"I understand there are people who really need it in some countries, but in this country, we're subject to the rule of law, and if you're doing nothing wrong, you've got privacy because no one's looking at it,"
"If there are suspicions, or we've got proof that we can justify you're doing something wrong and you must be investigated, then actually we want lawful access to that data."
Big Tech: go ahead, everyone’s been using vpns to get out of your backwater network for years now. The harder you listen, the more silent your world becomes. We leavin’, Peace out
In practice it's an evaluation of cost of "compliance and potential repuation damage" versus cost of "non-compliance and lawyer's fees for likely court attendance".
> "I understand there are people who really need it in some countries, but in this country, we're subject to the rule of law, and if you're doing nothing wrong, you've got privacy because no one's looking at it,"
JFC. Those countries also consider themselves to have the "rule of law", and if you can require that people have no right to privacy so can they.
But also, when the backdoor you require leaks or otherwise causes wide spread losses, are you willing to pick up the tab?
It is an interesting data point in understanding Burgess' world-view that he phrases it like that: "but in this country, we're subject to the rule of law".
It's an incredibly superior thing to say, effectively: It's OK, we're the good guys.
He's really presenting no comprehension (or admission) of any possible downside. Even if they are the good guys, bad shit is more likely to happen when you think you're a knight in shining armour that can do no wrong.
He says "in this country, we're subject to the rule of law" but that would automatically mean that they don't get access to encrypted content, instead what he means is "in this country, we will strong-arm corporations into letting us violate people's rights and if that doesn't work we will rewrite laws so we can do whatever we want anyway" which tells you just how much "rule of law" means for those in power.
He can use whatever weasel words he wants, the fact of the matter is that he's asking for a backdoor. There is not a way to "design" around proper encryption without removing the encryption for a target.
Eg. Fox(tel) wants to discourage copyright infringement to funnel more people to their (fucking awful and expensive) pay TV option.
End result: metadata retention legislation and site blocking dictates.
A more modern example is the propping up of 'old media' by squeezing social networks for cash when they link to news articles. After a couple of years of that, I think FB have told them to go pound sand. Not sure the outcome of that yet.
The eSafety commissioner (another joke department of 'karens'), was forced to drop their appeal on the advice of their solicitors telling them they are just pissing tax dollars away on a losing battle.
The clown in ASIO is just saying a bunch of waffle, "we have hacking capabilities that allow us to do that". It's some computer guy in a room (payed 1/3 the salary in the industry) against the security group in Apple. What can you say but LOL?
> It's some computer guy in a room (payed 1/3 the salary in the industry) against the security group in Apple.
Nah, they just buy exploits from hackers sold on the worldwide market. It costs a lot of money and might take time, but eventually getting into a apple device isn't a problem. In the US the FBI manages just fine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple–FBI_encryption_dispute they just also wanted a backdoor put there just for them to make it easier.
The eSafety case is a bit different. The eSafety Commissioner is an ex Twitter employee who has been gifted the opportunity to continue her vendetta against her former employer at the Australian taxpayers' expense.
The guy in a room in Canberra works for an agency with the budget to buy exploits and toolsnfrom the same Israeli companies the FBI uses. But they charge top dollar, and so what Mikey B is looking for here is a cheaper outcome.
If a democracy can access these powers, so could any future dictatorship.
Democracy is more fragile than some people might think. There are plenty of examples of countries that were once democracies that are now widely considered to be authoritarian i.e. Hungary, Russia after collapse of the Soviet Union.
Even democracies themselves are not perfect. Marginalised groups can still be oppressed in different ways even in a democracy.
Democracy struggles on, and obviously existed before digital. Authorities have the right to enter the home of a suspected Russian or Chinese spy, or a pedophile, or a top level drug runner.
Access to digital traffic is something worth supporting when combined with the right to protest, for advocacy, and for checks and balances in warrants.
19 comments
[ 2.8 ms ] story [ 43.5 ms ] thread"If there are suspicions, or we've got proof that we can justify you're doing something wrong and you must be investigated, then actually we want lawful access to that data."
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2140747-laws-of-mathema...
Big Tech: No
Burgess: please?
Big Tech: No
Burgess: we will ban you
Big Tech: go ahead, everyone’s been using vpns to get out of your backwater network for years now. The harder you listen, the more silent your world becomes. We leavin’, Peace out
JFC. Those countries also consider themselves to have the "rule of law", and if you can require that people have no right to privacy so can they.
But also, when the backdoor you require leaks or otherwise causes wide spread losses, are you willing to pick up the tab?
It's an incredibly superior thing to say, effectively: It's OK, we're the good guys.
He's really presenting no comprehension (or admission) of any possible downside. Even if they are the good guys, bad shit is more likely to happen when you think you're a knight in shining armour that can do no wrong.
They don't, industry writes most bills, they can't even get the resource companies to pay royalties or tax.
End result: metadata retention legislation and site blocking dictates.
A more modern example is the propping up of 'old media' by squeezing social networks for cash when they link to news articles. After a couple of years of that, I think FB have told them to go pound sand. Not sure the outcome of that yet.
The eSafety commissioner (another joke department of 'karens'), was forced to drop their appeal on the advice of their solicitors telling them they are just pissing tax dollars away on a losing battle.
The clown in ASIO is just saying a bunch of waffle, "we have hacking capabilities that allow us to do that". It's some computer guy in a room (payed 1/3 the salary in the industry) against the security group in Apple. What can you say but LOL?
Nah, they just buy exploits from hackers sold on the worldwide market. It costs a lot of money and might take time, but eventually getting into a apple device isn't a problem. In the US the FBI manages just fine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple–FBI_encryption_dispute they just also wanted a backdoor put there just for them to make it easier.
The guy in a room in Canberra works for an agency with the budget to buy exploits and toolsnfrom the same Israeli companies the FBI uses. But they charge top dollar, and so what Mikey B is looking for here is a cheaper outcome.
Democracy is more fragile than some people might think. There are plenty of examples of countries that were once democracies that are now widely considered to be authoritarian i.e. Hungary, Russia after collapse of the Soviet Union.
Even democracies themselves are not perfect. Marginalised groups can still be oppressed in different ways even in a democracy.
For clear examples of this, see the democratic countries listed on this page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_concentration_and_inte...
Democracy struggles on, and obviously existed before digital. Authorities have the right to enter the home of a suspected Russian or Chinese spy, or a pedophile, or a top level drug runner.
Access to digital traffic is something worth supporting when combined with the right to protest, for advocacy, and for checks and balances in warrants.
Australia isn't America.