Re:How Signal Walks the Line Between Anarchism and Pragmatism
by gcanyon on Tuesday July 25, 2023 @05:39PM
(#36869950)
Sure, technology has benefitted the government as well. But if you're going to cite the fact that 250 years ago surveillance required live eavesdropping, then the weapon analogy needs to go back to the time before guns and other range weapons, when you had to physically shove in the pointy bit.
In any case, my point was about the ability of civilians to conceal, surveillance is only relevant in its inability to keep up.
To your main point, it's important to understand that most people don't feel the need to conceal their conversations from the government. Note: this is not an "if you're not doing crime, what do you need to hide?" argument. I'm just stating the fact that the reason the government can surveil so much information is because people don't choose to encrypt their communications. If they did, the government would have access to very little. Until/unless they set up cameras and microphones everywhere.
Said another way, if you want to analogize e2e encryption to a bazooka, then the government being able to read all of your private communications seems to be the equivalent of having someone constantly violating the fourth (remember that one?) amendment in your house, 24/7.