I am ashamed.

[SteveRiley]

Revealed: How Microsoft handed the NSA access to encrypted messages

The documents show that:

• Microsoft helped the NSA to circumvent its encryption to address concerns that the agency would be unable to intercept web chats on the new Outlook.com portal;
• The agency already had pre-encryption stage access to email on Outlook.com, including Hotmail;
• The company worked with the FBI this year to allow the NSA easier access via Prism to its cloud storage service SkyDrive, which now has more than 250 million users worldwide;
• Microsoft also worked with the FBI's Data Intercept Unit to "understand" potential issues with a feature in Outlook.com that allows users to create email aliases;
• Skype, which was bought by Microsoft in October 2011, worked with intelligence agencies last year to allow Prism to collect video of conversations as well as audio;
• Material collected through Prism is routinely shared with the FBI and CIA, with one NSA document describing the program as a "team sport".

I stood on a fsking stage a few years ago and claimed that no back doors existed! Do I feel like a schmuck now.

Since Prism's existence became public, Microsoft and the other companies listed on the NSA documents as providers have denied all knowledge of the program and insisted that the intelligence agencies do not have back doors into their systems.

In a statement, Microsoft said: "When we upgrade or update products we aren't absolved from the need to comply with existing or future lawful demands." The company reiterated its argument that it provides customer data "only in response to government demands and we only ever comply with orders for requests about specific accounts or identifiers".

Microsoft, you are a liar. And I repeated your lies. SMFH.

In its statement to the Guardian, Microsoft said: "There are aspects of this debate that we wish we were able to discuss more freely. That's why we've argued for additional transparency that would help everyone understand and debate these important issues."

Way to pass the buck there, guys. Maybe you could start by breaking these bad laws yourself and coming clean. Grow a pair and exhibit the transparency you now only weakly wish for. Hell, the government is breaking the law! No reason you can't, either.

ACLU technology expert Chris Soghoian said... "It's hard to square Microsoft's secret collaboration with the NSA with its high-profile efforts to compete on privacy with Google."

These big software firms in the Valley and their satellites in the Pacific Northwest are corrupt. Holy crap am I angry. Aaarrrgggh!

[HalationEffect]

<cynicism>
Someone remind me what power does?
Oh yeah, it corrupts.
</cynicism>

Governments have too much power, and so do big corporations. Nowadays, I'm only surprised when I hear about an occasion that it's *not* being abused...

[tek_heretik]

Umm, Steve, buddy, you do realize they have an ARMY of lawyers right? Maybe these proclamations in a 'public' place aren't such a good idea, nudge nudge, wink wink. Unless of course this is already public knowledge, then nevermind.

[lcorken]

Steve, 2 things I am undecided about here.

1. You are either drinking too much or too little.

2. The NSA,FBI,CIA,.. are either doing too much or too little. They caught/framed? the Portland Christmas tree bomber. The Boston marathon bombers killed and maimed for life a number of folks...

How much invasion of privacy are we willing to tolerate for relative security?

Some are paranoid about Google tracking there searches but will blather all kinds of stuff on forums, blogs, Facebook,...

Everything in the US and most of the world is for profit.
The Medical industry.
The Agricultural industry.
The Food industry.
The Government.
Micky Soft and all it's other industrial, Commercial, Religious, Political, ...
We should try to see all for what it is.

Someone on this forum said "The US has the best government money can buy". Thank you. I use that phrase a lot.

What can we as individuals do?
Say what we are passionate about. On blogs, forums, letters to the editor, to your congressman,...

Thank you Steve for speaking up for our privacy. And, the shame is not yours.

BTW, SMFH? Thank you urban-dictionary. I hear you.

Ken.

[Jonas]

I can't say that I'm surprised. I don't see there's any blame on you Steve, you are/were a employee, not the whole system of M$ . Everyone is duped by large/global companies, From Apple, M$, Monsanto, IKEA etc.

This war on terror have gone way out of hand, and have been for several decades, one have not much to do then to support whistle-blowers.

A quote I like in context to this "war" is Franklin's

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

If I would have believed in hell I'd wish M$ to rot there...

b.r

Jonas

[dibl]

There are few emotions more miserable than the feeling of having had one's personal integrity be used like a tool for secret ulterior purposes. Condolences.

[vw72]

2. The NSA,FBI,CIA,.. are either doing too much or too little. They caught/framed? the Portland Christmas tree bomber. The Boston marathon bombers killed and maimed for life a number of folks...

How much invasion of privacy are we willing to tolerate for relative security?

Ken.

Except that none of these spying on the American public activities prevented any of those incidents. Capturing somebody after they blew something up isn't security. Preventing them from blowing it up in the first place is.

Prior to the internet, it was illegal for the government to open and read your mail without cause or listen on your phone communications or search your personal files. If it was unconstitutional for the government to gain access its citizens data and spy on them pre-internet, and there hasn't been a new amendment to the constitution, then how is it legal now?

