CMV: Edward Snowden / Big Brother America

from wikipedia:

The National Security Agency (NSA) is a United States intelligence agency responsible for global monitoring, collection, decoding, translation and analysis of information and data for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence purposes – a discipline known as Signals intelligence (SIGINT). NSA is also charged with protection of U.S. government communications and information systems against penetration and network warfare.[8][9] The agency is authorized to accomplish its mission through clandestine means,[10] among which are bugging electronic systems[11] and allegedly engaging in sabotage through subversive software.[12][13]

Originating as a unit to decipher coded communications in World War II, it was officially formed as the NSA by Harry S. Truman in 1952. Since then, it has become one of the largest of U.S. intelligence organizations in terms of personnel and budget,[6][14] operating as part of the Department of Defense and simultaneously reporting to the Director of National Intelligence.<

The difference between 10K and 10 million is that there is a court apparatus sufficient so that a warrant can issue upon evidence of probable cause for 10K worth of folks and for that matter in a population of 300 million 10K represents 0.003% of the population and I feel confident that this is approximately the % of the population that is teetering on the edge of violence and should be being monitored.

When we are talking about tens or hundreds of millions there is no way that there can be probable cause for a warrant to correctly issue, there is no way that solicitor/client privileged communications are not swept up, there is no discrimination between suspects and citizens, there is simply no longer any privacy. This is a huge, fundamental difference and not just one of scope.

Unfortunately it is very important for the government to have tools capable of unlocking TOR and other encryption schemes. Terrorists and criminals need to know that they can't conceal communications and evidence. However the public needs to know that the government can't snoop on them without probable cause. This is the ballance the US constitution struck. I think its a good balance of public safety vs. privacy, and I no more object to the government being able to break TOR than i object to them having drills capable of drilling into my home safe.

The problem is when they do these things without proper legal authority.

/r/changemyview Thread