Online privacy is dead

[unhappycamper]

http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/17/technology/online-privacy/index.html?iid=HP_LN



It's getting harder to remain faceless online. Even far-out measures of data encryption are under attack.

Online privacy is dead
By Jose Pagliery @Jose_Pagliery October 17, 2013: 5:04 AM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The U.S. government is spying on its own citizens' online activities. The FBI was able to suss out and shut down the anonymous black market Silk Road. Even the Internet-within-the-Internet called the Tor network -- the most secretive way to browse the Web -- is being monitored by the National Security Agency.

~snip~

It's no wonder, then, that many have declared the death of online privacy.

"Unfortunately, online anonymity is already dead," said Ladar Levison, founder of e-mail service LavaBit that closed its doors in the wake of the NSA's PRISM controversy. "It takes a lot more effort and skill than most have in order to keep your anonymity today."

Remaining unrecognizable and keeping conversations private online is immensely important. It's not just an issue for civil libertarians -- online privacy is crucial for crime victims, whistleblowers, dissidents and corporations trying to keep secret the latest high-tech research.

[intaglio]

1. Online privacy has never existed

Any dedicated team (NSA, Anonymous etc) have always been able to get data unless there are dedicated countermeasures in place and often even those will fail.

By its very architecture the internet is not private

[bemildred]

2. Correct.

Privacy is an extra added feature, and just like in the real world, not that easy to make impregnable.

[Nay]

3. Thank you. You are entirely correct. I have had arguments (with

computer buffs and experts, no less) for 20 years about how computers, the internet, and everything connected to them (phones, etc.) will entirely destroy privacy as we know it. Of course, I got back a bunch of macho posturing about how they'd make invulnerable hackproof systems, etc. Nope. Ain't gonna happen. Anything you can do to protect yourself will, and has, been penetrated by even better hackers than yourself.