(04-18-2024, 12:37 PM)homebiscuit Wrote: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articl...50805.html

…The new expanded definition of the Everyone’s a Spy provision is much broader than what many members of Congress thought. It would give the government the right to similarly compel millions of small businesses that provide Wi-Fi, or have access to routers or other ordinary communications equipment, to act as the government’s partners in surveillance. They, too, would be bound not to tell their customers about this surveillance.

The HPSCI amendment achieves this by including any service provider who has access to equipment that transmits communications. After critics complained that digital loungers in hotel lobbies and coffeehouses would have their data hoovered up by the government, the authors of this amendment provided carve-outs for hotels, restaurants, dwellings, and community centers. This was a good PR move. But this measure still applies to most everyone – owners and operators of any facilities (other than the exempted categories) that house equipment used to store or carry data.

If this became law, millions of American small business owners would have a legal obligation to hand over data that runs through their equipment. These small businesses could be forced to give the NSA direct access to their equipment, or else they might just copy messages en masse and turn them over. And when they’re done with doing their part in mass surveillance, these small businesses would then be placed under a gag order to hide their activities from their customers…

I almost never use wifi when I'm out and about. Only if I really need to look something up and even then I almost always use mobile data unless I'm in a dead zone and I have no choice.

This is why you don't give politicians any room to impose their will. The Patriot Act seemed like a good idea at the time. The problem is it was the CIA and FBI who screwed up and their pissing contest allowed 9/11 to happen. The citizens had nothing to do with it.

I think about all the events that have happened in my lifetime so far and it reminds me that things aren't going in a positive direction. Sure, there have been advancements that have benefitted us as a society but there have also been a lot of setbacks that have done nothing to enhance our lives.

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