If they have legal authority, why not serve the warrant on the owner instead of trying to go behind his back?
If they are investigating the owner's murder, then he should have left his password with his will. If he didn't then it is his own fault his family might not see justice.
It’s time to end this constant regulatory fluctuation and focus on protecting consumers and strengthening the American marketplace.
Let's parse this according to normal rules, and expand those "and"s:
It’s time to end this constant regulatory fluctuation and [time to end this] focus on protecting consumers and [time to end this] strengthening the American marketplace.
Actually, this time we were very lucky indeed, due to an accidental triggering of the malware's killswitch: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/13/accidental-hero-finds-kill-switch-to-stop-spread-of-ransomware-cyber-attack
If this had not been discovered, or a different method of disabling was used by the attackers, this could have been a lot worse across the world.
There is one oddity about Line's response to the Thai government, though:
"We ask the authorities seeking to obtain user data to make official requests through diplomatic channels and have so advised the Thai authorities," LINE added.
So, uh, if the messages are all end-to-end encrypted and there's no way for Line to access them to share with any government, why is it asking the Thai government to use diplomatic channels to make an official request?
Perhaps because asking for data about an account (eg. names, telephone numbers, contact lists, etc.) can be answered even though messages cannot be read.
"... the law holds it better that ten guilty persons escape, than that one innocent party suffer..." - William Blackstone, Commentaries of the Laws of England (1765)
"I'm more concerned with bad guys who got out and released than I am with a few that, in fact, were innocent." - Dick Cheney, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/12/dick-cheney-defends-the-torture-innocents/383741/
All the law enforcement agencies around the world find it's much more comfortable sitting in an office examining electronic data, instead of going out knocking on doors and asking questions. So when they get frustrated, like not being able to read data from a phone, they throw a tantrum, like a 2-year old.
One place where a government may wish to mandate the acquisition of source code is in security related things like voting machines where they might require an independent, or even public, audit to ensure its integrity.
I very recently became aware of letters in the Notices of the American Mathematical Society under the title Mathematicians Discuss the Snowden Revelations. Although it dates back to June/July 2014, I think it's relevant here.
http://www.ams.org/notices/201406/rnoti-p623.pdf
The letter from Keith Devlin is worth reading (no maths involved). He was involved in analysing how to extract valid information from very large amounts of data, and his conclusions were clear that if you want to find a tiny number of needles, then you need to target the analysis, not grab all you can. A few quotes:
"I concentrate on whether indiscriminate “vacuuming up” of personal information that, according to the documents Edward Snowden has released, the NSA has routinely engaged in for several years can effectively predict terrorist attacks. I’ll say up front that, based on everything I learned in those five years, blanket surveillance is highly unlikely to prevent a terrorist attack and is a dangerous misuse of resources that, if used in other ways, possibly could prevent attacks (such as the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing). Anyone with a reasonable sense of large numbers could surmise a similar conclusion. When the goal is to identify a very small number of key signals in a large ocean of noise, indiscriminately increasing the size of the ocean is self-evidently not the way to go. "
"So when I hear officials from President Obama down say, “It’s just metadata,” I smell a deliberate attempt to mislead the population they are supposed to serve."
"How could we take an impossibly large amount of data and produce a human-sized output that a trained analyst could make effective use of? It would involve filtering, condensing, fusing, and processing information to a truly gigantic degree to provide that analyst (actually a team of analysts) with something manageable. And that was just the first step. That analyst would have to take his or her conclusions and start a cascade of persuasion and decision-making running up through the command chain until it landed on the desk of a person who could initiate an action—an action having huge ramifications for public safety, the pursuit of which would carry the risks of danger to many people and of possible massive political fallout."
"Data mining systems don’t identify and take out terrorist groups; people do."
It shows the difference between the legal and military mind, as exemplified by these two quotes:
"... the law holds it better that ten guilty persons escape, than that one innocent party suffer..." - William Blackstone, Commentaries of the Laws of England (1765)
"I'm more concerned with bad guys who got out and released than I am with a few that, in fact, were innocent." - Dick Cheney, http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/12/dick-cheney-defends-the-torture-innocents/383741/ (2014)
I thought these days that baggage had to be locked with TSA approved locks when flying to the USA. This means the TSA have the master keys to get in, or else they will cut the bag open if they want to see what's inside.
