The government WILL find a way to read your digital communications in real time unless we stop them

Google, Facebook, and others could face fines over government wiretap refusals
[Via The Verge – All Posts]

A new bill being drafted by a secret government task force would impose fines on internet companies — such as Facebook, Google, gaming and VoIP companies — if they don’t comply with court orders to allow law enforcement to wiretap on user communications, The Washington Post reports. According to the The Post, the legislation is being written up to address the FBI’s recent complaints that many web companies don’t or can’t comply with court orders forcing them to “intercept online communications” in real-time. The FBI calls this the “going dark” problem.

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Legislation is being created to allow the government to access our email, text messages, etc. Ostensibly to keep us safer.

The article does not mention that the message system Apple uses on iPhones – iMessage – is encrypted in ways that does not permit real-time access. even if Apple wanted to. So what are they going to do? Fine Apple into oblivion.

If this happens, I will work to encrypt everything I sen don the Internet. It may not do much but it is something. Of course, they will then move to wipe out encrption.

And, as the article states, adding in all these backdoors makes everything LESS safe, opening entire systems up to hackers. Making us ‘safer’ demonstrably makes our networks less safe.