrosK 10y ago
    Because it works both ways. I can send my data to a server and have it do things to it without ever actually knowing it. You can't let me watch a video without letting me watch a video.
- vetinari 10y ago
  DRM is more about who has the keys, than security itself.
  - rimantas 10y ago
    Modern computer security is all about who has the keys.
    - eeZah7Ux 10y ago
      Just like a steel door, when somebody else has the keys, you are not secure - you are imprisoned.
  - digi_owl 10y ago
    Much of the base terminology of DRM comes from the military, and it involves the generals "back home" being able to trust that a computer out in the field, containing sensitive data, will not allow non-authorized personnel, never mind the enemy, to access said data.

But the more secure we make our devices, the more opportunities we create for them to be locked down. One person's security update is another's anti-jailbreak patch. Trusted computing can be used to protect against malware and to block users from saving Netflix streams.

catnaroek 10y ago
I disagree with the notion of a computing system being “secure” in absolute terms, without reference to what the user wants to do with it. A system is secure if it's unlikely to compromise the integrity and/or privacy of information the user deems sensitive, which of course varies from one user to another. Without reference to a specific user, all you can talk about is a computing system being restricted or unrestricted, and I don't want my computing devices to have restrictions imposed by someone other than myself.

tetrep 10y ago

DRM is surprisingly security oriented, if you think about it,the premise of DRM is not trusting the user, which is more extreme than most security models (allow the user root/admin access to the OS is anithetical to not trusting the user).

tedunangst 10y ago
It's funny. People get all excited about homomorphic encryption, which is basically DRM with a mathematical proof.
- StavrosK 10y ago
  Because it works both ways. I can send my data to a server and have it do things to it without ever actually knowing it. You can't let me watch a video without letting me watch a video.
vetinari 10y ago
DRM is more about who has the keys, than security itself.
- rimantas 10y ago
  Modern computer security is all about who has the keys.
  - eeZah7Ux 10y ago
    Just like a steel door, when somebody else has the keys, you are not secure - you are imprisoned.
- digi_owl 10y ago
  Much of the base terminology of DRM comes from the military, and it involves the generals "back home" being able to trust that a computer out in the field, containing sensitive data, will not allow non-authorized personnel, never mind the enemy, to access said data.