Germany Scores First: Ends Verizon Contract Over NSA Concerns

schwit1 (797399) writes with word that, after revelations that Verizon assisted the NSA in its massive surveillance program, Germany is cutting ties with Verizon as their infrastructure provider. From the article: The Interior Ministry says it will let its current contract for Internet services with the New York-based company expire in 2015. The announcement comes after reports this week that Verizon and British company Colt provide Internet services to the German parliament and other official entities. ... Ministry spokesman Tobias Plate said Thursday that Germany wants to ensure it has full control over highly sensitive government communications networks.

Comments

Are you getting it yet?

[Anonymous Coward]

Nobody wants anything communications-related from the U.S.A. anymore.

Re:Are you getting it yet?

[gatkinso]

What kind of fools would trust their internal government communications to a foreign company in the first place?

Re:Are you getting it yet?

[Mashiki]

Dude, do a traceroute to slashdot or GTFO.

Well I live in Canada, the only time my ISP(teksavvy) routes to the US now is if I'm requesting a US based address. Not even traffic going to europe or asia is routed through the US.

Re:Are you getting it yet?

[PolygamousRanchKid]

Germany probably thought that the US were their allies . . .

. . . fools, indeed! The US doesn't have any allies any more; just enemies. Or, at least they treat everyone as enemies.

Hell, even the citizens of the US are treated as enemies by their own government . . .

Re:Are you getting it yet?

[Anonymous Coward]

Just because none of the routers on the traceroute is in the US, doesn't mean the routing doesn't go THROUGH the US.
http://cablemap.info/

For the love of God, don't put most of your point

[easyTree]

in the title.

World Cup

[JustinKSU]

For a second I thought Slashdot was starting to get into sports reporting.

Re:Yes.

[easyTree]

No, he's a traitor to his country's attempts to act dishonorably without widespread knowledge. Shame on him.

De-americanization has officially began

[boorack]

Will be somewhat off-topic but still (somewhat) related.

De-americanization has officially began when Russia signed gas deal with China bypassing dollar. This process started long ago but with this deal it's now official. Things seem to speed up since then. Germany Verizon thing is just another domino piece falling. Regardless of what Americans think of it, I see it as a good thing. Aside from taking (most of the) world of american hegemony, ending of US imperial project can benefit Americans themselves - granted that their (incompetent and incredibly corrupt) government manages to transition from imperial power to ordinary (but better managed) country in orderly way (that is, without inciting WW3).

Message to fellow Americans: you're still one of the most progressive folks in the world (yet NOT the most ones), it's just your fucked up government that sucks, causes mayhem (Ukraine being the last manifestation of this) and blocks your potential. It's time to abandon your imperial/global hegemony policies - you can prosper pretty damn well in a multipolar world (much better than most of the rest). It all depends on you. BUT there are few things to do. You need to bring your fucked-up out-of-control government back in control, forget about american exceptionalism and learn to live in (competitive) multipolar world (ie. do not solve all problem using military or inciting civil wars).