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Ideological concerns aside, I don't really see that much of a problem in law enforcement hacking personal computers. For one thing, it just might stimulate the crypto and computer security industries. For another, there shouldn't be anything to hide, right? I mean, if they start cracking down on pirated software and whatever, that might be a little bit of an issue...

...but not if you don't pirate. ;)



there shouldn't be anything to hide, right?

As ususal with privacy concerns, that is decidedly not the point.


ideological concerns aside

So what is the point?


that you can't just shove ideological concerns aside.


ideals are one thing, but practicality is another. ever heard of machiavelli?


Everyone has something to hide. You have photos of Big Ben and a degree in electronics? Translates into, "This guy is possibly planning to bomb a clock tower."


"If you give me six lines written by the most honest man, I will find something in them to hang him." —Cardinal Richelieu


One problem with any crypto technique is that you can never know for certain that it hasn't already been broken, you just know about vulnerabilities that have been disclosed.


If you have everything encrypted and follow proper procedures (choose a good passphrase, don't tell anyone, don't enter it on untrusted terminals over plaintext links etc) and suddenly the police are showing up with all kinds of stuff encrypted by people using this algorithm in court they have tipped their hand. My understanding is that any evidence must be legally obtained and they have to explain how they obtained it for it to be admissable. IANAL


I may not have anything to hide but I'm NOT a criminal so I shouldn't be treated as such.

Also, your position is somewhat selfish. Just because you don't care about your rights doesn't mean you can do the same to mine.


What about naked photos of your girlfriend?




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