Glenn Greenwald: "Detaining My Partner: A Failed Attempt at Intimidation"

[Egnever]

292. A difficult question

Again I think you have valid concerns and I totally agree with many of them.

There has to be balance struck between privacy and legitimate law enforcement. The internet has changed how we communicate and along with all the innocent communications there are also communications from people plotting nefarious things be they terrorist or KKK clans or just people committing fraud. We would be as foolish to ignore these activities simply for the sake of privacy as we would be to relinquish all of our privacy in order to track them down. I dont find it as easy a problem as an either or choice.

I agree that although the meta data is ostensibly anonymous it would be fairly trivial to tie an actual person to the data. Having said that doing so requires a conscious decision on someones part to do so. If the meta data was being published publicly I would have a huge problem with it. As it stands it is not, it is collected with supposedly strict guidelines on what conditions need to be met before tying an actual person to the data. I have Zero problems with installing more oversight on these operations or even finding better ways of mining the data without it being so trivial to tie actual names to data in fact I am all for either or both.

Where I draw the line is sensationalizing the issue and trying to play on peoples fears of their emails being read when the odds of that happening even in the climate as it currently stands are infinitesimal at best.

I love the internet as it stands and there are plenty of forces out there that want nothing more than to stifle the freedom it enables. I am sure you are aware of the various treaties being tossed around on internet regulation.

My greatest fear in all of this is that the current hysteria surrounding this issue will enable them to push some of the abhorrent reforms being proposed through under the guise of protecting your privacy.

Again I appreciate the honest discussion free of snark.