

Germany ends spy pact with US and UK after Snowden - obtino
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23553837

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viraptor
It seems that Germans are actually interested in privacy. I was really
surprised to see a program on a very popular German TV channel last week where
email/message encryption was explained using very simple diagrams, from the
user's side. It wasn't a how-to - they didn't say "google gpg, click here,
click there". But just seeing a 30+ minute report about public-key
cryptography at a reasonable time (I think it was around 2100), on a national
TV - that's a serious step in the right direction.

~~~
Vivtek
Yes. There is a really strong reason why the Germans remember that privacy is
important. We should listen to them.

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coldcode
Big deal, it's not really in use. If you really want to stick it to the US
refuse to allow the TSA access to your passenger data. Refuse to give the IRS
financial information. Toss out the entire US military from their bases. Then
maybe I will think there is real outrage.

~~~
MetaCosm
Tossing out US troops would be the strongest statement. When the US tried to
reduce troop numbers in Germany, they had a fit. All about the economic impact
losing all the US military spending in that region would cause.

Turns out stationing 50,000+ troops in Germany is good for the local
economy... if they tossed them out, it would be a massive demonstration of
seriousness.

~~~
glasz
indeed. but merkel prefers bowing down, licking boots. like anybody else would
do. looks like the thugs eisenhower tried to warn us about are wearing
chocolate shoes.

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ibejoeb
Hah. Remember when the Germans installed rootkits just a blink ago?
[http://www.ccc.de/en/updates/2011/staatstrojaner](http://www.ccc.de/en/updates/2011/staatstrojaner)

~~~
northwest
Meanwhile, in Switzerland, the progress of the "fight" against trojans to be
installed by the government couldn't even keep up with the speed of a snake:

[http://buepf.ch/](http://buepf.ch/)

(If you know people who live there, forward this petition!)

~~~
kirubakaran
A snail perhaps? Snakes move pretty fast.

~~~
northwest
Yes, SNAIL, thanks!

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ValG
I'm a little confused about this article. From the article

"Ending an agreement made in the pre-internet age gives the Germans a chance
to show they're doing something, and at the same time the Americans know it's
not going to hurt them."

It's completely a symbolic gesture. It seems to me like the Germans are just
playing a political game, hoping that (somehow) the people don't notice. Any
German natives able to give insight into the general feeling among the
population (preferably the whole population, not just 20 something start-up
guys)?

~~~
glasz
i am native german.

feeling among the population: "give us soccer, beer and low oil prices! nsa?
yeah, shit happens. i don't really care as long as nobody intrudes the fence
around my house."

of course, this is symbolic. i wouldn't even call it that. what our government
is and has been doing since at least a decade is plain and simple treason.

but it doesn't matter to the generation of 68. as long as they can watch tv.
people here even read 1948 and are like 'sure. like today.' and go on with
their lives and all the important crap they're doing.

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asperous
Ending a pact and stopping data sharing are different things apparently:

> "the decision would have no impact on current intelligence co-operation."

> "Given the good relations between the intelligence agencies, they'll get the
> information they need anyway," ['A German official'] said.

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runarb
Well, spies should and do hide in the shadows. We will have to wait 10 years
to see if this is the truth.

And then we still can't be sure, NSA/CIA/Stasi/KGB/FSB/BFST/PST ( the whole
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_intelligence_agencies](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_intelligence_agencies)
list ) can have been better at preventing whistleblowers like Snowden so we
never can know 100%.

Better make the necessary preparation today.

------
northwest
Previous discussion:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6146770](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6146770)

But it's always very interesting to compare how different news
outlets/countries sell the story differently.

