> If you create a service, product, or app that allows a user to communicate, you get the PRIVILEGE of adding that extra coding," a person who has reviewed the FBI's draft legislation told CNET.
Wait how is that a "privilege". Are they kidding? Is that supposed to be funny? How is adding wiretapping features to invade my users' privacy a privilege. It is like saying if you do something we don't like you get the privilege to get punched in the face.
It'd definitely dry humor, as it was in the context of a conversation with an industry rep who presumably wouldn't be interested in making more work for his constituents.
But the implementation of this still "raises massive questions".
Anyone who creates a communication mechanism now has a legal obligation to create a feature allowing the state to listen?
Today, you can create a communication mechanism and you don't have an obligation to make it work reliably if your users don't care. But your obligation to the state suddenly becomes the creation of an effective surveillance mechanism. That could easily cost more than the rest of the system.
I mean, would "Chat Roulette" suddenly have to be able to stream everything to FBI headquarters?
This absurdity has been gone over many here of course but its still awe-inspiring...
Thinking about something like World of Warcraft, Blizzard might have to store all chat logs for what could be a significant amount of time. Even the simplest of internet forums might be required by the FBI to store every thread. That's a cost to not only the developer but to the host in resources and management.
Not to mention it forces additional strains on technology start-ups that now have regulation over-head cost from Feds that are mad they can't violate the 4th amendment where ever they want.
It's not dry humor, they're not joking. The fact that they're not joking, explains the FBI's actions to begin with.
You have to look at the world from their perspective: you exist by special permission, your rights exist so long as they choose not to revoke them. That is all. It's the inversion of the Bill of Rights: the individual is increasingly restrained from doing anything unless given permission, while the government may do anything unless they are very specifically restrained.
Breathing is a privilege. And they are not kidding. The sooner you accept that, the sooner maybe something can be done about the rapidly expanding police state.
Wait how is that a "privilege". Are they kidding? Is that supposed to be funny? How is adding wiretapping features to invade my users' privacy a privilege. It is like saying if you do something we don't like you get the privilege to get punched in the face.