| avrwc2 said: What happens if Microsoft jumps out of bed with NSA and assorted government spooks? What happens if the spooks actually agree to subsidize the Xbone and Microsoft sells if for $200 with a mandatory enhanced Kinect that not only measures your heatbeat any time you're near it but keeps track of all your conversations, moods, friends, friends of friends... and so forth? |
Well, if you're an American (I'm not bothering to check) than you can only be spied upon with a warrant. If you're from outside of the US, there was never anything preventing interception of communications between the US and foreign interests. Ever. In fact, it's been going on since the first intercontinental wires went in. In fact, every government does it.
Some more tyrannical governments actively spy on those they don't agree with.
I'm not saying any of this is good. I'm just saying long before 2001, 9/11, and The US PATRIOT Act intercontinental telecommunications were actively monitored. Likewise, so were letters.
What you were appraised of with the NSA leak was that A) It was broadened with the US PATRIOT Act B) the fact that it happens can impact you.
Anyone alive in 2001 knew it would broaden the spying powers, and while some people were foolish to believe it wouldn't, they also knew it would impact them. Well, maybe those folks outside of the US didn't know how it would impact them, but oh well.
BTW. Yes, I have opposed the Patriot Act since day one. I saw it as a huge breach of privacy for short-term knee jerk benefits. It wasn't necessary, because we knew the 9/11 high-jackers were in the country. We knew they were learning how to fly as a group. But when a subordinate told a superior what was going on, they were told it wasn't important. We had the intelligence gathered, we just didn't act on that intelligence. Because of that, we decided spying on US citizens was necessary, and it isn't.
As I like to point out, The US Patriot Act and all the spying the NSA has done didn't stop the Boston Bombing from happening.
That said, I'm not too worried about being spied upon. Based on the information I read, the stuff with Skype, which was done before Microsoft bought them, allowed access to chat texts and phone conversations. Nothing suggested or implied video conversations were. Since, as far as I'm aware, video is peer to peer in Skype and spread across peers. I think they cut out the peer spreading, but it's still peer to peer.
