Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by that_guy_iain 269 days ago
How about we compare it with something more realistic? Like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON. Since 1971, the 5 eyes countries have been spying on people en masse and scanning communications.

You probably don't like the comparission because you want to be an alarmist who is acting like this is new. All the fears you have, have literally been proven to be...
1 comments
collinmcnulty 269 days ago
... well founded and spurred the widespread adoption of end to end encryption?
link
that_guy_iain 269 days ago
No, it didn't. It took decades for that to happen.
link
collinmcnulty 269 days ago
These programs really entered the public consciousness with the Snowden leaks in 2013. Signal was released in 2014.
link
ysnp 269 days ago
TextSecure (which later merged with RedPhone to become Signal) had existed since 2010. So it would be interesting to know if there were many other end-to-end encrypted services and products at the time since this was pre-leaks.
link
that_guy_iain 269 days ago
I only mentioned one program. A program that is literally comparable because it's literally what is being replaced. That program has been public knowledge in media such as TV shows and movies for decades. So when we're fear-mongering, we should only compare with that, and we should see what effects it had and the nonsense being used for fear-mongering.

Also, Signal was released not because of end-to-end encryption but because the founder sold WhatsApp and wasn't happy with the direction.

link
ysnp 269 days ago
You're confusing the founding of the Signal Foundation with the release of Signal. Textsecure/Redphone which Signal came from existed in some part around 2010 or thereafter. Their merging and re-release as an all-in-one IP-based encryption app also came before WhatsApp was sold to Facebook.
link
fsflover 269 days ago
> That program has been public knowledge in media such as TV shows and movies for decades.

Nobody I know heard about it before Snowden. You need to provide some statistics to demonstrate it was a common knowledge.

link
that_guy_iain 268 days ago
> You need to provide some statistics to demonstrate it was a common knowledge.

It was referenced in popular media for decades... So people knew about it and it was public knowledge. The reason no one cared is that the outcome of it wasn't the horror story being repeated constantly.

The funny thing is, if you think this law would affect you, it will probably reduce the amount of data they get. Why? Because they still spy on you with end-to-end encryption, it's just more work and they hack the shit out of you.

link