DEF CON 21 Un-Invites Feds Over NSA Spying

from the why-can't-we-be-friends? dept

Thu, Jul 11th 2013 2:19pm — Timothy Geigner

The fallout over the NSA leaks has been wide and varied, as you'd expect. Pissed off foreign nations are looking to offer leaker Edward Snowden asylum in a manner that almost seems punitive. College kids are giving NSA recruiters the proverbial business on campuses. And even if there is still some support for the invasive program, or otherwise apathy towards it, generally the public has been giving the spy agency a verbal middle finger.

Now we can add DEF CON, the enormously popular hackers conference, to the list of displeased parties. As a result of the recent revelations, DEF CON founder Jeff Moss has indicated that the feds are not welcome at the upcoming DEF CON 21.

"When it comes to sharing and socialising with feds, recent revelations have made many in the community uncomfortable about this relationship," Moss said. "Therefore, I think it would be best for everyone involved if the feds call a time-out and not attend DEF CON this year."

This may be a bigger deal than it would first appear. A great deal tends to come out of these conferences, which are built on an open dialogue about security and research with the hacker culture. It should also be noted that the feds have provided serious contributions to the conference in the past.

Alas, when you undertake to treat everyone like an enemy, you should expect to be treated likewise. A shame.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: def con, nsa, privacy, surveillance

20 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Anonymous Coward, 11 Jul 2013 @ 2:29pm

No one likes being lied to
...Our community operates in the spirit of openness, verified trust, and mutual respect.

When it comes to sharing and socializing with feds, recent revelations have made many in the community uncomfortable about this relationship. Therefore, I think it would be best for everyone involved if the feds call a "time-out" and not attend DEF CON this year.

This will give everybody time to think about how we got here, and what comes next.

General Alexander flat out lied to them at the conference last year ( telling them that the government does not collect data on millions of Americans).
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 Jul 2013 @ 2:37pm

The feds will now say that they're a bunch of hackers who violate internet security, close down the conference, and lock up the major participants on trumped up CFAA charges.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Anonymous Coward, 11 Jul 2013 @ 2:50pm

Re:
More likely they will have several agents inside, as well as traps for all IP addresses and cell towers, and the public landlines, and the hotel landlines, you know, just everything.

Oh...they don't need to do all that work anymore, they just need to set the correct search criteria in the data they need a warrant to look at...err

The attendees should be circumspect in what they talk about there.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 Jul 2013 @ 3:04pm

According to an article I read, DefCon has long had a game every convention of 'spot the fed'. Or who is it this year that is the undercover agents in the crowd.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 Jul 2013 @ 3:34pm

Re: No one likes being lied to
Well they've been lying to everyone lately, congress, judges, the American public.

Lying at defcon is pretty small when you consider all the generals who are guilty of perjury.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
wto605 (profile), 11 Jul 2013 @ 3:49pm

Rumor has it the Feds weren't even going to bother showing up. See, they have this great computer system that can attend conferences for them.... I can't seem to remember what it's called :-(
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous, 11 Jul 2013 @ 4:01pm

Why on Earth would they have invited the feds there in the past?! Why would they be "sharing and socializing with feds" to begin with?! I now trust these DEF CON people about as much as I trust the feds.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ScytheNoire, 11 Jul 2013 @ 4:19pm

We don't want to associate with their type
What does it say when you are so corrupt that hackers don't even want to associate with you.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 Jul 2013 @ 4:28pm

Re: Re:
Because hackers aren't known for a healthy sense of paranoia.

Basically the NSA is going to be doing what most DefCon people will be doing: Hacking and social engineering.

Maybe they will bring the "Spot the Fed" game back.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 Jul 2013 @ 4:33pm

Geat decision. Now they will be there undercover... or watching streams.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
alternatives(), 11 Jul 2013 @ 4:42pm

Re: We don't want to associate with their type
you are so corrupt that hackers don't even want to associate with you.

Why you diss'n the hackers so hard?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Retard event alert, 11 Jul 2013 @ 8:09pm

and even though i can afford ot go i never will
and even though i can afford to go i never will.

lol you got to be looking for a job FOR the nsa to want to go to that stupid event....like DUHHHHHH.now they try and pretend like its NOT a fed fund raiser?
ya fucking right...
trust not in ratting on thy self and they shall exist far longer into the future...you might as well jump up and down and say take pictures.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Frankz (profile), 11 Jul 2013 @ 9:03pm

DEF CON is now facing at least some backlash because of this "un-invite". Some hackers/security researchers are now pulling out of speaking positions / attending:
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/13/07/11/223214/researchers-now-pulling-out-of-def-con-in- response-to-anti-fed-position
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 11 Jul 2013 @ 10:20pm

I guess no more 'spot the fed'.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Shon Gale, 12 Jul 2013 @ 6:40am

They can stay away from my parties too. The federal government is not welcome in my neighborhood. Send the assholes back to Chicago or Iowa or wherever BOehNERs come from.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 12 Jul 2013 @ 9:23am

ha, suck it uncle sam
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Grae (profile), 12 Jul 2013 @ 10:31am

Re:
It's not "some"; it's two. Two researchers that were going to give a talk on hacking SharePoint. It's not what I'd even consider "some" backlash. With approximately 180 speakers that's a "backlash" of barely over 1%.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
John Fenderson (profile), 12 Jul 2013 @ 11:08am

Re: We don't want to associate with their type
Hackers != criminals or corrupt people
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 12 Jul 2013 @ 3:40pm

You know, DT's (DefCon's owner) wording was that of that the feds should call a time out. I get the feeling maybe this was for the feds who are bound to get jeers there with all the shit going on, and not for the public. I imagine the hacking community is feeling really hostile toward the NSA right now (like much of America.)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 15 Jul 2013 @ 3:42pm

I'd uninvite them too!
[ link to this | view in thread ]