Google and Big Brother
By Daniel Miessler on June 30th, 2008: Tagged as Google | Government
This isn’t one of those “Google is the NSA” posts. Well, it kind of is.
The way the Government ends up with all our shit is not through some massive raid where we hand over all our passwords against our will. The numbers don’t add up. There’d be too many unhappy people — as in “Malotov” unhappy.
No, the way this works is a gentle but constant relinquishing of our lives. Smart people like to think we’re aware of the game and that we won’t fall for it when it starts. But that’s not true. Or, at least it’s not true for smart Google users.
Google is how the government will get my life. I like Google’s services so much that if someone were to tell me that there’s a 42% chance that the NSA either already took Google over or they are 100% to do so in the near future (in the name of “securitah!”), I’d probably still use them.
Why? Because I’m stupid. And Reader is just really good.
No, really, think about this. This isn’t conspiracy stuff. Look.
- Terrorist event happens (or doesn’t).
- NSA shows up at Google and says, “Plug us in. We live here now.”
- They also say, “If you tell anyone we’ll eat your soul.”
- So they can’t tell anyone, and things continue as normal.
- You hear rumors, but nothing’s confirmed.
But now I’m linking my iPhone’s location-based services and lifecasting and everything else all through Google (it’s a year or two in the future). One minor event and now the government sees everything it wants going through Google. Oh, and it does it to Apple’s MobileMe as well. And Microsoft, Yahoo!, etc.
The point is that the risk of this happening is very real, and people like me know it. But we’ll still use the services because we like them.
This is how they’ll get control. Convenience.
Maybe it’s not such a bad thing. At least we’ll have someone there to protect us.
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“Maybe it’s not such a bad thing. At least we’ll have someone there to protect us.”
Well, as long you’re not doing something considered “terroristic” by the government. What if one day all atheists are considered a threat to National security? Then you might think twice about the NSA or any other entity having such civil-liberty-violating practices in place.
I say appropriate probable cause is still necessary, not just an open tap. No more of this tapping straight into the central offices like they were doing AT&T and all the other telecomm’s.
Comment by Jonathan S. — 6/30/2008 @ 11:49 pm
“At least we’ll have someone to protect us”? Daniel, please tell me this is satire at best.
“So bring on your clubs and parties, your acrobats and magicians, your dare-devils, jet cars, motor-cycle helicopters, your sex and heroin, more of everything to do with automatic reflex. If the drama is bad, if the film says nothing, if the play is hollow, sting me with the theremin, loudly. I’ll think I’m responding to the play, when it’s only a tactile reaction to vibration. But I don’t care. I just like solid entertainment.”
The only protection we can be afforded is that which we guarentee ourselves. The police have no duty to protect citizens, if you don’t believe me see Warren v. District of Columbia, 444 A.2d (D.C. App. 1981) (en banc) which is discussed at http://www.firearmsandliberty.com/kasler-protection.html.
No government in history has ever made it a priority to protect its citizens, whether the worst dictatorship nor the most benevolent democracy. This is truly where the idea that those who trade liberty for security deserve neither.
This is not to say Google should not do business as usual, but it is our duty to insure the government does not intrude and infringe upon private business as is the case with our current telecomm industry.
Comment by Brooks Garrett — 7/1/2008 @ 2:55 am
I was waiting for you to show up, Brooks. Yes, I was kidding. That’s what people say right before they lose their rights.
Comment by Daniel Miessler — 7/1/2008 @ 3:01 am
Phew. I was 5 minutes from driving to your apartment for one of those “Are you serious???” debates.
Comment by Brooks Garrett — 7/1/2008 @ 3:45 am