I do not suppose that it was difficult for baggage handlers to get their hands on those master keys.
Could this be a case where ISDS could actually be useful? Surely the investors have a case against the states of the UK and USA because they are interfering with their business without due reason.
I've filled in the questionnaire (as an EU citizen), and thanks to all the good work in clarifying the issues on the various sites. It occurred to me that ISDS creates an asymmetry, which judicial systems normally shun. If I had a dispute with a corporation (sorry, sir, investor), then even if I won, the investor could take the case to the arbitration panel claiming that the local laws were antithetical to the investor's business model. But even if I could afford it, could I get to put my case?
"The act gives a definition of terrorism as an act or threat "designed to influence the government", that "is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause" and that would pose a "serious risk" to the health or safety of a section of the public."
Voting for the opposition at a general election seems to fall into the definition of "terrorism" according to this statement.
1. Designed to influence the government? Yes - in fact attempting to overthrow the government.
2. Made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause? Yes - promoting the political aims of the opposing party.
3. Pose a "serious risk" to the health or safety of a section of the public? Yes - listen to any raucous parliamentary debate in the House of Commons and it is clear that the party in power believes that the other side will serious damage the health of the nation or part of the population. Look like good character witnesses for any trial.
This legislation is a disgrace and needs repealing.
P.S. all my attempts to put in html tags just got stripped out when previewed. How do you make an indented blockquote?
2) The Intelligence community is simply saying, fuck you we can do whatever we want because no one will stop us.
I think you've got it right there. They believe they have the capability and are going to use it whatever anyone says. Spies are in the business of manipulating others and have no regard to what anyone thinks of them doing so. It's the sort of psychopathic behaviour that will brazen everything out right up until someone takes their toys away.
Techdirt has not posted any stories submitted by sciamiko.
What info do FB have?
This might help:
https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/2018/03/how-can-i-download-a-copy-of-my-facebook-data-what-is-included-and-what-isnt/
Among other things there's a list of the type of data it holds, and how you can see it for yourself - even if you do not have an account.
s.
"despite possessing proper legal authority"
If they have legal authority, why not serve the warrant on the owner instead of trying to go behind his back?
If they are investigating the owner's murder, then he should have left his password with his will. If he didn't then it is his own fault his family might not see justice.
Cohen's very clear about it
In Cohen's own words:
Let's parse this according to normal rules, and expand those "and"s:
Obvious.
s.
Well done!
You deserve this win.
I come here because you report based on verifiable information, and provide considered opinions.
Keep doing that.
s.
Re: If only we could be this lucky every time...
Actually, this time we were very lucky indeed, due to an accidental triggering of the malware's killswitch:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/13/accidental-hero-finds-kill-switch-to-stop-spread-of-ransomware-cyber-attack
If this had not been discovered, or a different method of disabling was used by the attackers, this could have been a lot worse across the world.
Perhaps because asking for data about an account (eg. names, telephone numbers, contact lists, etc.) can be answered even though messages cannot be read.
Approaches to injustice
Compare:
"... the law holds it better that ten guilty persons escape, than that
one innocent party suffer..." - William Blackstone, Commentaries of the
Laws of England (1765)
"I'm more concerned with bad guys who got out and released than I am
with a few that, in fact, were innocent." - Dick Cheney,
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/12/dick-cheney-defends-the-torture-innocents/383741/
It's a tantrum
All the law enforcement agencies around the world find it's much more comfortable sitting in an office examining electronic data, instead of going out knocking on doors and asking questions. So when they get frustrated, like not being able to read data from a phone, they throw a tantrum, like a 2-year old.
What's the difference?
Easy. Mass surveillance is measured in kilograms and bulk collection in litres.
Quality journalism
Easy - you preserve quality journalism by preserving the quality of the journalism, and not just copy official statements.
Security audits
One place where a government may wish to mandate the acquisition of source code is in security related things like voting machines where they might require an independent, or even public, audit to ensure its integrity.
Address = function?
He seems to be arguing that a shopfront is the same as the service the shop provides. So the door to a barber's is the same as getting a haircut.
