Russia Says All Your Encryption Base are Belong to Us

[FrgMstr]

Nothing to see here, move along. Oh wait just a friggin minute, this is worth hearing about. The Russian government are requiring Internet service providers to give backdoors in order for the government to collect encryption keys.

One month ago, Russia passed a sweeping surveillance bill requiring encryption backdoor access for the state, among other expansive new spying rules. The legislation specifically pointed out apps like WhatsApp (which is owned by Facebook), Viber, and Telegram. Noncompliance can result in a fine of 1 million rubles—or $15,000—but it's not clear how frequently that punishment can be levied.

 

[Trepidati0n]

The NSA/CIA thanks them since they will eventually have a copy of those keys

 

[Skripka]

My VPN provider ceased all operations and gateways in Russia last month, decided it wasn't worth it. Their server blades were seized by the Russian government without notice overnight. They believe, and have not been given any legal explanation before or after, under that new law.

 

[westrock2000]

You know guys, the only reason that we are all able to sit here today and laugh about other countries doing this is because ~230 years ago a couple of idiots sat around and wrote a document that specifically prohibits our own government from doing this very thing. That is the only reason.

 

[Ur_Mom]

You know guys, the only reason that we are all able to sit here today and laugh about other countries doing this is because ~230 years ago a couple of idiots sat around and wrote a document that specifically prohibits our own government from doing this very thing. That is the only reason.

But, there weren't VPN's in the late 1700's. So, there goes that idea....

In my opinion, it's things that this that harm innovation. Backdoors? Well, I don't want to do that, so I'm not even going to create this new thing.

 

[Armenius]

You know guys, the only reason that we are all able to sit here today and laugh about other countries doing this is because ~230 years ago a couple of idiots sat around and wrote a document that specifically prohibits our own government from doing this very thing. That is the only reason.

Except they are? The 4th Amendment applying to electronic property is still an unsettled grey area, and I have a feeling it's going to stay that way for the foreseeable future so government agencies can continue to collect our information with no legal pushback.

 

[M76]

You know guys, the only reason that we are all able to sit here today and laugh about other countries doing this is because ~230 years ago a couple of idiots sat around and wrote a document that specifically prohibits our own government from doing this very thing. That is the only reason.

Except I read about warrantless spying in the news all the time. Yes I hear about some pushback too, but only in a few individual cases. So i don't think digital freedom is so clear cut in the US either. Honestly had I lived in the US I'd be more concerned about the government spying on my electronics devices than I'm now living in the EU.

 

[westrock2000]

Except they are? The 4th Amendment applying to electronic property is still an unsettled grey area,

Except I read about warrantless spying in the news all the time.

They had to do it in secret, which implies they wanted to do it but were afraid to be public about it (hence villifying the person that brought this to light). Where as Russia (and other countries) can be perfectly open about it. Sure it makes people upset, but who gives a shit what the plebians think? FISA courts and National Security Letters are there to protect them, not you.

Also, much of that has to do with the Supreme Court being used as law creators and not law interpreters.

 

[evilsofa]

Remember, the governmental backdoors are there to protect you from terrorism, so you should be for them. And since every government has a right and duty to protect its citizens from terrorism, so should every government have backdoors to everything. Oh, you're arguing about which governments are terrorist governments and which ones aren't? Well, now we're getting down to brass tacks!

 

[knowom]

Meanwhile the US government tries to force Apple to break encryption for the legal precedence so how are they any better.

 

[Spidey329]

Meanwhile the US government tries to force Apple to break encryption for the legal precedence so how are they any better.

...or the fact that the US government has basically tried this exact thing under different names.

The Russian's are just copying us again.