In January, we will explore the good and the bad of new technology. We will start the month with a discussion of how data mining used to increase our security has cost us our privacy. Here the two TED Talks that will be used as a basis for our discussion:
- Mikko Hypponen: How the NSA betrayed the world's trust -- time to act - which explains what we knew was possible with current technologies has actually happened
- Alessandro Acquisti: Why privacy matters - which shows how much more is possible as current technologies are improved and combined
These videos will be shown at the meeting, but the speakers provide a lot of information so seeing they videos before the meeting will help.
Please come with suggestions on other fearful technologies that you would like to discuss in January.
I cringe every time I see a title like "How the NSA betrayed the world's trust", unless it's part of a series whose next title is "How the NSA saved the world". I'd settle for "Did the NSA betray the world's trust?" and hope that the presentation would present both sides of the argument and leave it to the listener to make up their own mind.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Norm.
ReplyDeleteI sort of agree, but would come out more on the end of saving the world. What bugs me, tho, is that NSA did nothing that wasn't sanctioned by FISA, NSC & DNI people, at the least in the White House, and "Hill folk. I see very little light between the Bush and Obama administrations on this one. And "oh" we "only" averted a few attacks? We need also to keep the focus on privacy for Amercan person's privacy. Foreign person's , company's and government's privacy has always been fair game in the scheme of things; the issue there is prudence and potential repercussions of being found out. Look forward very much to hearing the folk's views on this ; my own are probably rather simplistic.
DeleteMy major over riding concern is that we (the people) were and are being protected by the foxes guarding the hen house. I believe that a capability was built and being refined that could be used for any number of reasons (remember J Edgar and then Nixon's use of the IRS for his enemies list) down the road by this administration or another in the future. Without or knowledge and without our informed consent. The FISA did not hear any dissenting arguments and were probably bullied into giving their OK. Certainly not a one was technically competent to judge the implications of what was going on. The NSC is not going to stop itself and the same goes for the DNI. No one argued for the 4th Amendment. Without Snowden, who can tell how long it would have gone one without the people knowing. Now, that we know we have no one to blame but ourselves if it continuers unabated.
ReplyDeleteI see the henhouse as being guarded by the roosters against the foxes. Lacking some of the advantages of the foxes I see the roosters being driven to use all of the information and weapons they can marshall to protect the hens. Information, like strength and money, has value and can and will be misused unless we are smart enough to build in safeguards. I envision the FISA court works the same way the police get a warrant to arrest someone. It involves probable cause and the accused doesn’t have a chance to offer a rebuttal while the evidence gathering is going on. I don’t know but I doubt the FISA court was bullied except by their responsibility to the citizenry and their oath of office.
ReplyDeleteHow is the populace informed? How and when do we express our consent? Don’t we give defacto consent every four years with impeachment the remedy if the train goes off the tracks. I have heard it said that not a single US citizen has been disadvantaged by these NSA programs. I wonder if it’s true?
The best days for my Afghanistan presentation would be the 2nd or 4th Thursdays in January - the 9th or 23rd of January. I found this page but can't find your email addy, Mike, can you email me with which date you think is best? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWhat information has the NSA collected that is so threatening? A list (perhaps) for who you called and who called you (including e-mails)? They need to be monitored as too how they use the information, not banned from collecting it. To not use every weapon at our disposal to combat terror is just plane silly!
ReplyDeleteI believe that terror comes in many ways, shapes and forms. If you are on the receiving end of a drone strike, I suspect you feel some terror, whether guilty of anything or not. If your government was overthrown (as in the case of Iran by the CIA in 1952), I assume there would be some terror involved. If your rights have been totally taken away (as in the case of the brutal oppression of the Palestinians by Israel), I know that there is a lot of terror involved. Also, disease can cause some form of terror (almost a third of Gazans are said to be suffering from diabetes due to the conditions imposed by the Israeli and [recently] Egyptian blockade). We sometimes recognize that there might be some retaliation for all the things we do, but we don't accept the retaliation for what it is when it comes. OK, apparently might makes right, but I don't like it. Dory
ReplyDelete