NSA's misuse of resources
I very recently became aware of letters in the Notices of the American Mathematical Society under the title Mathematicians Discuss the Snowden Revelations. Although it dates back to June/July 2014, I think it's relevant here.
http://www.ams.org/notices/201406/rnoti-p623.pdf
The letter from Keith Devlin is worth reading (no maths involved). He was involved in analysing how to extract valid information from very large amounts of data, and his conclusions were clear that if you want to find a tiny number of needles, then you need to target the analysis,
not grab all you can. A few quotes:
"I concentrate on whether indiscriminate “vacuuming up” of personal information that, according to the documents Edward Snowden has released, the NSA has routinely engaged in for several years can effectively predict terrorist attacks. I’ll say up front that, based on everything I learned in those five years, blanket surveillance is
highly unlikely to prevent a terrorist attack and is a dangerous misuse of resources that, if used in other ways, possibly could prevent attacks (such as the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing). Anyone with a reasonable sense of large numbers could surmise a similar conclusion. When the goal is to identify a very small number of key
signals in a large ocean of noise, indiscriminately increasing the size of the ocean is self-evidently not the way to go. "
"So when I hear officials from President Obama down say, “It’s just metadata,” I smell a deliberate attempt to mislead the population they are supposed to serve."
"How could we take an impossibly large amount of data and produce a human-sized output that a trained analyst could make effective use of? It would involve filtering, condensing, fusing, and processing information to a truly gigantic degree to provide that analyst (actually a team of analysts) with something manageable. And that was just the first step. That analyst would have to take his or her
conclusions and start a cascade of persuasion and decision-making running up through the command chain until it landed on the desk of a person who could initiate an action—an action having huge ramifications for public safety, the pursuit of which would carry the risks of danger to many people and of possible massive political fallout."
"Data mining systems don’t identify and take out terrorist groups; people do."
Re: Re: regarding torture
It shows the difference between the legal and military mind, as exemplified by these two quotes:
"... the law holds it better that ten guilty persons escape, than that one innocent party suffer..." - William Blackstone, Commentaries of the Laws of England (1765)
"I'm more concerned with bad guys who got out and released than I am with a few that, in fact, were innocent." - Dick Cheney,
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/12/dick-cheney-defends-the-torture-innocents/383741/
(2014)
TSA approved locks
I thought these days that baggage had to be locked with TSA approved locks when flying to the USA. This means the TSA have the master keys to get in, or else they will cut the bag open if they want to see what's inside.
I do not suppose that it was difficult for baggage handlers to get their hands on those master keys.
ISDS?
Could this be a case where ISDS could actually be useful? Surely the investors have a case against the states of the UK and USA because they are interfering with their business without due reason.
Asymmetry
I've filled in the questionnaire (as an EU citizen), and thanks to all the good work in clarifying the issues on the various sites. It occurred to me that ISDS creates an asymmetry, which judicial systems normally shun. If I had a dispute with a corporation (sorry, sir, investor), then even if I won, the investor could take the case to the arbitration panel claiming that the local laws were antithetical to the investor's business model. But even if I could afford it, could I get to put my case?
Re: Voting
Quoting Sarah Harrison:
"The act gives a definition of terrorism as an act or threat "designed to influence the government", that "is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause" and that would pose a "serious risk" to the health or safety of a section of the public."
Voting for the opposition at a general election seems to fall into the definition of "terrorism" according to this statement.
1. Designed to influence the government? Yes - in fact attempting to overthrow the government.
2. Made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause? Yes - promoting the political aims of the opposing party.
3. Pose a "serious risk" to the health or safety of a section of the public? Yes - listen to any raucous parliamentary debate in the House of Commons and it is clear that the party in power believes that the other side will serious damage the health of the nation or part of the population. Look like good character witnesses for any trial.
This legislation is a disgrace and needs repealing.
P.S. all my attempts to put in html tags just got stripped out when previewed. How do you make an indented blockquote?
Don't Spy On Us
If you're in UK, there is this action today against spying by GCHQ:
https://www.dontspyonus.org.uk/org
Re: Can't tell
I think you've got it right there. They believe they have the capability and are going to use it whatever anyone says. Spies are in the business of manipulating others and have no regard to what anyone thinks of them doing so.
It's the sort of psychopathic behaviour that will brazen everything out right up until someone takes their toys away.