Fighting Back Against Mass Surveillance

from the derailing-the-surveillance-apparatus dept


As you may have already noticed, Techdirt is joining with the EFF, ACLU, Demand Progress and several hundred other sites to protest the NSA's surveillance of American citizens. The banner at the bottom of the home page provides a simple way to contact your representative(s) via email or phone to let them know we're not willing to let the NSA's abuse of its programs become nothing more than political background noise. If you're outside the US, it lets you sign on to a petition against mass surveillance around the world.

More information can be found at The Day We Fight Back, including details on the NSA's prevasive surveillance (as exposed by Edward Snowden's leaks), along with details on the NSA-targeting USA Freedom Act currently making its way through Congress.

If you're interested in taking part in the protest, The Day We Fight Back also has a variety of plugins and coding for use on your own website, as well as avatars for use with social media and commenting services.

As the site notes, online protests can and do work. SOPA/PIPA was effectively undermined by a concerted online effort and there's no reason to believe a united effort on this issue can't have a similar effect. The NSA's strongest supporters continue to marginalize the opposition as "internet shut-ins" and "civil libertarians" (not sure when that last one became an insult…), much as SOPA's supporters did, and look where it got them.

The importance of presenting a united front against surveillance can't be overstated. What we have in front of us is a rare watershed moment -- the point where the tide can be turned against the purveyors of the surveillance state, who have exploited a horrific attack on the American people for over a decade to expand government power and stripmine Constitutional rights.

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Filed Under: nsa, privacy, surveillance


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  • icon
    Ninja (profile), 11 Feb 2014 @ 7:28am

    Does international support count? If so I'm in ;)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2014 @ 8:45am

      Re:

      For the web banner, it certainly can't hurt.
      I've got one of my IDNs pointed to the banner:
      http://www.旅行する.com/

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      btrussell (profile), 11 Feb 2014 @ 9:19am

      Re:

      S'posedly.

      "If you're outside the US, it lets you sign on to a petition against mass surveillance around the world."


      Maybe it is different now, but earlier(you may have seen my post on different article), after giving my Ph.#, including area code, it was still stating something to the effect of "My STATE" rep or something or other. I saw no option earlier(not seeing anything now) about being outside US.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Ninja (profile), 11 Feb 2014 @ 9:48am

        Re: Re:

        I do have relatives in the US but I'm not gonna throw the address there for obvious reasons. A pity, this could have weighted in international supporters. If anything they could compile a list and hand in the names.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Leigh Beadon (profile), 11 Feb 2014 @ 9:55am

        Re: Re:

        Hmm... for me it auto-detects my Canadianness and gives me a petition form instead of a phone number request, plus an "In the USA?" link that takes me to the normal version. But perhaps it cannot determine your location?

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2014 @ 10:13am

          Re: Re: Re:

          The link below only allows country code 1, or the US and Canada. I tried 011-81-3-xxxx-xxxx (Tokyo, JP) and it didn't allow me to input it.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          btrussell (profile), 11 Feb 2014 @ 10:55am

          Re: Re: Re:

          I'm not doing anything to hide my location. I'm on MS 8.1 and it won't even let me install an add-on I use with firefox to watch hulu.

          If you put up a video available only in the us, I will not be able to watch it. Directly.

          At time of this writing, I do not know what it is doing. Too much in my face earlier for me to allow anything through right now. Couldn't even completely erase from my screen even after trying to fill it out. Still left a half inch bar across bottom of my screen.

          Where was the lead-up to today? What is wrong with red letters across the top of the page instead of putting something directly in my face taking 50% or more of my screen?

