Sadly true on all counts, and they learn from their mistakes. So, now they know which judges aren't going to give them access to Facebook accounts or other website PII, so next time they file elsewhere and try different judges. They figure out ways to tell the 90% who will be dismissed vs. the 10% early on, and don't have to waste any more time and effort on the 90% than it takes to string them along and keep the charges alive long enough to deter people.
The entire debacle, regardless of what you think of Dotcom as a person, is exactly why we see nonsense like the EU's newest round of copyright madness. Legacy publishers tried going after end users and got lambasted for going after 13 year old kids. They tried going after platform owners (a la Dotcom) and while it may eventually go the way they want, it's taken forever, and the internet's short attention span has largely forgotten him. So, they've decided it's better to chill platform owner's desire to host user content rather than ever risk battling things out in court.
I'm curious as to generally when we expect the downward-sloping curve of public opinion/trust in cops to intersect with the upward-sloping curve of officer violence, militarization, and criminal obstruction conspiracies to intersect. I suspect it will result in a very unpleasant watershed moment for everyone involved, and I'd very much like to be inside that year (or better yet, on a different continent). Anyone care to make a guess?
I'm not so sure. You may be correct, of course, but it seems that the true culprits are a the publishers who smuggled this into their installers and patches. Red Shell licensed a software package to ZoS (and others). It's not Red Shell's job to inform anyone that they did so.
As a gamer myself, I understand why people are pissed and why they're taking action, but direct your anger where it belongs.
While the cynical part of me that likes to watch karma come back around a curb-stomp idiots approves of this idea, on the whole, I don't think any of us would really like to see the internet so fractured. That is, however, the direction we're headed in some ways. The suspicious, conspiracy theorist part of me thinks this may be the point since it was much harder to question your government's narrative about what's going on in the rest of the world when you couldn't just hop on Reddit, Discord, Twitter, etc and ask people in other nations about it.
I don't think anyone would argue the point that incentives are skewed into encouraging cops to keep their mouths shut about misbehavior by other cops. However, a perverse incentive system is not an excuse for an immoral decision.
Richard M is right. Even if you, personally, never beat the shit out of anyone, or kill anyone without good reason, or take a bribe, or plant evidence, or whatever - if you know other cops do and you keep your mouth shut, you are part of the problem, and a bad cop.
Wow, when I started reading your comment, I thought the second sentence was going to read: "There are those criminals who rob and murder and rape and extort other people, etc.. and then there are criminals who aren't cops."
Too lazy to go back and check, but I believe the original story was about traffic-cams that issued automated tickets for running a red light, and Mr. Jarlstrom's research indicated that the yellow light timing on intersections with these devices was much shorter than those without.
Re: Re: Why title for Facebook's perspective? Favor it over users?
I'm not sure I agree with this assessment of TD's viewpoint. I've read several articles over the last few years criticizing EU and non-American law makers and judges for the exact opposite, for passing laws and delivering judicial decisions that are likely to have a negative impact on non-American innovators and start-ups trying to break into a digital space. Speaking as an American, I agree with that sentiment because I would like a more geographically diverse set of providers for internet services. One, I think a diverse market pushes companies to offer better services, or at least differentiate them sufficiently enough that I might find one I like better than another. Two, I'd be thrilled to have as many of my "third party documents" stored outside the US as possible.
That's always been my takeaway of TD's criticism of non-US law & policy decisions in the tech sphere: they're intent has been to hinder US-based giants, but the unintended consequences always look worse for EU and other non-US up-and-comers, who don't have access to the monetary and political resources of the big incumbents to fight them.
According to his wikipedia article, Khosrowshahi didn't become CEO of Uber until August of this year, so it appears that none of this happened under his watch (or if the last parts of this shitshow did, he didn't have any part in it). He found out about it, ordered an investigation, and then went public with the info. That seems like a pretty stand-up thing to do. Honestly, I'd like to dislike this guy, as I worked at Expedia during his tenure and left the company with a very nasty taste in my mouth (he had nothing to do with it personally), but I just can't find any fault with his response here. If you're going to change a company's culture, it has to start at the top, and this looks like a promising start.
I was thinking about something like this while reading the article from yesterday about Google collecting info while an Android device wasn't networked.
I don't know enough, and am willing to admit that, about the tech to know if this is possible, but could someone build an app that peer-to-peer swapped random information, like bits of GPS data, small sections of browser history, etc with every other user of the app on a regular basis? Basically, since we can't stop the snoopy bastards from digging through our hay piles, can we make our hay piles so big and so full of fake needles that searching it becomes worthless?
While you're almost certainly correct in this case, Mike's point about Clarke's Law and it's reverse is still valid, and something to bear in mind as policy makers try to legislate uses for technology.
