US Working To Kill UN Privacy Resolutions 197
schwit1 writes with a short excerpt from The Cable "The United States and its key intelligence allies are quietly working behind the scenes to kneecap a mounting movement in the United Nations to promote a universal human right to online privacy, according to diplomatic sources and an internal American government document obtained by The Cable. American representatives have made it clear that they won't tolerate such checks on their global surveillance network."
A leaked memo containing U.S. suggestions for changes to the ICCPR includes gems like (referring to intercepting communications) "Move 'may threaten' from before 'the foundations of a democratic [society]...' to before 'freedom of expression.' We need to clarify that privacy violations could 'interfere with' freedom of expression and avoid the inaccurate suggestion that all privacy violations are violations of freedom of expression." The U.S. changes are pretty much directed at making dragnet surveillance of non-citizens technically legal.
Why Bother (Score:4, Interesting)
I cannot fathom why the US would bother. It should already be fully aware that it is breaking numerous computer crime laws across the globe. All that is happening now is many other countries are now paying much more attention to computer security and will be seeking to detect and prosecute computer crimes already covered by existing laws within those countries, whether committed by the US government or by any other governments, it is going to become next great spy vs spy game. All the United Nations will do is stand up and vote to say, it's naughty please don't do it, no legal ramifications, no question of sanctions, nothing except the public bruising of US political ego. The act of trying to block it, in fact is a subtle diplomatic trap into which the US has fallen and which makes it look far worse than ignoring other countries laws and acting criminally upon a global basis. It is being made to look like it is blatantly, publicly trying to steal the right of privacy for every person on the planet and all their future descendants. It is going to fail, too many countries will have fun thumbing their nose at the US and making a fools out of US diplomatic fools and seriously guys give about the bullshit double speak, it's closed loop bullshit, nobody but you and your own PR agencies believes that crap. It was a trap and the US diplomatic corps ignorantly skipped right into, smelling their own bullshit as the fragrance of roses.
Re:U. S. is out of control!!! (Score:2, Interesting)
When we let them have more guns than we do.
And this is why Schneier undid 10 years NSA work (Score:5, Interesting)
And this is why Schneier undid 10 years NSA work on subverting encryption algorithms [schneier.com]. Terrorists are a miniscule threat compared to our Governments and Secret Services
The US no longer has a legitimate "government (..) for the people." The UK never did, except occasionally by chance.
We know that power like this is abused and attracts those who will abuse it. We must consider whether we want our children to live in a free country.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
We need to support projects like MailPile [mailpile.is] and BitMessage [bitmessage.org]. Maybe some of you know of or are working on other projects you'd care to mention.
And why (Score:4, Interesting)
Why do I get to hear that here and not from our local news, or rather, from my politicians who invariably had to notice this?
Somehow I doubt the US are alone in that.
So what's your plan? (Score:1, Interesting)
People constantly bitch about how their government is failing them, but how many of you think you can do more than just bitch? Because if that's all you can do, then what's the point of doing even that?
Join the Metagovernment project, and you actually can make a freer, better world using the principles of open source. Think not? Okay, what's your plan? If you don't have a better idea, at least spend a few minutes learning about the plan to build an alternate form of governance [metagovernment.org] that can push aside the broken status quo.
We really do have a plan, and no, it really is not some stupid form of mob rule. Check it out, and learn why you can do more [metagovernment.org] than just bitch about how screwed we all are.
Re:Devil's Advocate (Score:4, Interesting)
They are limited in their total global reach per country. As Snowden and many others show, only the US and UK can really peer, buy, trade or surround the more interesting global telco interconnects.
Lots of governments have total mastery of their own networks but very few have total mastery of the world wide telco/internet crypto.
It is really only the US and UK who have become addicted to signals on a global scale and now can't escape global comment on their now very public actions.
China likes trade, eduction backed with loans and local political support to gain influence.
Russia likes the individual with the correct ideological, human weakness or cash flow issues that make them willing to sell out to gain insights.
The US is really the one country left with one very expensive trick thats lost all its magic - signals intelligence.
The rest of the world is slowly looking at their own intelligence services/telcos and seeing nothing but collusion and collaboration with the UK and USA.
Junk crypto with codes and methods been passed around/sold by ex staff. Their own staff are not protecting their vital national crypto interests anymore.
UN votes like this just say no to mass outside surveillance - on their citizens, on their companies, on their banks, on their telcos, on their political parties, on their faiths, on their trade deals.
i.e. a China and Russia do not really have to care, all their 'other' options are working just fine.
Most other counties just want their expensive telco equipment to be safer from "ex staff"
Unusual Need (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:This week we can give thanks (Score:5, Interesting)
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause , supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized .
Their logic makes the Constitution nothing more than tissue paper.
- Unreasonable - Their goal of mass surveillance is most certainly guided by good sense, meaning practical judgement, and is only used in the best interests of the citizenry. Have to fight those tewwoists. Especially, the domestic ones.
- Probable cause, limitation of scope of search - With the technology available today, and the attainment of mass surveillance, probable cause is instantly established. Moreover, the scope of the search is intelligently limited at all times by the technology itself. It decides what needs the most surveillance and active involvement by those in power.
- Did it really happen? - If the citizenry does not perceive the surveillance, does it exist? Of course not. Don't be silly. Nothing exists unless you believe in it, and this is concrete proof of "Out of sight, out of mind". Privacy is what we tell them it is.
Those three points are pretty much the entire basis and rationale for the people that support the violation of the Constitution. That's being extremely kind and assuming nothing but benevolent intent, and the fact, they even give one fuck about the Constitution, the very concepts of freedom, and the idea of a government for the people and by the people
It's tragically sad at this point that the US has fallen so very far from its ideals. Give it a little bit longer on this path and quite frankly the US of 100 years ago would invade *us* to export democracy along with other countries too.
When will the UN grow some balls and levy real sanctions against the US till it cuts their shit out?
So long Democrats (Score:3, Interesting)
Have only ever voted D in the past. Now it will be 3rd party or nothing. Every time some horrible government intrusion comes to light Obama is either silent or supports it. Not going to keep voting for my enemies.
Re: They don't give a fuck (Score:2, Interesting)
The terrorism card US is playing is mostly just a smokescreen. The real motive is corporate espionage and Business Intelligence $$$. CanÂt blame the US, this is exactly what the Chineez have been doing a long time.
The privacy in UN is mainly to secure European commercial interests.