3 ms·

How was it solved before modern communication tech made it possible to automatically record, transcribe and search peoples private communication?

mytailorisrich 6y ago
The key problem is not automation, it's access. It's simple to read a letter. It's not difficult to eavesdrop on a phone copper wire. But it's impossible to intercept communications encrypted end-to-end, or encrypted at rest, considering the strength of the algorithms freely available today.
- choward 6y ago
  > The key problem is not automation, it's access. I agree. There is a problem if they have open access to everyone's data. > But it's impossible to intercept communications encrypted end-to-end, or encrypted at rest, considering the strength of the algorithms freely available today. What about to people talking to each other in private. That could be considered as "problematic" as end to end encryption. Should their phones be recording them so the government can snoop later? And for encryption at rest, what if someone has a safe that self destructs is someone unauthorized tries to open it? Should that be illegal?
- tpxl 6y ago
  It's difficult to read every single letter. It's difficult to eavesdrop on every single copper wire. It's easy to store every bit of internet communication. Almost nobody here has a problem with warranted access, but this isn't about warranted access, this is about blanket recording of every user's interaction for no good reason.
- raxxorrax 6y ago
  We currently are in the middle of prosecuting a whistleblower that made clear that intelligence agencies maliciously abused this kind of access without any indication that this access providing a boon for security aside from perhaps letting some people interested in control sleep at night.
- Jon_Lowtek 6y ago
  The key problem is that massive intrusion into the privacy of correspondence, posts and telecommunications is a telltale sign of totalitarianism. A democracy by nature has not only no need to access every ones correspondence, it is strictly forbidden. I find it horrifying how many Americans lack the basic understanding of what they are facing here. The STASI reserved for itself the right to read every letter and before them it was the GESTAPO who argued that, for the protection of national security ("Schutz von Volk und Staat"), all communication must be accessible by the secret police. The american people have no idea what devil they are summoning.

mytailorisrich 6y ago

The key problem is not automation, it's access. It's simple to read a letter. It's not difficult to eavesdrop on a phone copper wire. But it's impossible to intercept communications encrypted end-to-end, or encrypted at rest, considering the strength of the algorithms freely available today.

choward 6y ago
> The key problem is not automation, it's access. I agree. There is a problem if they have open access to everyone's data. > But it's impossible to intercept communications encrypted end-to-end, or encrypted at rest, considering the strength of the algorithms freely available today. What about to people talking to each other in private. That could be considered as "problematic" as end to end encryption. Should their phones be recording them so the government can snoop later? And for encryption at rest, what if someone has a safe that self destructs is someone unauthorized tries to open it? Should that be illegal?
tpxl 6y ago
It's difficult to read every single letter. It's difficult to eavesdrop on every single copper wire. It's easy to store every bit of internet communication. Almost nobody here has a problem with warranted access, but this isn't about warranted access, this is about blanket recording of every user's interaction for no good reason.
raxxorrax 6y ago
We currently are in the middle of prosecuting a whistleblower that made clear that intelligence agencies maliciously abused this kind of access without any indication that this access providing a boon for security aside from perhaps letting some people interested in control sleep at night.
Jon_Lowtek 6y ago
The key problem is that massive intrusion into the privacy of correspondence, posts and telecommunications is a telltale sign of totalitarianism. A democracy by nature has not only no need to access every ones correspondence, it is strictly forbidden. I find it horrifying how many Americans lack the basic understanding of what they are facing here. The STASI reserved for itself the right to read every letter and before them it was the GESTAPO who argued that, for the protection of national security ("Schutz von Volk und Staat"), all communication must be accessible by the secret police. The american people have no idea what devil they are summoning.