[kabdib]

This.

Comment all you want on HN or whatever forums you like, but they're basically echo chambers, and nothing really matters unless you make yourself heard to the politicians.

[edit: I just called. It'll take you like two minutes]

[edit: I made the phone calls in front of my 11-year-old son, who was eating breakfast, explaining who I was calling and why. He totally gets it. I'm not sure why a certain set of senators do not get it.]

[poolbath1]

And tell 5 friends and family to do the same. Figure out what's important to them. Do they have children? Tell them without encryption it will be possible for bad people to know their whereabouts and general day to day movements for the purpose of exploitation and abduction. Tell them to call or write the politicians to protect their children.

Maybe your friends think they have nothing to hide, but when they consider they may want to shield their children from harm, that might make them start to think about what is actually at stake.

[spdustin]

You know, I think this is the first opportunity for "think of the children!" to be a rally in cry for something meaningful, that actually can affect a large swath of our children.

An excellent point.

However, its power is limited by all the times "think of the children!" has been used as the rallying cry for anti-citizen legislation. So it has to be strengthened. You're on the right track. The cliche turns into a platform when you have concrete examples that are identifiable to the Android/iPhone toting parents. I am willing to guarantee that the "most frequently visited locations" available on both platforms would illuminate a parent's employer, home, maybe the favorite lunch place, and the school(s) of their young children. Possibly even that their kids have medical issues (pediatrician is a frequent stop) or are on the autism spectrum or have some other developmental delays (speech pathologist or occupational therapist or developmental pediatrician is a frequent stop). Or that they're new homeowners (lots of trips to Home Depot and "big box" stores) Possibly (gasp) where they take their lover when they're supposed to be with their spouse.

[mhurron]

> You know, I think this is the first opportunity for "think of the children!" to be a rally in cry for something meaningful

No it's not, because that's going to blow up in your face. This law is going to be put in place to protect the children. Bad people can't hide child porn. Bad people can't hide their plans to hurt your children. Bad people can't ... etc. Hand in hand goes 'good people' can track your children if they're kidnapped.

Think of the children always works in the favour of those trying to consolidate power.