Saturday, July 09, 2016

So Russia just signed massive new surveillance measures into law. Wait, didn't those already exist?

Courtesy of The Washington Times:

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed legislation Thursday compelling telephone companies and internet providers to save and store the private communications of its customers, notwithstanding concerns raised by human rights advocates and big business alike. 

Included within a package of amendments proposed as antiterrorism measures, the law will require telecoms to collect and keep copies of customers’ phone calls, text messages and emails for six months, as well as maintain metadata concerning those communications for up to three years. 

Other provisions effectively outlaw the use of digital encryption within Russia and introduce new penalties for individuals accused of inciting terrorism through social media.

Wondering how Edward Snowden is handling this news? Not very well actually.
Personally I think that most of these measures have already been in place for quite some time, and for whatever reason Putin just now decided to make it public.

After all the idea that Russia has a less intrusive domestic spying program than the United States is simply ridiculous.

While we're on the subject is anybody else essentially no longer worrying about privacy and government surveillance in light of the number of terror attacks that have occurred here and in other places around the world?

It just seems to me that every time there is an attack everybody complains that law enforcement did not keep close enough tabs on the suspect, and rarely do I hear anybody challenging the idea of the government keeping tabs on people.

Or maybe it just seems that way to me.

14 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:15 AM

    Thanks to Dubya, we aren't much better.

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    Replies
    1. Don't forget to thank O - he's certainly made his contributions as well.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous5:36 AM

    Did they get tips from Snowden?

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  3. Anonymous6:25 AM

    The hell with Snowden! What's his best bud Drumph think about that?

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  4. Anonymous6:49 AM

    He decided to make it public and official to give T.Rump a talking point and a blueprint.

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  5. Anonymous6:57 AM

    Clearly the Republicans and a good many Dems still cling to the belief that if you don't support intrusive gov't surveillance, then you are either siding with the terrorists or have something to hide. Either way, you're a bad apple who's trying to put Americans' lives at risk. Where does it end? It doesn't. Is the stated goal attainable? Of course not - it's absurd. The system will flood itself with an overwhelming amount of data to the point it reduces its own effectiveness. Then it will miss something, and the system will be blamed. The solution, of course, will be to scale up surveillance. Then the system will miss something. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
    The gov't that doesn't miss anything is a gov't that knows everything. That's not the gov't I want.

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  6. The fact that Snowden is so surprised says loads about how incredibly dim witted he is about things.

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  7. Anonymous7:43 AM

    o/t
    I would like to see the police tapes of the 5 hour stand off with Micah Xavier Johnson before the only way to solve the problem was to send in a bomb disposal robot to kill. Alton Sterling police cam?
    http://www.cbsnews.com/news/alton-sterling-baton-rouge-police-shooting-aclu-questions-lack-of-body-cameras/

    Micah Xavier Johnson: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
    http://heavy.com/news/2016/07/micah-xavier-x-johnson-dallas-police-shooting-sniper-gunman-shooter-suspect-name-identified-photos-facebook-video/

    Homeland Security Director Jeh Johnson said there are no apparent ties to international terrorism.

    Micah Xavier Johnson from Mesquite a city and an eastern suburb of Dallas, Texas.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesquite,_Texas

    Texas is tough. There are many that need mental health care and should be on Homeland security watch list.

    “Chris Kyle rode in Mesquite before he enlisted in the military” at the Mesquite Championship Rodeo,” Radzwill said. “There was an opening scene (in the movie) where Chris Kyle is depicted as participating in a rodeo. That rodeo was Mesquite Championship Rodeo.”
    http://starlocalmedia.com/mesquitenews/news/mesquite-championship-rodeo-to-honor-military/article_efc1b46c-0f00-11e5-af01-7b6724d3300d.html

    Navy: SEAL Chris Kyle never earned a 2nd Silver Star
    http://www.navytimes.com/story/military/2016/07/08/chris-kyle-dd-214-silver-star-bronze-star-navy/86465044/

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  8. Anonymous10:56 AM

    Edward Snowden seems to have soured on his adopted home and its "fearless" (more likely fearful) leader.
    Beaglemom

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  9. Anonymous1:11 PM

    LOL.

    F.U. Snowden. You lie in that bed.

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  10. Anonymous2:30 PM

    Some of us still live under that old cold war paranoia that the russian military and industrial complex are equally advanced as America is in certain areas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:37 PM

      it seems beyond their Kremlin lives lesser peoples

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  11. Anita Winecooler4:09 PM

    Come to America, Eddie! It's a great country, the borst isn't the best, but hey, we got more choices here.

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  12. Anonymous10:21 PM

    Not surprising that Putin is out to rule the world. During the last olympics there was so much corruption and bragging on his country it was like being presented over and over with Marie Antoinette and her entourage all over again. The richness while the people suffer. I hope there is Karma Putin and you get yours.

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Don't feed the trolls!
It just goes directly to their thighs.