US Government seeks to redefine privacy

Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, a deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguards people's private communications and financial information. "Protecting anonymity isn't a fight that can be won. Anyone that's typed in their name on Google understands that," said Kerr. Kurt Opsahl, of the EFF, said Kerr ignores the distinction between sacrificing protection from an intrusive government and voluntarily disclosing information in exchange for a service. "There is something fundamentally different from the government having information about you than private parties. We shouldn't have to give people the choice between taking advantage of modern communication tools and sacrificing their privacy." Kerr's comments come as Congress is taking a second look at the Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Act, requiring a court order for surveillance on U.S. soil. The White House argued that the law was obstructing intelligence gathering.

Priorities

[Morosoph]

The law is obstructing intelligence gathering?

I should hope so! The law should not be optimised around intelligence-gathering; that's putting the cart before the horse, to put it mildly. How can people accept this kind of statement as blandly as they apparently do?

Re:

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

Unreasonable. Search. Seizure.

Redefining all three. :-(

From the Blogistanis

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

People detained without trial...governments collecting private domestic communication information about citizens from corporations...the tragic example of how a government could use that shit against the people... [blogspot.com]and the terrifying fact that we are considering giving immunity to companies that supply this government with information about citizens when Congress has already turned a blind eye towards the detention of people indefinitely.

So...ummm, eventually corporations will supply the government with information about the masses and the government will be able to detain us at will. Makes that China Yahooian agreement look fair and balanced, doesn't it?

Catch thy knee before it jerks and do not sleep.

Re:

[tomhudson]

In Soviet Amerika, privacy law defines YOU!

Next American election:

1. Walk into poling station
2. You get an actual paper ballot (*gasp*) that provides an audit trail, in a sealed envelope.
3. You put the sealed envelope in the voting box.

One guy tries to open his envelope, and is told, "You are under arrest. In Amerika, we have SECRET BALLOTS!

The electoral process is like a huge septic tank - with the really big chunks floating to the top!