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This is precisely why it's important to make these tools (protocols/applications) part of the core layer of how businesses operate consumer-facing services onli
by Legogris 6y ago
This is precisely why it's important to make these tools (protocols/applications) part of the core layer of how businesses operate consumer-facing services online; it's only true if the ratio of "interesting" communication over these channels is high enough.
In an alternative timeline where ISPs where more strictly regulated and trusted and everything was cleartext HTTP, I'm certain that HTTPS/TLS would face pushback from regulators. There's no way it can be banned today, though. Similarly, you won't be marked as suspicious just from opening an encrypted TLS connecting over port 443 to an arbitrary endpoint.
I don't think it's too late. There is a significant probability that today's centralized incumbents will Myspace at some point in the future. These federated, decentralized and secure solutions could be the next iteration after that.
- mpartel 6y agoOppressors can (and I think some already do) subvert HTTPS by mandating installation of government-issued certs so they can do their MITM.
- Legogris 6y agoI know there have been attempts (was it Iran and Kazakhstan that was in the news last year?), but is anyone aware of this actually being done in practice today? My understanding is that they were forced to roll back for practical reasons (which highlights my point).
- mosselman 6y agoThat is an irrelevant detail. The comment you are responding to isn’t saying that https is foolproof. They are saying that it would help people to be more free of digital control if privacy respecting technology is so common that it isn’t suspicious when you use it.
- mpartel 6y agoI agree that it helps (though I'm probably more pessimistic about how much it helps). I wanted to counter the assertion that "There's no way it can be banned today, though" (which I should have quoted). Even a disconcertingly non-trivial number of western lawmakers make regular noises about requiring all encryption to be backdoored.
- Legogris 6y agoMy sibling response was apparently already out of touch when I wrote it. https://www.zdnet.com/article/china-is-now-blocking-all-encrypted-https-traffic-using-tls-1-3-and-esni/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/china-is-now-blocking-all-encr...