As with any field of knowledge both broad and deep (say medicine and it's related sciences), the wider and deeper the field grows the more impossible it is for even an "expert" to know everything about the field. If you're a professional app developer, you probably know a ton about APIs, app dev languages, and the hardware and firmware in the products you develop for. That doesn't mean you know much more than any layman on the street about AI development, how to code a robust encryption algorithm, or design a new chip set. My ENT is a good doctor, but his knowledge of neurology is limited to whatever he learned in med school and his internship, and even that's at least out of date by 10+ years. He's not really qualified to make a neurological diagnosis or prescribe medicine to treat a neurological disorder. If, like these legislators, you're not a tech expert of any kind, it all looks like magic, and the temptation to believe that it can be made to do whatever you want is real. I'm not a tech expert, but I've been tinkering with computers as a hobby since 300 baud modems were the order of the day. Beyond setting up a new desktop for use and slightly more advanced troubleshooting that a clueless layman, my tech knowledge can most adequately be summed up as "there are some things current technology can't do." That's what my 20+ years of fiddling around with these machines has earned me, and I'm fine with admitting it, but these guys don't even have that going for them, which makes even their well-intentioned ideas (which I agree this is probably not) frightening.
Re: Re: Re: It is still possible to not use a cell phone
His response could have been phrased better, certainly, but there's no denying that even *if*, cellular devices aren't fundamentally required at this point for everyone, the number of people for whom they are required (for work if nothing else) increases year by year. Sure, maybe you, personally, can avoid cell communication right now. Maybe you'll even be one of the last holdouts that doesn't need it, but the genie is out of the bottle, so to speak. Companies and entities, both those you work for and those you do business with, are going to continue finding ways to leverage the technology and at some point even if a few people can avoid using it, most people will not be able to do so, even if they so desired. So, saying "you don't have to use the devices" isn't a particularly valid long-term solution. They're more necessary today than they were yesterday, and will be more necessary still tomorrow.
"The officer who performed the attempted search and actual arrest wouldn't say whether he was acting on specific information about Rabbani, or simply hassling someone UK police had hassled several times before without feeling the need to turn it into a terrorism case."
Wtf does this even mean? Can the judge not compel the officer to answer the question? He's not a reporter that gets to protect his sources. He's a law enforcement officer presenting evidence for the prosecution. If he can't or won't specify that there a) was evidence, and b) where he got it, then there isn't any evidence. Right?
This article opened with "Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County, Florida" and all I could think was, "With a name like that in Florida, this can only end hilariously badly."
I do not understand both law enforcement and the courts' reticence to implement warrant requirements for things. Any adversarial portion of a warrant happens well after the fact, once charges are brought, and getting the warrant in the first place seems like a formality these days. Exigent circumstances can bypass a warrant requirement. I can envision such an instance with CSLI, such as a kidnapping victim doesn't know where they're being held but manages to get a hold of a cell phone briefly and calls 911. Great! Call the provider, explain the situation, and tell them you need the CSLI for that phone.
The only possible explanations I can think of for this attitude are laziness (they don't want to fill out the forms and affidavits, go to the judge, etc.) or malfeasance (they're using 3rd party doctrine to get info on people they have no business getting info on, like spouses or other romantic interests, personal enemies, etc.) Neither looks good, but I could believe either from police (or both!), but the courts alignment on this issue baffles me.
Electing the least effective politician into office (any office) should always have been the purpose. Government is always some combination of coercive force and brute force, and never anything else. Even when it promotes something you agree with, it's still forcing a significant portion of the population to alter the way it lives, speaks, acts, and conducts business to avoid legal trouble.
"It may not be possible to do away with government — sometimes I think that government is an inescapable disease of human beings. But it may be possible to keep it small and starved and inoffensive..." R. A. Heinlein
On the post: DOJ Racks Up 90% Failure Rate In Inauguration Protest Prosecutions, Dismisses Final Defendants
Re: Sure about that?
On the post: Kim Dotcom Loses Latest Round In Extradition Fight, Will Try To Appeal Again
On the post: Another Police Accountability Miracle: Five Officers, Zero Body Cam Footage, One Dead Body
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Re:
As a gamer myself, I understand why people are pissed and why they're taking action, but direct your anger where it belongs.
On the post: Dear EU Parliament: Why Are You About To Allow US Internet Companies To Decide What EU Citizens Can Say Online?
Re: Opting Out
On the post: How Twitter Suspended The Account Of One Of Our Commenters... For Offending Himself?
Re:
On the post: Recordings Capture Cops Discussing Department's Most Rotten Apple
Re: Was a good cop, now a silent cop.
