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A comment on Microsoft calls for transparency over security requests.

Re:Microsoft calls for transparency over security requests by mtgx on Wednesday July 17, 2013 @09:40AM (#6057580)
We call for Microsoft to implement end to end encryption/intuitive client side encryption for their services if "our privacy (really) is their priority" - and maybe even turn Skype back to P2P. Otherwise this just seems like a "Whoops, we got caught for allowing NSA to spy on our users since 2007 [1] - now let's do something quick to improve our PR" type of thing.

[1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/prism-...

Also, the calls for boycotting US companies over this seems to have worked pretty well so far [2], just as I expected, and the companies are now starting to use their money and influence to fight against the spying, in our name - which as I've said before it may just be the only thing to change the US government's mind over the mass spying apparatus, because I don't think having just us complaining about it will work - short of a million-man protest in front of the White House or a nation-wide revolution.

[2] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/17/nsa-court-challe...

But I think this is merely the beginning, and it's not nearly enough [2] to convince the US government that it needs to stop, so we need to push more with the boycotting.

[3] http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/07/a_call_to_boycott_us_tech_pl...

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Microsoft calls for transparency over security requests by drzaiusapelord on Wednesday July 17, 2013 @10:18AM (#6057748)
Because P2P is terrible for audio and video? The quality of call I'd get on skype would be random because you never know if the system will route you through some kid's oversaturated DSL line or 1gbs fiber.

On top of it, p2p apps like the old skype and spotify aren't very nice. I've seen them make 3-5mbps DSL borderline unusable. This is unacceptable in a business setting and home users may not be aware that they are hitting a cap with their ISP when running these apps.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Microsoft calls for transparency over security requests by sz4kerto on Wednesday July 17, 2013 @10:03AM (#6057685)
It has been written down many times that p2p messaging on mobile devices does not really work (in Skype's case, the original p2p architecture used online devices as temporary supernodes, draining their battery, increasing their data usage).
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Microsoft calls for transparency over security requests by narcissus on Wednesday July 17, 2013 @10:20AM (#6057758)
I was under the belief that it looked for nodes with things like high bandwidth, low latency and no problems with firewalls and such. And even then, it's not like they didn't have a clump of machines 'always on' as supernodes anyway.

Because of all of that, I find it hard to believe that Skype would choose mobile devices as supernodes...

[ Parent | on HN ]