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For the record, Lavabit routinely complied with search warrants, including one just months before this incident [1]. So what was different about this one? 1.

by jnbiche 13y ago

For the record, Lavabit routinely complied with search warrants, including one just months before this incident [1]. So what was different about this one? 1. https://www.docketalarm.com/cases/Maryland_District_Court/1--13-mj-00607/In_the_Matter_of_the_Search_of--_Lavabit_LLC_Email_Account_for_Joey006%40lavabit.com/ https://www.docketalarm.com/cases/Maryland_District_Court/1-...

RexRollman 13y ago
It would have enabled to government to listen in to everyone using the service, not just get the information of the intended target.
- tptacek 13y ago
  Is that true? As I understood it, the original request was for pen/trap on Snowden alone; when that was refused and Levison threatened with contempt, he relented, only to be rebuked by DOJ with a new demand for blanket surveillance. But as I understand it, Levison could have complied with the earlier demand for surveillance narrowly targeting Snowden.
  - acqq 13y ago
    Yes it is true, it would have enabled FBI to listen in to everyone using the service. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6487778 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6487778
  - lawnchair_larry 13y ago
    Your understanding is not accurate from my read of the court docs. They wanted their black box (you know the ones), called a pen/trap device in the documents, to be installed on the network. It won't work without the SSL keys, so they wanted those. He offered to modify his software to intercept a single user's email, but they said no.
acqq 13y ago
The difference is that FBI this time wanted to install their own equipment inside of his facilities (at the point where everything of every user is decrypted): http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/801182/redacted-pleadings-exhibits-1-23.pdf http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/801182/redacted-pleadi... "shall furnish agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, forthwith , all information, facilities, and technical assistance necessary to accomplish the installation and use of the pen/trap device." Before, they would really demand only the information of the user named in the court order. This time it was "just let us install this thing inside and don't ask."

by jnbiche 13y ago

RexRollman 13y ago

It would have enabled to government to listen in to everyone using the service, not just get the information of the intended target.

tptacek 13y ago
Is that true? As I understood it, the original request was for pen/trap on Snowden alone; when that was refused and Levison threatened with contempt, he relented, only to be rebuked by DOJ with a new demand for blanket surveillance. But as I understand it, Levison could have complied with the earlier demand for surveillance narrowly targeting Snowden.
- acqq 13y ago
  Yes it is true, it would have enabled FBI to listen in to everyone using the service. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6487778 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6487778
- lawnchair_larry 13y ago
  Your understanding is not accurate from my read of the court docs. They wanted their black box (you know the ones), called a pen/trap device in the documents, to be installed on the network. It won't work without the SSL keys, so they wanted those. He offered to modify his software to intercept a single user's email, but they said no.

acqq 13y ago

The difference is that FBI this time wanted to install their own equipment inside of his facilities (at the point where everything of every user is decrypted): http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/801182/redacted-pleadings-exhibits-1-23.pdf http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/801182/redacted-pleadi... "shall furnish agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, forthwith , all information, facilities, and technical assistance necessary to accomplish the installation and use of the pen/trap device." Before, they would really demand only the information of the user named in the court order. This time it was "just let us install this thing inside and don't ask."