

The CNET “Bombshell” and the Four Surveillance Programs - jdp23
http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/06/16/the-cnet-bombshell-and-the-four-surveillance-programs/

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joe_the_user
Yes...

Anyone think it's unfair that the government (or tech companies) has trouble
refuting any accusation, up to and including of full and complete surveillance
of every bit of data concerning US citizens? Anyone think it's unfortunate and
unjournalistic that in this atmosphere such accusations will come up
repeatedly?

Until the government makes it legal to know what it does and does _NOT_ do,
any accusation of such things will seem plausible and any denial of such
things will seem implausible. That's what happens when you have laws that
effectively start, "first off, this gives people the obligation to lie about
what the government is doing..."

That has destroyed the credibility of any defender of the US government.

Secret law and laws of secrecy are coming home to roost.

~~~
jdp23
I don't think it's "unfair" at all to the government. They're the ones who
insist on secret courts and fight any attempt to make information public.

Tech companies who are actively fighting it deserve a fair amount of sympathy
- Twitter, Google, sonic.net, Yahoo for the 2007/2008 case they lost,
presumably others. As Marcy pointed out the CCIA (including Microsoft, Google,
Yahoo, and others) opposed telco immunity back in 2008:
[http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/06/09/once-upon-a-time-the-
pr...](http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/06/09/once-upon-a-time-the-prism-
companies-fought-retroactive-immunity/)

The telcos and other tech companies who are going along without fighting it
tooth and nail do not (in my books) deserve any sympathy.

~~~
joe_the_user
That is my point, yes.

The tech companies are upset and should be upset because the law has destroyed
their credibility. But by that token, by that very token, nothing they can
_say_ will get that back. It's really a problem because when a law direct
people to lie, it produces an effect about as pernicious as anything.

