I remember in the 2016 election Hillary Clinton's VP mentioned in a debate that their administration would make it easier for tech companies to share data with the government for "cybersecurity" and its obvious that what they wanted to do was legalize transfer of surveillance materials from corporations to government. And it's so frustrating because nobody seemed to notice that line and it feels like the public hears that and thinks "cybersecurity good" and doesn't think about it at all. Like if the democrats had come out and said "we're going to expand government surveillance by paying Microsoft and others for your data" it would have been extremely unpopular. But by using obtuse language they can actually claim a win while saying basically the same thing.
I don't think there is any big conspiracy there because it is already legal (and always has been) for companies to give surveillance data to the government.
The government can't take it by force without a warrant. But the company is free to give it to them if they ask nicely or otherwise.
The point is that they proposed expanding these relationships and they billed it as “security”. But anyone who really understands security knows that collecting more data and sending it to one big third party is the opposite of security. They wanted to expand surveillance while telling us they were protecting us.
"They wanted to expand surveillance while telling us they were protecting us."
The issue is that they (i.e. government) have always done this. I'm only 35, but I remember this being very clear immediately after 9/11. You just say the boogeyman is terrorism, and that is used to justify end-runs around the constitution via the "PATRIOT" Act, etc. etc. Before terrorism, the excuse was communism. Maybe I'm just cynical now or read too much "1984" as a teenager, but I feel like there will always be a new boogeyman that they use to justify more authority, more powers, and all the while saying it's for our own good and to 'protect' us.
Worse, most people do not even know what they are giving up. But I agree with your sentiment. It is deeply frustrating that the public does not know enough to care and even when they do they believe the government is really there to help us.
Do you think that only one US political party supports this crap?
What about the patriot act?
There are tons of other examples about how this isn't a partisan issue, and getting people to think of it as partisan only helps their goal in getting it through.
No, I do not think one political party supports this. Just because I mention something Democrats did that I don’t like doesn’t mean I’m a Republican. I mentioned it because I grew up a Democrat and when I realized it was all a sham and all the politicians are lying I got mad at all the democrat constituents who don’t notice this stuff. I’m a libertarian leftist now.