Richard M is right. Even if you, personally, never beat the shit out of anyone, or kill anyone without good reason, or take a bribe, or plant evidence, or whatever - if you know other cops do and you keep your mouth shut, you are part of the problem, and a bad cop.
On the post: The Future The FBI Wants: Secure Phones For Criminals, Broken Encryption For Everyone Else
Re: Just which criminals were you talking about?
Wow, when I started reading your comment, I thought the second sentence was going to read: "There are those criminals who rob and murder and rape and extort other people, etc.. and then there are criminals who aren't cops."
Sadly, still true.
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Re: Re: Trump's usefulness
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Re:
On the post: Yet Another Legal Action By Dogged Privacy Activist Brings Good News And Bad News For Facebook In EU's Highest Court
Re: Re: Why title for Facebook's perspective? Favor it over users?
That's always been my takeaway of TD's criticism of non-US law & policy decisions in the tech sphere: they're intent has been to hinder US-based giants, but the unintended consequences always look worse for EU and other non-US up-and-comers, who don't have access to the monetary and political resources of the big incumbents to fight them.
On the post: Uber Hid Security Breach Impacting 57 Million People, Paid Off Hackers
Honestly don't have a problem with CEO response
On the post: Dozens Of Tech Experts Tell DHS & ICE That Its Social Media Surveillance And Extreme Vetting Should Be Stopped
Re:
I don't know enough, and am willing to admit that, about the tech to know if this is possible, but could someone build an app that peer-to-peer swapped random information, like bits of GPS data, small sections of browser history, etc with every other user of the app on a regular basis? Basically, since we can't stop the snoopy bastards from digging through our hay piles, can we make our hay piles so big and so full of fake needles that searching it becomes worthless?
On the post: Dozens Of Tech Experts Tell DHS & ICE That Its Social Media Surveillance And Extreme Vetting Should Be Stopped
Re: Pig. Leg. Wrong.
As with any field of knowledge both broad and deep (say medicine and it's related sciences), the wider and deeper the field grows the more impossible it is for even an "expert" to know everything about the field. If you're a professional app developer, you probably know a ton about APIs, app dev languages, and the hardware and firmware in the products you develop for. That doesn't mean you know much more than any layman on the street about AI development, how to code a robust encryption algorithm, or design a new chip set. My ENT is a good doctor, but his knowledge of neurology is limited to whatever he learned in med school and his internship, and even that's at least out of date by 10+ years. He's not really qualified to make a neurological diagnosis or prescribe medicine to treat a neurological disorder. If, like these legislators, you're not a tech expert of any kind, it all looks like magic, and the temptation to believe that it can be made to do whatever you want is real. I'm not a tech expert, but I've been tinkering with computers as a hobby since 300 baud modems were the order of the day. Beyond setting up a new desktop for use and slightly more advanced troubleshooting that a clueless layman, my tech knowledge can most adequately be summed up as "there are some things current technology can't do." That's what my 20+ years of fiddling around with these machines has earned me, and I'm fine with admitting it, but these guys don't even have that going for them, which makes even their well-intentioned ideas (which I agree this is probably not) frightening.
On the post: Investigation Finds Google Collected Location Data Even With Location Services Turned Off
Re: Re: Re: It is still possible to not use a cell phone
On the post: UK Man Gets 12-Month Sentence For Refusing To Turn Over Passwords To Police
Compel?
Wtf does this even mean? Can the judge not compel the officer to answer the question? He's not a reporter that gets to protect his sources. He's a law enforcement officer presenting evidence for the prosecution. If he can't or won't specify that there a) was evidence, and b) where he got it, then there isn't any evidence. Right?
On the post: Florida Sheriff Plans To Use Hurricane Irma To Bump Up Arrest Numbers, Fill His Jail
Lolwut!
http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/THISGONBGUD.gif
On the post: CCTV + Lip-Reading Software = Even Less Privacy, Even More Surveillance
Sad Trombone
On the post: ACLU Tells Court Long-Term Cell Site Location Tracking Should Require A Warrant
I don't get it
The only possible explanations I can think of for this attitude are laziness (they don't want to fill out the forms and affidavits, go to the judge, etc.) or malfeasance (they're using 3rd party doctrine to get info on people they have no business getting info on, like spouses or other romantic interests, personal enemies, etc.) Neither looks good, but I could believe either from police (or both!), but the courts alignment on this issue baffles me.
On the post: Yes, Donald Trump Can Create Problems For Free Speech & The First Amendment
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Sad but true
"It may not be possible to do away with government — sometimes I think that government is an inescapable disease of human beings. But it may be possible to keep it small and starved and inoffensive..." R. A. Heinlein
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