In a claim by law enforcement officials, terrorists are “going dark” and the Obama administration is preparing legislation that would force all Internet communications providers to give the government more access to intercept and monitor online communications. According to SF Gate, this legislation would include social networking sites and smart phones, and is
considered by technology companies as a drastic, odious and cumbersome proposal. Considering the enormous scope of interception capabilities and wiretapping authority they have already, officials’ reasoning is confusing.
“Other countries have tried to implement or are implementing a similar set of draconian regulations – India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia.
If inclusion in this group makes you uncomfortable, it should. These aren’t countries with an established tradition of personal privacy laws. To follow in their footsteps is at odds with American legal tradition and American values. As citizens, we’re outraged that officials think so little of the concept of privacy.
Creating a separate entry for governmental access raises serious security risks for average Americans as well. If companies purposely create an opening in their software that’s easy for the government to enter, it will be even easier for hackers and criminal networks to worm in. That’s what happened to the Greek government in 2005. Hackers took advantage of a legally mandated wiretap function to spy on Greek politicians.”