          This wasn't the only site to do exactly the same thing.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Glen, 11 Feb 2014 @ 8:05am

    Already signed and shared both on Facebook and Google+. People need to realize what is happening.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2014 @ 8:06am

    Yeah. Petitions. They're quaking in their boots now.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2014 @ 8:06am

    the problem, as we all know, is much larger than just with the NSA in America, it's also with, more than elsewhere, or so it seems atm, with GCHQ in the UK. even if we manage to get those in Congress to shape up, i fear that the NSA and others will carry on as before, ignoring the new 'laws'. also, we have the other option to contend with of GCHQ spying on Americans and passing the info over to the NSA or whoever, and those agencies doing the same thing, passing the info over to security agencies in the UK. if that situation continues, we will gain absolutely nothing! bringing any subject to the fore, doesn't mean that it will stop, it just means those carrying out whatever it is, take more care about not being caught!!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Violynne (profile), 11 Feb 2014 @ 8:17am

    *applauds

    Now this is how things get done. Throw this banner on Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Netflix, and it'll really help.

    PS: this is much better than an idiotic petition.

    It takes the power of the internet to fight for the internet.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2014 @ 8:29am

    Use different flavor of Linuxes run out of CDs or flash drives, and using TOR - that is how you fight back.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      btrussell (profile), 11 Feb 2014 @ 8:59am

      Re:

      Or, if you have enough RAM, load your OS onto that, step back and prepare to be amazed. You can update, add, etc... And when you are done and you shut down, poof goes everything.
      RAM board! The only way to surf!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    weneedhelp (profile), 11 Feb 2014 @ 8:50am

    You on list

    You name name.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    btrussell (profile), 11 Feb 2014 @ 9:03am

    What Canadians Can Do

    The Day We Fight Back Against Mass Internet Surveillance
    http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/7069/125/

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    sciamiko (profile), 11 Feb 2014 @ 9:31am

    Don't Spy On Us

    If you're in UK, there is this action today against spying by GCHQ:
    https://www.dontspyonus.org.uk/org

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2014 @ 10:00am

    Since these illegal spying operations are totally secret, how can we ever know that something we're not supposed to know about is actually shut down?

    We could elect a president who understands our concerns and promises to end the abuses -- but wait, didn't we already do that?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    FM Hilton, 11 Feb 2014 @ 10:57am

    Almost didn't make it!

    Damn, I knew there was something I forgot to do..but thanks Mike, for reminding me of it!

    I had to do a quick blog post on Wordpress, which has several options for linking to the site and it's content.

    One more site done..

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    ysth (profile), 11 Feb 2014 @ 11:12am

    Thank you

    Thanks for participating in this, Techdirt.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2014 @ 1:18pm

      Re: Thank you

      Thanks to techdirt and everyone else who cared, i salute you sir

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    vastrightwing, 11 Feb 2014 @ 11:18am

    A list

    Wear a face T-shirt with many infamous people so facial recognition software gets confused.
    Turn phone off when you don't need it.
    Place your Fast/EZ pass transponder in a faraday cage except when you're going through a real toll booth. Better yet, return the device and pay cash.
    Turn WiFi, Bluetooth and cell data off when you don't need it.
    Shut down wireless router when you don't need it. I put a mechanical timer that shuts it down at night.
    Use a real GPS rather than your SmartPhone for navigation.
    Use your browser rather than apps on your smartphone. Apps leak a lot of information about you.
    Clear browser cache and cookies at least every day.
    Avoid using social services like facebook, google, twitter, cloud services, public WiFi (especially at airports and in private business).
    Try Duck Duck Go rather than Google.
    Add noise to SIGINT by making random google searches and texting random phone numbers.
    In general, become suspicious by using private key encryption rather than asymmetrical public key encryption on your emails. Even though you have nothing to hide, act as though you do. More private communication will cause the NSA to spend more resources looking into encrypted communications.
    Look into using steganography and start passing messages inside MP3s and images to your friends.
    Use cash rather than electronic payments. When buying things online, favor bitcoin over other forms of payment.
    Don't store your money in a bank.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2014 @ 11:28am

    good

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    FM Hilton, 11 Feb 2014 @ 11:43am

    Re: A list

    Use land lines.
    Learn to use and read printed road maps instead of GPS.
    Write letters on paper instead of email, and use the postal system.
    Read papers and books at the library. Get a library card, too..they have computers you can use as well. You don't need to own one.
    Tear up your credit cards and switch to paper checks and money orders. Use the green stuff too.
    Avoid buying anything over the Internet.

