Pamela -
Yes, really scary.
Doug, why do you say it doesn't really matter? (And fmi, what is Black
Hat?)
And extra scary to me because people use anecdotes like this to say
"see, if you don't have anything to hide, you have nothing to worry
about!" I've been through mild versions of this scene myself and I'm
not proud to say that I simply allowed it, letting the guns, badges,
suits, etc. bully me into quiet cooperation.
I think Doug's tongue was in his cheek when he said "it doesn't really
matter", but I could be wrong.
While it has never gone sideways on me, I don't particularly like
talking to people with guns, especially if they seem to think I might
have done something wrong. The badges are a mixed blessing. Naturally
I'm happy that they are "supposed" to be there to protect and serve
(local or national level) but I'm also unhappy that if they get scared
or confused that they will have a great deal more presumed credibility
than I will when push comes to shove. I've known plenty of people in
various law-enforcement roles and nearly all of them are there *because*
they are flawed in some way, not *despite* their flaws. Most I would
not want to trust being able to see pretty much everything about me with
a few keystrokes, yet I think that we have come to a place where many
think that is a good idea, even neccesary.
If it is OK to record all metadata, and maybe even (for a while only?)
the data of actual telecommunications within the US, then maybe it is OK
too to break (sneak?) into our computers and look through our
(previously presumed private) data without cause (or legal standing).
Maybe it is OK to activate the microphones and cameras on our computers
"just to see if anything nefarious might be going on". And if such
things were to happen (and be disclosed), there would be some (probably
among us) who would say "better safe than sorry". And even more would
accept as an argument even one single example where such invasion of
privacy lead to stopping some dangerous/illegal/scary action.
We do not have a good way to balance privacy vs security so we pick
simple principles and err hard on one side or the other and shriek
vehemenently when an exception occurs (on the other side's case), while
making belligerent excuses when a failure illuminates the flaws in our
own story.
- Steve
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