Techdirt Podcast Episode 81: Senator Wyden On The Expansion Of FBI Surveillance
from the privacy-and-liberty dept
It should surprise nobody that the FBI is seeking even broader digital surveillance powers by changing the warrant requirements and expanding the power of national security letters. If you're a regular Techdirt reader, it also won't surprise you to learn that Senator Ron Wyden is working hard to hold the line against this kind of expansion. This week, we're joined by Senator Wyden to discuss what the FBI is up to and what the public needs to know about it.
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Filed Under: fbi, hacking, national security letters, nsls, ron wyden, rule 41, surveillance, techdirt podcast
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Re:
Huh?
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I've spent years agonizing how to speak to people outside of tech why I care so strongly about NSA surveillance. About online privacy. And at this point with the FBI, about personal dignity. I am not a good speaker. It's taken me years to learn how to do more than speak incoherent piecemeal thoughts.
I sadly know I'm not alone in being like that.
So why does Wyden focus so strongly on preaching to the choir? Not that it isn't appreciated at times, but it's clearly not enough and has almost never been enough to do much of anything politically on its own. Net Neutrality is the only substantive victory I can think of. I don't count SOPA/PIPA as that would've gone nowhere without Google and Wikipedia joining in.
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Re:
Almost everything above is wrong.
1. Wyden does not just "preach to the choir." He talks to all sorts of folks. But part of getting a message out on an important issue is talking to people who will understand why these things are important.
2. Wyden has a history of doing all sorts of political deal making to come up with interesting and unique proposals that involve working with others outside "the choir." https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/04/23/ron-wyden-is-wonkish-optimistic-idiosyncratic -and-about-to-be-very-powerful/
3. Wyden has accomplished a ton. Perhaps you're not looking very hard at his accomplishments, but they go way beyond net neutrality -- which he had very little to do with actually (so that's a weird example). He's the reason we have Section 230 of the CDA. He's accomplished things on trade. He's accomplished things on surveillance as well, even if sometimes it doesn't feel like it (he's blocked a ton of awful proposals and helped push some parts in the right direction).
4. And you're out of your mind if you think he wasn't a key driving force behind stopping SOPA/PIPA. Having spent a ton of time on that issue, I know that without his help it would be law today.
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Re: Re:
2) Interesting. Thank you for that link.
3) You misunderstood me.
When I mentioned Net Neutrality, I was referring to the accomplishments of grassroots advocates in tech, not of Wyden. I'm well aware Wyden has accomplished a great deal and I greatly appreciate what he's done.
4) See #3.
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Response to: Anonymous Coward on Jul 12th, 2016 @ 10:17pm
Hearing Comey describe the FBI's lack of authority to dig through everyone's Internet history being a "typo" in the law has been infuriating. While I know there's a lot of great men and women that work at the FBI, I can only feel sorry for them for having such a morally bankrupt and disgusting person leading them.
Fuck you, Comey. Just....fuck you.
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The audio...
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Transcripts?
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