Lavabit.com Owner: 'I Could Be Arrested' For Resisting Surveillance Order

Zak3056 writes "NBC News is reporting that 'The owner of an encrypted email service used by ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden said he has been threatened with criminal charges for refusing to comply with a secret surveillance order to turn over information about his customers. "I could be arrested for this action," Ladar Levison told NBC News about his decision to shut down his company, Lavabit LLC, in protest over a secret court order he had received from a federal court that is overseeing the investigation into Snowden.''"

Comments

Inevitable consequence of unfettered capitalism.

[Joining Yet Again]

Capitalism promotes competitive, selfish activity.

Eventually, the winners realise that they can corrupt the system of government too. By hook or crook - psychology or guns.

The only effective society is one which overtly and deliberately puts a cap on power, both of the government and of private individuals, allowing enterprise to flourish while ensuring that the individuals who have benefitted contribute toward a strong infrastructure and humane society.

This is a social democracy.

The USSR sucked. The USA sucks. They were the same thing but with "apparatchik" instead of "management" to label the guys running the show. Life under either is glorious for those at the top, and a shitty struggle for the average person.

Re:They Thought They Were Free

[Opportunist]

Anyone in security will go "duh" when you tell him of the mutual exclusivity of security and freedom. Oddly, people seem to want to have their cake and eat it too, and pretend that it is somehow possible.

Personally, I'd prefer freedom. That entails responsibility, and the chance to be harmed. By definition. When I am allowed to do what I want, there is a chance that I will do something that is harmful to me. People tend to do things that are against their best interest all the time, because it is convenient, because it is fun or because it gives them pleasure. From fatty food to cigarettes to alcohol to other drugs, from veggin' away on the couch in front of the idiot box to pushing themselves into a burnout syndrome. If allowed, people will make "wrong" decisions, all the time, every day, throughout their lives.

But that is their RIGHT. Of course, they waive the right to complain about it. So I really don't get the smokers that have the audacity to sue if they get sick from smoking. Hell, I was a heavy smoker, and I knew bloody well that it is unhealthy and likely deadly. I accepted that risk because I enjoyed it. Suck it up and deal with it, you bought the good, you got the bad for free on top of it. That's what freedom is about, you have to make a decision and you, and you alone, will bear the fallout if it is the wrong decision.

Isn't that what Americans want? The freedom to choose?

The freedom to choose whether they want health insurance and what kind thereof caused a big shitstorm, with the whole mess being labeled "Obamacare". No problem there. But if you decided against it and you're having cancer, shut up and die. Don't come and beg me to save you.

But that's the point I don't get. The very same people that demand that "the man" stays out of their "business" are calling the loudest to "do something" against those terrrrrists and applaud every kind of action the government takes to rob more of our liberties.

What the hell is wrong with American people?

American Justice

[Taco Cowboy]

America used to be, and I repeat, USED TO BE a country which everyone looked up to., yours truly included

I came from a communist country, and I was so impressed with the United States of America that I ended up becoming a naturalized American citizen.

The place I came from there was no democracy, no human rights, no freedom and no justice, America had everything that I ever hoped for.

However, my American Dream slowly transformed into American Dismay, and finally ended up as American Disgust

From a country which cherishes and champion Human Rights, the United States becomes a country where "Human Rights" is used as a tool to criticize others

Democracy ? It sure is a convenient device to hoodwink the American voters.

Freedom ? If there is any genuine freedom left in the United States of America Mr. Ladar Levison wouldn't have to shut down Lavabit

Justice ? Can whatever that has happened to Mr. Snowden be anything remotely related to "Justice" ?

Re:American Justice

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

Just weeks after NSA boss Alexander said that a review of NSA spying found not even one violation, the Washington Post published an internal NSA audit showing that the agency has broken its own rules thousands of times each year

• 2 Senators on the intelligence committee said the violations revealed in the Post article were just the âoetip of the icebergâ

• Glenn Greenwald notes: âoeOne key to the WashPost story: the reports are internal, NSA audits, which means high likelihood of both under-counting & white-washingâ.(Even so, the White House tried to do damage control by retroactively changing on-the-record quotes)

• The government is spying on essentially everything we do. It is not just âoemetadataâ ⦠although that is enough to destroy your privacy

• The government has adopted a secret interpretation of the Patriot Act which allows it to pretend that âoeeverythingâ is relevant ⦠so it spies on everyone

• NSA whistleblowers say that the NSA collects all of our conversations word-for-word

• Itâ(TM)s not just the NSA ⦠Many other agencies, like the FBI and IRS â" concerned only with domestic issues â" spy on Americans as well

• The information gained through spying is shared with federal, state and local agencies, and they are using that information to prosecute petty crimes such as drugs and taxes. The agencies are instructed to intentionally âoelaunderâ the information gained through spying, i.e. to pretend that they got the information in a more legitimate way ⦠and to hide that from defense attorneys and judges

Re:American Justice

[iksrazal_br]

I emigrated from the USA to Brazil and come from an opposite angle. The USA has the ACLU, EFF, and a few politicians on both sides of the isle who care about liberty and its growing. Political blogs are uncensored. Corrupt politicians often go to jail, like 4 of the last 6 governors of Illinois for example. State ballot initiatives in many cases side step politicians. Judges are often elected, and there is a mostly consistent due process.

Brazil and elsewhere, despite its greatness, not so much. Everyday on TV there are corrupt politicians but none ever go to jail. There are censorship boundaries and no liberty pressure groups or politicians really. IMHO it really is a case where every else is worse in terms of justice and liberty.