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Snowden Joins Outcry Against World's Biggest Biometric Database (bloomberg.com)

Posted by msmash on from the topsy-turvy-world dept.

Former U.S. intelligence-contractor-turned whistleblower Edward Snowden joined critics of India's digital ID program as the nation's top court is due to decide on its legality. From a report: Snowden on Tuesday tweeted in support of an Indian journalist who faces police charges after she reported that personal details of over a billion citizens enrolled in the program could be illegally accessed for just $8 paid through a digital wallet. Named Aadhaar, the program is backed by the world's biggest biometric database, which its operator Unique Identification Authority of India, or UIDAI, says wasn't breached. Snowden tweeted, "The journalists exposing the Aadhaar breach deserve an award, not an investigation. If the government were truly concerned for justice, they would be reforming the policies that destroyed the privacy of a billion Indians. Want to arrest those responsible? They are called @UIDAI."

19 of 36 comments (clear)

  1. Top reasons to report Anonymously. by geekmux · · Score: 1

    1) When reporting vulnerabilities, you never know if you're going to become a victim, fighting against criminal charges for merely doing the right thing.

    2) See above.

    3) See above.

    4) See above.

    5) See above.

  2. I HATE Snowden by plague911 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    and I even have no problem with the database existing, but the case against the journalist is beyond the pale. Journalistic protections are essential for ANY functioning society.

  3. Is this about Snowden? by tinkerton · · Score: 4, Insightful

    A biometric database of 1 billion people can be accessed easily, that is newsworthy. The fact that Snowden 'joins the outcry' is more a human interest angle. Like the human interest article I read about the latest Nobel prize for peace( for ICAN, who campaign against nuclear weapons). The campaign is important, and all we got was a human interest article.

    To be fair, if Snowden says a protest action is worthy, I do agree it makes it more interesting for me.

    The problem with this database is the same as with so much data collection: the main objection given is the security of the database 'only qualified people should access it'. In practice that is nonsense and you should assume it can be accessed by anyone, maybe not now but later. Therefore a more radical prohibition is needed for a lot of data: make it forbidden to collect some data.

    One step further would be to block certain technological developments. Because controversial technology is often introduced under pretext of tackling some consensus 'bad people': russian child molesting terrorists. Then once the technology is in place it's only a small step to use it for other purposes.

    With this latest scandal the line of defense is too easy. first try to shut up the messenger. If that fails claim you'll make the system safer. Job done.

    1. Re:Is this about Snowden? by AlanObject · · Score: 5, Insightful

      ... instead of using domestic whistle-blower options, took state secrets to our only real enemy...yeah, credibility=zero."

      Aw, jeez. This again? Your talking (thinking?) points have been so thoroughly debunked so many times.

      This is probably useless but..

      #1: Snowden tried using official channels first. They did not work.

      #2: Snowden never took information to any "enemy." He scouted out the most responsible free-world journalists he could find who have routinely took what he gave them to officials in the U.S. and U.K. before they published them. China never got anything from him. Russia never got anything from him. (p.s. they didn't need it.)

      #3: On the issue of credibility everything Snowden said has turned out to be true. You can't say the same for what officials in the U.S. and U.K. have said.

      #4: As has been repeatedly demonstrated, there are no "domestic whistle blower" options, except to go to solitary deep prison with minimal government-controlled access and all evidence in your defense sealed for "national security" reasons.

    2. Re:Is this about Snowden? by tinkerton · · Score: 1

      Indeed, we take an almost entirely opposite view. I consider Snowden a traditional responsible whistleblower: he took his information to the press and let them decide what to publish - and what not to publish, and accepted the heavy repercussions, meaning his life was over.
      I suppose the press is not who you call the real enemy. The Russians? They're hardly relevant in the story. They provided a sanctuary afterwards by accident because it suited them.

      His personality doesn't really matter but what kind of personality do you expect from a whistleblower. Vain, intelligent, principled, likes to hear himself talk? Look at Daniel Ellsberg, it fits him too. You need individualism for the job. If you're too sociable you don't do whistleblowing. You need the other's approval too much, constitutional or not. I find the idea that he's in it for personal gain ludricrous.

      But then it's about Snowden again. Always the same, it should be about the information he exposed.

