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Carnivore No More
wikinerd writes "FBI has retired the controversial Carnivore software, strongly criticized by privacy advocates for its email capturing abilities. However, it is believed that unspecified commercial surveillance tools are employed now. What does that mean for Internet users' privacy?"
FBI has begun to install its less intimidating sounding "herbivore" software accross the globe. Vegetarians rejoice.
It means no change for Internet user's privacy, but confirms that the FBI weren't up to managing a large project, even in their core area.
Which leads me to the inescapable conclusion:
Privatize the FBI! I'm sure Halliburton would love that contract, but McDonald's would surely also be in the bidding. After all, who would suspect a few Ronald McDonalds wandering around the neighbourhood of being agents? Nobody, that's who! And by the time you notice their guns and badges -- TOO LATE, criminal!
Whence? Hence. Whither? Thither.
You'd think they'd name it something like "Perfectly harmless investigating program that would never ever violate your privacy"
Calling it Carnivore was asking for an uproar.
Open Source it or give it abandonware status?
That would be fun!
It can decode ASCII plaintext in real-time? Wow, now that is impressive.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
Privacy? What privacy?
Do you want criminals running your life?
Of course not!
But the world is full of criminals who want to run your life.
What you need is police, to protect you from criminals. Then there's the problem of police protecting themselves from criminals -- or not, as the case may be -- but that's another story.
-kgj
-kgj
>
> perhaps they may have some ideas for your FBI
Where the fuck do you think we're running the live beta and the scalability tests? Soviet Russia? :)
I'm only half in jest. Soviet Russia was the alpha test for both the surveillance system and the sociopolitical system. It failed - two coups, and economic collapse.
China was the beta. It succeeded. One attempted coup - crushed instantly, because the Chinese learned how to deal with dissidents. Political stability is rock-solid, and economic growth is stellar.
The full system goes live, planet-wide, within 10 years. You're free to choose whether or not to buy in now, but it's a limited time offer.
I bought in because steak tastes better than dog food, a plasma-screen TV made by slave labor beats making plasma-screen TVs for $0.01/h, and because winning is just plain more fun than losing.
I kinda like your slogan. "Try China". I did. And I liked it.