Credibility: Will Anyone Trust the ‘PRISM Nine’ Again?

[sailingaway]

The PRISM Nine (technically only seven since two have been bought out by others), the companies that have been confirmed to have allowed the NSA direct server access to Americans’ private data, seem content with overt lies as an official response, but just because the administration is set to protect them from legal fallout doesn’t mean they’re going to get off scot-free.

Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo, AOL and Paltalk have all been caught with their hands in a might shady cookie jar. All these companies had faced customer concerns about privacy, and at this point their credibility on the issue is thoroughly shot: there is no reason to trust any of them, especially since they refuse to come clean on what we already know they did.

The companies surely made some friends on Capital Hill, but all seven are overwhelmingly dependent on individual Americans as customers. Even if their collective hold on the Internet at the moment is pretty strong, their trust is a major casualty, and one that could have long-term ramifications as they compete for market share with untainted rivals.

Even the excuse that they were ‘forced’ to cooperate doesn’t fly, as Twitter, one of the companies conspicuously absent from PRISM, is said to have simply refused to comply, and that was that. The other companies not only agreed, but in some cases went to great expense to alter their systems to be more surveillance-friendly, and facilitate a surveillance culture unprecedented in scope in the history of mankind

so.... how do I migrate my email before Yahoo 'upgrades' it with rules saying they can read it, again?

http://news.antiwar.com/2013/06/09/credibility-will-anyone-trust-the-prism-nine-again/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[muh_roads]

To be fair, Google didn't want to comply from everything I've read.

I'm sure Mark Shalom Zuckerfuck was more than ready to strap on those presidential knee-pads and sell out his customers.

[RickyJ]

Actually none of this should be a shock to most of us on RFF. Yes it sucks but I think most of us here realized a long time ago that we have no privacy on the Internet unless encryption is used.

[Anti Federalist]

Actually none of this should be a shock to most of us on RFF. Yes it sucks but I think most of us here realized that we have no privacy on the Internet unless encryption is used.

Pretty much this.

Didn't trust any of them before.

[RickyJ]

It is interesting that Twitter is not part of the program. That is probably because most everything on twitter is by default public to all.

[angelatc]

It is interesting that Twitter is not part of the program. That is probably because most everything on twitter is by default public to all.


Twitter flat out declined. It was in the first article I read about it.

This isn't the article, but it makes the same claim: http://investmentwatchblog.com/breaking-prism-has-access-to-50-companies-not-9-whistleblower-just-the-tip-of-the-iceberg/

[Keith and stuff]

It is interesting that Twitter is not part of the program. That is probably because most everything on twitter is by default public to all.
You are correct. If the NSA asked Twitter to take part in this, it just shows how little the NSA knows about tech. That might actually be reassuring to the American people.

[thoughtomator]

In order to get a top secret clearance, you pretty much have to be bland and clueless. It's one of many fatal flaws in the system.

[sailingaway]

In order to get a top secret clearance, you pretty much have to be bland and clueless. It's one of many fatal flaws in the system.

Defense contractor employees were one of Ron's biggest donor groups, like military. They may have been contractually bound to not talk, but it didn't mean they had to like what was happening.

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

To be fair, Google didn't want to comply from everything I've read.


I guess you missed the part where google is parsing the data for them.

Google has a whole shitty history of disrespect for privacy, even when talking about the possibility of it being misused. Not only was it possible, but they've been actively participating in it. Fuck google.

[Warlord]

They probably crawl twitter... no need to bother them unless they want an IP which they probably hand over like every ISP if a rubber stamp FISA order comes.

The article is correct from my understanding the requests are made and Google/Yahoo then dump the data into a sandbox. The "dont have direct access" claim is BS. It's virtually the same thing but they put the data on a different server so they claim plausible deniability.

Shame on GOOGLE, FACEBOOK AND EVERYONE ELSE !!

They should NOT be co-operating with any federal agency unless they knock on the door of HQ with a signed court order from a US judge.

Even that is a joke but they should not be co-operating in these massive federal programs or helping the Feds like this.

What's worse is they have the resources to object and take it to the Supreme Court and force Scalia to either be a fascist again or be a constitutionalist but they dont care about their users enough to challenge them.

Heart breaking really.... but they've been EXPOSED... thank you Edward Snowden.

[squarepusher]

To be fair, Google didn't want to comply from everything I've read.

I'm sure Mark Shalom Zuckerfuck was more than ready to strap on those presidential knee-pads and sell out his customers.

what does race/religion have to do with it?

[ronpaulfollower999]

Defense contractor employees were one of Ron's biggest donor groups, like military. They may have been contractually bound to not talk, but it didn't mean they had to like what was happening.

Makes me wonder how many Edward Snowdens are out there.