6 ms·
end-to-end encryption is the only way that you can keep democracy alive/healthy
by coronadisaster 6y ago
end-to-end encryption is the only way that you can keep democracy alive/healthy
- creato 6y agoDemocracy has existed for hundreds of years without it. Encryption is an interesting development. There has never been a time in history when anything could be truly secured. Safes could always be defeated. Communication was never provably secure. I'm opposed to any mandated weaknesses in encryption, but I also think a lot of the arguments opposing them are dogmatic and unconvincing.
- Marsymars 6y agoSee, I don't view encrypted data as a technological improvement over safes, I view it as a technological improvement over human memory. They're both primarily vulnerable to rubber-hose cryptanalysis. Mandating weaknesses in encryption effectively makes the technology less useful by fundamentally shifting it from an improvement over human memory to an improvement over a safe.
- theonemind 6y agoDemocracy also existed without ubiquitous surveillance technology during the same time period, so I don't consider that point refuted.
- rurp 6y agoDo you mind sharing which arguments you do find convincing?
- adrianN 6y agoCommunication used to be provably secure when you could meet with the person you want to communicate with without being afraid of ubiquitous surveillance tracking your every move and hidden listening devices (or just your phones) recording your conversation. Until a few decades ago it was never possible to do surveillance at scale. You had to first identify suspects and then start surveillance.
- coronadisaster 6y agoBut hundreds of years ago, the government wasn't logging everyone's communications. If they could read everything we transmit, then they could micro-target all opposing views, like they did on facebook.