    3. Re:Is this about Snowden? by dAzED1 · · Score: 1

      there are no "domestic whistle blower" options

      As a domestic whistle blower, I disagree.

    4. Re:Is this about Snowden? by Luckyo · · Score: 1

      When he says "domestic whistleblower", he doesn't mean going into your house, shoving a whistle in your anus and farting. An understandable error on your part, don't worry about it. It happens to the best of trolls.

    5. Re:Is this about Snowden? by tinkerton · · Score: 1

      Then I think you consider your experience more relevant to the situation than it really is. I don't accept your claim to authoritativeness.

    6. Re:Is this about Snowden? by sexconker · · Score: 2

      Please detail two things you have "blown the whistle" on.

    7. Re:Is this about Snowden? by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      AC you don't think most nations have learned from people from the West with "free" offers of many gifts created by the NSA, CIA, MI6, GCHQ?
      The Soviet Union got fooled by a lot of people offering information, hardware, software for political reasons and the need for cash just walking in from the West.
      A nice cover story and lots of free information, that perfect way to export hardware into the Soviet Union?
      Once investigated by real trusted spies a lot was found to be a set up to discover spies.
      So most nations are now a lot more smart when it comes to trusting walk in information. Sample computer parts that are delivered in person with the ability to get unlimited number of parts later.

      AC the old methods look great in todays spy novels, movies and other AC fiction.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    8. Re:Is this about Snowden? by MoaDweeb · · Score: 1

      Saudi Arabia?

      --
      New Zealanders are well balanced with a chip on each shoulder. One represents Australia, the other the rest of the world
    9. Re:Is this about Snowden? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The only whistle he's blown is uncle Jimmy's cock on a Friday night.

    10. Re:Is this about Snowden? by Agripa · · Score: 1

      #4: As has been repeatedly demonstrated, there are no "domestic whistle blower" options, except to go to solitary deep prison with minimal government-controlled access and all evidence in your defense sealed for "national security" reasons.

      To elaborate on this, Snowden was a contractor so most of the statutory whistle-blower protections did not apply to him. Also from previous incidents, we know that the statutory whistle-blower protections only serve to give whistle-blowers a false sense of security because they do not work to protect whistle-blowers. Or rather they do work ... to lure them out and expose them to retaliation.

  4. Re:Still alive? by Luckyo · · Score: 1

    Apparently Russians have a working security apparatus that hasn't been breached by CIA.

  5. Bitter truth by Max_W · · Score: 1

    Speaking of Snowden, - is the bitter truth really better than a sweet lie? Certainly we have got a glimpse at how it actually works, but at what price?

    The omni-powerful US deep state is still reeling, angered, and agitated. International relations are in the gutter, animosity is flourishing.

    What I do not get is that as far as I know in accordance with the regulations of the Russian Federation a refugee cannot continue a political activity. But in case of Edward I only hear - Snowden said this, Snowden wrote that. It is not that I am against it. I am just curious about this man who for better or worse, single handedly changed the history.

  6. But then who will create Russian bots? by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

    Lots of Russian bots will become homeless if you can ID their accounts aren't actually from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Iran.

    Think of the poor starving Russian twitter and FB bots that will be affected by this!

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  7. Snowden? Well, Golly, If Snowden Doesn't Like It by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 1

    ...it CAN'T be good!! I mean, can it? CAN IT?? Because... *Snowden* right??

  8. Re:DO... by Falos · · Score: 1

    No, we're pretty much blind to the opinions (operations, even) of 3letter-leading faces that long since stopped serving the interests of their citizens.

    Oh. You meant the traitorous coward in the tweet.

    Well, same answer, Joe Sixpack doesn't pay him much mind either.

    There, I've done my good deed for the day and granted keystrokes to a tryhard.

  9. State of India by Vranitzky · · Score: 1

    The problem here is that India is currently run by a fascist right wing dictatorial party and PM (BJP and Modi). No amount of worldwide outcry will make then turn away from repressive policies. Journalists writing about India ought to do it from out of India. To think that the majority of the people there worship their dictator Modi... then again, this always happens wherever people fall for populists promising the moon and delivering only money for the rich (see Trump in the US).