You ask "How much invasion of privacy are we willing to tolerate for relative security?" Benjamin Franklin already answered that: “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

[Detonate]

The main thing I got out of reading this thread is that Steve Riley did not do anything to be ashamed of. The shame is on M$, pure and simple.

[vw72]

Steve,

While I empathize with how you are feeling, you should keep in mind that you acted in good faith. Their guilt is not your own.

[Snowhog]

"Good" people are always subject to being ensnared in the ever widening nets cast by "not-so-good" enterprises. Steve, you simply weren't cynical; you had an honest outlook on an enterprise operation that you trusted.

There is a federal law that requires all encryption algorithms developed by all U.S. companies/individuals be turned over to the Government so they will have the means to crack any item encrypted with it, auspiciously to prevent the export of same.

[Qqmike]

As to OP, of course Steve is not involved in this in any way and should feel nothing about.

As to Benjamin Franklin " ... already answered that: 'They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.'" Loaded quote! Observe the words: "give up," "essential," and "a little temporary." Times are changing, not a safe world, a crazy dangerous world, overpopulation, over-zealous-ness, over jealous-ness, limited resources. Though very liberal, am re-thinking some things. Some of my fellow human beings have not evolved as much as my (or your) intellect has, unfortunately. Are we sometimes jumping the gun talking about human rights when perhaps some old-fashioned spanking might be in order? Case: Snowden. Pull your head(s) out of your a*. He's a 29-yo limp-d*k, loser, who clearly has personal issues (heard him speak? catch his bio?), and needs to be hunted down and tortured and punished until eternity as a full-blown traitor. I'm sure some of our spooks will be on his a* doing just that, no matter where he lives. That's my edited version for the forum.

Somehow, we must keep the crazies from destroying what little civilization we as a species have managed to build up.

And btw, how many of you are fully using your freedoms? What are you using it for, besides to mow the lawn on the weekends? Anybody sold out to a corporation in a job they don't quite like for the big bucks or for security (health insurance, whatever)? Discussion, ad infinitum. Point is, there are a lot of aspects to this issue of freedom vs security. Eric Fromm: the price of freedom is insecurity. Question is, in this modern world, how/where do we draw the trade-offs, the line?

[Snowhog]

Question is, in this modern world, how/where do we draw the trade-offs, the line?

The answer (IMO) is to stop making trade-offs! Instead, start enforcing the laws we already have. Do wrong and suffer the consequences. Period. Stop trying to appease our enemies. Teddy Roosevelt's "speak softly, and carry a big stick" is what we should return to. Dump all the Political Correctness garbage!

[Qqmike]

Can't say I disagree with you, Snowhog. With such extensive globalization (and exchange of business, education, cultural programs, etc.) it may be difficult to always be super-tough with countries that don't play nicely with us, but we need to push "our expectations" a little harder, cut money off where appropriate, refuse to reciprocate as appropriate (we have returned six fugitives to Russia in the recent past), use our drones and spooks and financial pressure.

[SteveRiley]

Thanks, guys. Dibl characterized my feelings well: my integrity was used.

-----

Now to quibble a bit with something Qqmike wrote...

Case: Snowden. He's a 29-yo limp-d*k, loser, who clearly has personal issues

This is true. Furthermore, I'd say he's limelight-seeking drama queen.

needs to be hunted down and tortured and punished until eternity as a full-blown traitor

This is not true. It is not a crime to be a traitor. Arguably, there is no difference of motive between Edward Snowden and Daniel Ellsberg. In fact, Ellsberg has recently chimed in on this very topic. Ellsberg's tactics may have been more mature, and the politics of 1970 were certainly more amenable to whisleblowers than now. But Snowden is a hero: he deserves no scorn; a pox on all the pundits who keep trying to make the story about him rather than about the wanton disregard for law that permeates every corner of our government.

Somehow, we must keep the crazies from destroying what little civilization we as a species have managed to build up.

It's likely true that to do this effectively requires a slightly different kind of crazy

Question is, in this modern world, how/where do we draw the trade-offs, the line?

One's chances of being a victim of a terrorist incident are 1 in 20,000,000 according to Richard Barrett, coordinator of the United Nations al Qaeda/Taliban Montoring Team. Steven Pinker asserts, with supporting data, that we're living in the least violence-prone era ever. Absolutely nothing in the modern world requires making the kinds of stupid trade-offs we're forced to endure every day now. $7,000,000,000,000 and a shredded Constitution for something that stastically will not kill me or anyone I know? Utterly insane.

[tek_heretik]

Terrorist mission accomplished, to make others live in fear, even if it's in fear of their own BIG BROTHER government.

Edit: I'm sorry but I see Snowden as a hero, now if the government had of come out and said they would do this before they acted, that might have been different, it's the sneakiness that sucks. Who knows what else they are up to, I guess we'll have to find out the hard way, just like in this case.

Edit 2: This is the electronic equivalent of jack-booted riot-gear cops busting down your door and going through your things WITHOUT A WARRANT, not cool.

Edit 3: Edit 2 sounds awefully familiar...thinking...thinking...oh yeah, NAZI GERMANY, blech.