Microsoft and Yahoo voice alarm over NSA's assault on internet encryption...

[Indi Guy]

Source: The Guardian

Two of the world's biggest technology companies, Microsoft and Yahoo, expressed deep concern on Friday about widespread attempts by the US and UK intelligence services to circumvent the online security systems that protect the privacy of millions of people online.

Microsoft said it had "significant concerns" about reports that the National Security Agency and its British counterpart, GCHQ, had succeeded in cracking most of the codes that protect the privacy of internet users. Yahoo said it feared "substantial potential for abuse". Google said it was not aware of any covert attempts to compromise its systems.

Documents obtained by whistleblower Edward Snowden and published jointly by the Guardian, the New York Times and the nonprofit news organisation ProPublica on Thursday show that agents at GCHQ have been working to undermine encrypted traffic on the "big four" service providers, named as Hotmail (the Microsoft email service now known as Outlook), Google, Yahoo and Facebook.

Yahoo responded with a strongly worded statement on Friday. "We are unaware of and do not participate in such an effort, and if it exists, it offers substantial potential for abuse. Yahoo zealously defends our users' privacy and responds to government requests for data only after considering every applicable objection and in accordance with the law," a spokesman said...

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/06/yahoo-nsa-gchq-decryption-abuse

[DonCoquixote]

1. As much as I distrust these two

They might make fine allies here, especially as they DO have deep pockets.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. Interesting . . .

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Could it be that the billionaire internet providers will take the wind out of NSA's sails?

THAT would be cool!

CC

[Veilex]

3. It would be very cool, but its not gonna happen.

No ISP has spoken up against this action as of yet (to my knowledge... please correct me if I'm wrong!).
ISPs have been in the back pocket of the the corrupt for a while now, and digging into your privacy will soon be considered a matter on national security, if it isn't already.

[Hydra]

4. Yahoo actually filed a complaint with the FISA court

Back when they were originally asked to hand everything over. They were told to shut up and do it or move their operation out.

They are complying with the illegal spying, but they aren't doing it willingly. Microsoft is an active NSA supporter along with AT&T. Google is probably joined at the hip with the NSA, but can't be sure.

We don't have a lot of friends out there, but occasionally, like with Qwest, the people in charge aren't bribable.

[Veilex]

5. Alas... qwest no longer exists...

They are now part of century link. It's awsome that Yahoo is against this, but they are not an ISP. I would love for the actual ISPs to get on board.

[Hydra]

6. The Qwest CEO got jailed

"Coincidentally." The ISPs, willing and otherwise are handing all the data over. The NSA is cataloging it and making searchable databases of it and using personality sorting programs to give you a TQ value.

Orwell was a prophet.

[BadgerKid]

7. "Terrorist Quotient" -- the latest demographic

and it won't be the last.

[Hydra]

8. And it won't even be the only sorting device they use

This kind of obsessive need for control will give birth to all kinds of (bullshit) ways of cataloging people as potential threats. Thoughtcrime/Precrime sniffers if you will. They even have ways to scan your thoughts now.

You don't even have the privacy of the space between your ears.

The greatest irony? This is all built by the biggest of criminals.

[blkmusclmachine]

9. .

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