Death Before NSA Dishonor: Encrypted Services Stage Suicide Revolt

[99th_Monkey]

Death Before NSA Dishonor: Encrypted Services Stage Suicide Revolt
Popular sites Lavabit and Silent Circle would rather close down than betray customer privacy in face of government requests they deem 'unconstitutional'
Friday, August 9, 2013 * Common Dreams * by Jon Queally, staff writer

The encrypted email service provider Silent Circle has followed its competitor Lavabit who on Thursday announced it would shutter its services rather than be compelled by the US government to hand over the private data and emails from its customers, one of whom is believed to be NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Supporters of internet freedom and privacy protections were shocked at the news, but also expressing gratitude for what they see as a service provider choosing the protections of it own customers over the threat of lost profits or requests by the government that they deemed inappropriate and unconstitutional.

As Reuters reports:

[Lavabit's founder said] he has decided to "suspend operations" but was barred from discussing the events over the past six weeks that led to his decision.

That matches the period since Snowden went public as the source of media reports detailing secret electronic spying operations by the U.S. National Security Agency.

"Given the impressive powers of the government to obtain emails and records from service providers, both with and without legal authority, it is encouraging to see service providers take steps to limit their ability to access user data," said the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Kurt Opsahl in a web posting.

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/08/09

[snappyturtle]

1. To shutter businesses to protect customers is true loyalty not only

to clients but to the Constitution. Remarkable.

[silvershadow]

10. Indeed. I am shocked beyond words at this story and the other today. nt

[Downwinder]

2. Think I'll get an Iceland account. After all they don't spy on citizens.

[Aerows]

3. If you reside in the US

Your traffic will be monitored because it is headed for a foreign country. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I'm not excusing it, just stating the policy as it has been stated right here on DU. It doesn't matter if you are an American citizen.

[Downwinder]

4. That is not what my President said.

That and I am going to throw my GPS 180 degrees out of phase.

[Aerows]

5. Okay

Please feel free to do whatever you wish, but that's a fact.

[mwrguy]

6. Much of the world will shun US communications services

[SpankMe]

7. This is a good point.

Republicans fight against the reigning in of big oil interests and against environmental regulation because it "costs jobs".

But, how many jobs will be lost if firms go out of business due to the new era of government spying? Whether exiting the business intentionally (like Lavabit), or going out of business due to loss of customers as they choose to minimize or avoid using these services out of privacy concerns - there is a potential for a loss of tens of thousands of jobs.

Where's the free market outrage from Repubs?

[JDPriestly]

8. I'm about the furtherest person from a computer nerd you could find, but I have no problem

figuring out why this secretive NSA program means that we no longer live in a country governed by our Constitution, that we are being governed by the clique that has access to our internet information. And I have posted about my opinion. If you knew me and saw me, you would understand why I feel free to do that. There is no way anyone could ever see me as a threat to anything, not at my age, not considering that I get along with pretty much everybody I know, that I have been told that I am very peaceful and even asked in a workplace whether I practice meditation.

So, there is no way I could ever on earth be a real terror suspect. And therefore I feel I am the last person the NSA could target. But I do have a logical mind. So I see the fundamental problem with the NSA surveillance system -- the concentration of extraordinary knowledge in the hands of a secret few.

Don't jump to conclusions. I don't think that the NSA broke my computer. But last night I started having problems with it. My virus protection program said I had a number of threats. I stayed up very late letting my virus protection program try to clean my computer. This morning I could only start it in safe mode and after quite a few machinations which involve following directions. I had to have some help for that.

The point is: what with all this surveillance, why can't the NSA stop the computer viruses and programs that break down individual computers and could break the system?

What are we paying for?

After last night, I am more certain than ever that the NSA program is not about protecting the internet or stopping copyright thieves or protecting the public. Because if it were, then we wouldn't have copyright thieves, and the public would be protected.

More than ever I think the program is about acquiring total knowledge of our relationships and therefore total control. And I think it is great that at least one company is willing to stand up for what is right.

[silvershadow]

11. My computer has been acting wonky for awhile now, in ways it never has, and it has caused me to

really question what is going on. Apparently they're sweeping up virtually everything, and frankly it's slowing my connection down- pisses me off to be blunt.

[Helen Borg]

16. Who knows?...

From what was leaked, the collection happens far after your data has left your computer... But, again, who knows what they are up to? The NSA could be behind some of the malware that hits our computers.

