Senate Draft Encryption Bill Called 'Absurd,' 'Dangerous,' and Technically Inept

[thisisnotmyname]

I just read the draft, it's even worse, it seemingly would make VPN services track and report all connections. On the other hand the clause about being unable to mandate any technical means may make it completely unenforceable as there's no proactive prescription and companies ordered to comply could claim an inability to do so. In any case, horrible bill.

 

[nozebleed]

If this bill ever becomes law is the day I throw my cell phone in the trash and go "off the grid".

why are you waiting for that, they can pull anything they want on you right now without even having your phown

 

[midwestfisherma]

Fascists. Not surprised it is the criminally corrupt Feinstein at the helm.

I'm not surprised either. These idiots don't have a clue. Yet the sheeple keep voting them back in!

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Back to flip phones I guess..

And new iPads, so the FBI can easily retrieve the information they are looking for:

 

[knemonic]

It will be doa. The lobbying abilities of corporations in this country are unheard of, and the tech industry will hit it hard to rid it before it hits the floor.

 

[soupcan]

They're as technologically hopeless as a bunch of curtains. That's an insult. To the curtains.

 

[0248294]

This isn't a matter of right vs. left anymore, it seems that in a lot of Western countries both sides have gotten a disturbing increase in megalomaniac, technically inept, borderline fascist politicians that have gone above and beyond to be allowed 100% access to any information on any citizen. The Tories in the UK, the helm of the EU, both Republicans and Democrats in the US, where is this going to? We need to push all of these idiots out before 2020 will be a whole lot more like 1984.

 

[2457282]

Would it be misogynistic or antisemitic of me to observe that Dianne Feinstein looks like Emperor Palpatine in drag?

Although it may indeed be misogynistic and antisemitic, now that you have said it, i cannot see her otherwise.

 

[FloatingBones]

[...] starts out by declaring "no person or entity is above the law."

Drafted by the group of individuals who declared themselves -- and their staffers -- exempt from the PPACA. FAIL.

 

[DesterWallaboo]

Feinstein has no concept of the bill of rights.

 

[nozebleed]

This isn't a matter of right vs. left anymore, it seems that in a lot of Western countries both sides have gotten a disturbing increase in megalomaniac, technically inept, borderline fascist politicians that have gone above and beyond to be allowed 100% access to any information on any citizen. The Tories in the UK, the helm of the EU, both Republicans and Democrats in the US, where is this going to? We need to push all of these idiots out before 2020 will be a whole lot more like 1984.

yet 95% of this forum would vote for bernie sanders. multiple times

 

[KdParker]

Would it be misogynistic or antisemitic of me to observe that Dianne Feinstein looks like Emperor Palpatine in drag?

Yes it would.

But back on topic.

This is not totally surprising since the government has always been able to invade our illusion of privacy with a warrant from the court.

If you have a SSN, credit card, dumb phone, house etc...with a warrant the government has access.

 

[0248294]

Would it be misogynistic or antisemitic of me to observe that Dianne Feinstein looks like Emperor Palpatine in drag?

 

[benjitek]

Back to flip phones I guess..

...?

Call records... text messages... GPS history if the flip-phone has it (or cell tower proximity if it doesn't)... they've always been able to access that through the carrier.

What's being attempted here is applying the ease of obtaining info about flip-phone users to the encrypted data of smartphones (and computers... and tablets...)

The FBI must've felt multi-orgasmic when Windows 10 came out, it's almost as if they were the ones who coded Windows 10, or at the very least heavily consulted...

 

[Hirakata]

Once again...

“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

...AGAIN.

It began in 1913:
The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

That pretty much says, "Whatever you earn belongs to us, the government, first, and we'll let you keep what we think you deserve."

 

[0248294]

yet 95% of this forum would vote for bernie sanders. multiple times

Bernie has spoken out many times against the mass surveillance the NSA has been granted. Unless you think he's lying, you would agree with him on it. For reference: http://feelthebern.org/bernie-sanders-on-privacy-and-digital-rights/

 

[JohnGrey]

This isn't a matter of right vs. left anymore, it seems that in a lot of Western countries both sides have gotten a disturbing increase in megalomaniac, technically inept, borderline fascist politicians that have gone above and beyond to be allowed 100% access to any information on any citizen. The Tories in the UK, the helm of the EU, both Republicans and Democrats in the US, where is this going to? We need to push all of these idiots out before 2020 will be a whole lot more like 1984.

You're operating on a presumption of ignorance on the part of these people, a presumption I find completely untenable. They know very well what they're doing, and they have the brass to attempt it because the United States has spent the entirety of the post-WWII period in a state of perennial expendiency, in which there never was any balance between security and civil rights. Whether talking about COINTELPRO or Operation Northwoods, the prevailing opinion of the political class has been that we are fodder that exist for no other reason than to affirm them in their exalted positions. The further they move afield, the increasingly likely that they will cross an unseen line that ends in boiled manila hemp lashed to lampposts.

 

[stevemiller]

Think of all that information that gets encrypted into people's brains. Private thoughts are a haven for terrorism!!! How can we ever be safe???

#boycottBrains

 

[0248294]

You're operating on a presumption of ignorance on the part of these people, a presumption I find completely untenable. They know very well what they're doing...

I'm not saying they do not know what they are doing, I am thoroughly pushing on the fact they absolutely know what they are doing and want more and more. Just look up the definition of "Megalomania", I threw that term in there to exactly push on the fact they know what they're doing because they're power craving lunatics.

 

[guerro]

More useless and unnecessary laws. Bravo Congress.

 

[macduke]

So infuriating, but hopefully there will be hearings involving actual experts to tell them how dumb they are. It seems like the only thing our leaders on the republican and democrat side can agree on is the need to wreck our freedom by installing backdoors into every aspect of our life, while subsequently ruining our economy by destroying the technology that powers e-commerce, as well blowing up our vibrant tech industry which no international entity will touch with a 10 foot pole after it gets loaded down with backdoors.

This quote stood out to me:

In a report yesterday, Reuters said the White House has decided not to offer public support for the legislation, as "the administration remains deeply divided on the issue."

Basically they don't want to hurt the democratic candidate by pushing for something that may be unpopular. If this was 2008 and Obama was running, he would probably be rallying against this sort of thing. Unfortunately we're screwed with Hillary, Bernie, Cruz and especially Trump, IMO. We need a viable third party. At least if Trump gets the nomination, I think it will destroy the republican party. But even the democrats might have a contested convention. Everyone is very divided right now. Hopefully good will come from this election cycle and we can get more realistic voting options.

 

[russofris]

Didn't anyone else see the picture of the two senators that drafted the bill?

Put on the glasses.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

Unfortunately we're screwed with Hillary, Bernie, Cruz and especially Trump, IMO. We need a viable third party.

Somewhat depressing. I know people say all the time that they can't vote for anyone but I've never been that cynical. No candidate is perfect but I've always been able to find someone I feel will do a decent job of representing most of what I believe. This cycle I'm truly feeling that need to find the lesser of all evils.

And no, I don't want more parties and run-offs, that's basically the kind of chaos we have now in the primary that (on the Republican side) has allowed divided votes to set up a candidate with a minority albeit strong base to run away with the process.

 

[sputnikv]

The Compliance with Court Orders Act of 2016, a copy of which was shared by Re/code, starts out by declaring "no person or entity is above the law."

That's fresh coming from the very people that routinely discard the constitution when convenient