    Ah, yes, the good old days of not being connected to the outside world..

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 11 Feb 2014 @ 1:22pm

      Re: Re: A list

      Or get them to stop using technology illegally, the people shouldnt have to be forced, yes forced, to give up on new technologies because they are puposefully infected by cunts
      Excuse my language

      your solution is ideal for a temporary solution, but should not be viewed as a permanent one

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Just Sayin', 11 Feb 2014 @ 6:03pm

        Re: Re: Re: A list

        "Or get them to stop using technology illegally, the people shouldnt have to be forced, yes forced, to give up on new technologies because they are puposefully infected by cunts
        Excuse my language"

        So you are also willing to get pirates to stop pirating because it's an illegal use of technology too?

        Techdirt 101: if technology allows it, it will happen. It's what makes all the rallying against the NSA and such so self serving, because the reality is that Techdirt as a whole has preached the unavoidable nature of what technology allows. Technology allows the NSA to track your every move, record your every call, and to know all of your little secrets that you share with your "friends" online. Social media is just a front for information farming, and every day, you plant the seeds and water them, making it easier.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          John Fenderson (profile), 12 Feb 2014 @ 10:27am

          Re: Re: Re: Re: A list

          "So you are also willing to get pirates to stop pirating because it's an illegal use of technology too?"

          I certainly am. But the piracy problem is much more difficult to solve that the problem of governmental spying, if only because it's a difference between catching a handful of lawbreakers (government agencies) vs millions of lawbreakers (pirates).

          To do the latter involves measures that are more damaging to innocent people than the problem they are trying to solve.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 12 Feb 2014 @ 1:40pm

            Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: A list

            piracy is simply ILLEGAL, there are no laws about "use of technology".

            You do something illegal, or you don't.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    GEMont (profile), 12 Feb 2014 @ 1:31pm

    3 step plan

    Methinks a necessary first step might be in admitting to one's self that the Federal Government of the USA no longer works for or gives a rat's ass for the safety or security of We The People. I'm not really sure what else they must do to prove this to the public, aside from running them over with tanks.

    A second step might be in admitting that the Federal Government of the USA now works for Big Pharma, Big Entertainment, Big Energy, Big Business and that the only reason the Fed gives lip service to the general public is because these Big Concerns need the general public to remain docile consumers to maintain their continued prosperity.

    The third step cannot even be comprehended until after the first two are fully understood.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 12 Feb 2014 @ 1:38pm

      Re: 3 step plan

      0.1% of the population is not "We the people", a good 'first step' would be YOU admitting that to yourself !!

      We can tell you drink the Mansick cool aid !!!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 14 Feb 2014 @ 9:52am

        Re: Re: 3 step plan

        "We can tell you drink the Mansick cool aid !!!"

        WE?

        There are 2 of you??

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Feb 2014 @ 1:36pm

    another total waste of time, and a total failure!!! Designed only to gain more page hits, and make MORE MONEY!!!

    IT is after all the TD WAY..

    As someone mentioned earlier, "A petition, that will make them shake in their boots"..

    So if you finally got 300,000 signatures, its still less than 0.1% of the population.

    That's not a petition, that's a fucking joke, what politician is going to take notice of 0.1% (OR LESS) of the TOTAL US population?????

    Lets say you got 3 million signatures, still less that 1% of the population, hardly a landslide, and not something a politician is going to take notice of.

    Now it the value represented 50% or more of HIS ELECTRATE, HE MIGHT take notice.

    Otherwise, its pointless, (except to make a bit more cash), and after all, that's all that counts here on TD..


    MONEY and the POWER TO CENSOR...

    16 years Masnick you've waisted your life, and achieved NOTHING !!! you must be so proud of your legacy 'industry'.

    MASNICK THE CENSOR !!!!

    (he has to censor, he cannot for an argument that can convince anyone else but his cultist fans.)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 13 Feb 2014 @ 6:43pm

    Just Sayin' and darryl just hate it when due process is enforced.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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