[JDPriestly]

24. I don't think the NSA has anything to do with the Trojan Horse or whatever infected my computer.

I'm just not that important.

My question is, if they are monitoring all the electronic data all the time, why can't they catch the people who create and spread the viruses and trojan horses, etc.?

What are they doing if not protecting the internet from electronic criminals, that is, those who disturb the flow of the internet?

Think about all the movies made about deputies rescuing the mail (and gold being transported) on the stagecoaches that were part of our pony express. Of what use is the NSA if they aren't catching those who would rustle the herds on the internet? What are they looking for if not the pirates of the electronic waves?

[SomethingFishy]

17. I do a clean re-install of my operating system every 6 months...

Your wonky computer could be any number of things. A clean re-install will clear up many problems. Good anti-virus(and I don't mean Norton or McAfee) protection and good malware protection will keep you running better longer as well.

[siligut]

19. They are all about power now

Keeping what they have and getting more. Too many people are waking-up to the control and manipulation, they can't let that happen.

[snappyturtle]

26. I've had some wonky stuff going on too. I've tried to do things safely and

have anti-virus, malware protection etc. But still............Been very active on the
internet for 15 years and it's just different lately. I think the problems are probably coincidental
however, I am keeping a keen eye out.

I totally agree with you about the purpose of the gov't programs. I do think it is for
control and that scares me...a lot! I'm old, not ancient yet, but I have great concern
for my thirty something yr. old 'kids'. We (Amer. people) are not protected...I think the gov't couldn't care less. What scares me the most is my awakening that this 'control' has taken
decades to acheive our current point and now programs seem accelerated at warp
speed. Everything is so inter-twined considering executive orders, presidential directives, the Patriort Act, the NDAA, etc.

The President's press conference this afternoon does not put me at ease. I think it came about to settle the masses before the Sunday news circus. For all I know his suggestions for studies and recommendations for changes to Sec. 215 in the Patriot Act (?) may well be superceded by something else....all too confusing to keep on top of and I think that is the point: to wear us down into accepting what we're told. If that calls for wearing a tin foil hat then I'm wearing one.

I'm very thankful for DU...lots of good minds here and maybe we can figure things out.

[WillyT]

9. K & R !!!

[silvershadow]

12. +1 nt

[Waiting For Everyman]

13. These are the kind of companies that will draw more customers in future.

The US is fixing to lose its dominance of cloud services if it's not careful. That, would hurt some deep wallets. What the greedmonger plutocrats forget is, that what the market gives, the market can take away.

[Hubert Flottz]

14. I moon the SOBs three times a day...

I wonder what would happen if we all had our cable and phone service turned off all over the country on the same day. I'll bet I could stand it longer than the NSA could. Or maybe that's what all this spying is about...putting the internet and digital cable out of business?

[JDPriestly]

25. I turn it off weekends at a time every once in a while.

[Helen Borg]

15. It seems like a great opportunity

For similar companies providing encryption services outside the US.

[1-Old-Man]

18. According to half the people here at DU they must be traitors then, just like Snowden

[struggle4progress]

20. Silent Circle didn't say they'd shut down but only that they'd stop providing email services

Getting the details right matters, and this article doesn't get details right

[99th_Monkey]

22. They are "shutting down" their email services, yes.

that's what the article says, and no one is claiming it says anything more than that.

Now where did that nit go for you to pick?

Nice try grasping at straws attempting to discredit the thread though.

[struggle4progress]

23. Article says "encrypted email service provider Silent Circle has followed its competitor Lavabit

who on Thursday announced it would shutter its services"

Lavabit announced it was shutting down. Silent Circle announced termination of email services but said it would continue to supply other services. Getting details wrong affects credibility

[99th_Monkey]

28. Thank you for your zeal to keep track of all the minutia. well done. nt

[millennialmax]

21. Yeah, it's all the people in my rural neighborhood are talking about.

All of them are wondering how exactly they will survive without Lavabit and Silent Circle.

[steve2470]

27. Hushmail is still a good choice (I think)

http://www.hushmail.com/privacy/

We will only disclose account data in the following circumstances:

If we receive an order enforceable under the laws of British Columbia, Canada, compelling us to disclose account data for a specific user account. The account data we disclose may include data in an unencrypted format. Because such orders generally state that we are not permitted to disclose the existence of the order to a user, we will not disclose to any user the existence, or nonexistence, of any order we may have received.

That excerpt above is the only reason I said "I think".