So it's literally time to go dark

[madster111]

https://theintercept.com/2017/01/13/oba ... for-trump/

Just figured i'd provide this for the americans on here.
Congrats, your police services now have unrestricted access to every email and text message you've sent in the last few years, along with every website you've visited and any phone calls where you used a key word unknowingly.
Remember that time you were visiting sketchy websites to look for obscure video game cheats and an ad with a likely underage girl showed up? The FBI now have evidence you 'downloaded' child porn and can imprison you if you dare to protest in the future.
Never had that happen? Alright, well remember when you text your bro to bring the weed for your gaming session? Still illegal at a federal level. It's a good thing the FBI don't have access to your text message without a warra-
Oh, wait.

Anyone here with kids, keep them off the internet and tell them to be careful with their phones until they're old enough to understand why it's important, and tell them to never use any real name or real details on it.
Get yourself a VPN and a secure email service, use the VPN constantly and from now on online sign up for online services with the secure email.

This isn't a joke or a bullshit conspiracy theory anymore, the government are storing everything you say and do 24/7 and WILL use it against you if they need to.

 

[WickedLiquid]

Remember that time you were visiting sketchy websites to look for obscure video game cheats and an ad with a likely underage girl showed up?.

 

[Sourdeez]

Look out. Big Bad Trump is coming for you.

 

[De-Ting]

I hope the FBI likes movie references.

 

[Optimus-Crime]

This shit's been all over the news

 

[FrozenBacon]

Want privacy? Encrypt your shit. The NSA doesn't give a fuck about encryption, but law enforcement has to place in specific requests to access encrypted data.

The problem with cell phone conversations is that encryption depends on the technology used. Later generations (3G and above) are encrypted by default, which means aw enforcement agencies will need warrants and shit to snoop due to the 4th amendment. 2G networks, such as GSM (most popular technology used around the word) is fairly easy to hack and is a bit of a legal grey area. You can conffigure your cell phone radio to use only 3G or 4G, which will give you better privacy at the expense of coverage area. The more practical solution is to send your calls and text through some sort app that encrypts the data.

When it comes to your PC, download https everywhere for your web browser. Https encrypts your data. Your ISP may be able to know what websites you are connecting do, but they wont be able to tell what data is being transferred if you are using an https connection. The website will need to support https for you to use that feature, though.

Like madster suggested, the best solution is to just use a VPN that values privacy. I personally use hotspot shield, but that is mainly so I can watch Dr Who on netflix. VPNs are cheap as hell, and are the best solution for privacy because it hides your internet usage from your ISP and anyone the end you are connecting to. The only point of weakness is the actual VPN datacenter (your ISP will see you connected to the datacenter, and the end point will see requests fromt hat datacenter). VPNs who value privacy delete their logs, or don't even keep them so there leaves no trace of oyur activity (outside of your physical PC, that is). If the VPN stores all their logs and willingly gives them to any law enforcement agency who asks, you might as well just not use a VPN at all. here is a wbsite that provides a very comprehensive list of VPNs to choose from. I don't think most people will need VPNs, though.

But all these precautions are irrelevant because I'm sure old collected data is there and searchable.

 

[UghRochester]

I only know what VPNS are, because I've been DDOS attacked while I was streamin Mario Maker. I later found how easy it was to do so, because I had Skype and my username was the same. I don't know about Skype now. Few years ago, there were websites you could go to and find out a person's IP address from their Skype name.

Ever since I been DDoS attacked, I been very cautious of my location being disclosed.

 

[MattAY]

It's easy maddy - don't break the law

 

[madster111]

It's easy maddy - don't break the law

Ahh yes, the old 'nothing to hide, nothing to fear' bullshit.

The perfect quote for dictatorships everywhere, used in 1984 and enjoyed by Joseph Gobbels.

 

[Optimus-Crime]

I've been up nights worried about this issue

 

[COMaestro]

You DO realize that this only covers communications abroad, right? Your local phone calls and text messages are not covered by this. I will admit a lot of web traffic may make its way overseas and therefore get picked up by this, but unless you are actually looking at or downloading something illegal, it's just going to be filed away and forgotten forever by some automated program.

 

[Eyebrowsbv31]

You DO realize that this only covers communications abroad, right? Your local phone calls and text messages are not covered by this. I will admit a lot of web traffic may make its way overseas and therefore get picked up by this, but unless you are actually looking at or downloading something illegal, it's just going to be filed away and forgotten forever by some automated program.

Ehhhh, still a slippery slope to total control.

But don't worry guys, according to my facebook Obama is the greatest ever and therefore we are fine.

 

[Sourdeez]

Trump was just sworn in. Time to go hide spooks.

 

[FrozenBacon]

You DO realize that this only covers communications abroad, right?

Logic dictates that isn't possible, given NSA's mission statement:

The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) leads the U.S. Government in cryptology that encompasses both Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Information Assurance (IA) products and services, and enables Computer Network Operations (CNO) in order to gain a decision advantage for the Nation and our allies under all circumstances.

May seem like gobbeltygook, but the key part is "gain a decision advantage for the Nation and our allies." This basically means that they want the tactical advantage that screen-peeking gets you in split-screen multiplayer games. They can say they aren't screen-peeking all they want, but the fact that it is so easy to do, and the tactical advantage it gives them makes it obvious that they are going to screen peek at some point, if not all the time. Now up the stakes and say if you don't screen-peek people may die. In that situation, you would screen peek without hesitation.

To make it even more clear, lets use an example. Lets say the NSA is examining some terrorist that planning an attack on the US. In order to operate in the US and use our communication networks, they must use US communication services. In order to gain the "decision advantage" they would need to be able to look at the history of the target's contacts who used the US communication networks. How can they tell the difference between potential enemies or not? You cant and the only solution is to just collect everything that you can on these networks. With this executive order, if allies need that data, they can access it.

Encrypt your shit, guys.

 

[COMaestro]

I didn't say they didn't sift and analyze local/domestic communications, only that these new rules for the NSA only allow them to share what they have with other agencies without filters or censoring in regards to communications abroad. For local communications the agencies will still require a warrant, court order, etc. in order to have free access to everything.

 

[Optimus-Crime]

This literally changed everything

 

[Sourdeez]

I wanna get off the grid here in the US. I can't give up VR though..

 

[FrozenBacon]

I didn't say they didn't sift and analyze local/domestic communications, only that these new rules for the NSA only allow them to share what they have with other agencies without filters or censoring in regards to communications abroad. For local communications the agencies will still require a warrant, court order, etc. in order to have free access to everything.

Not necessarily, thanks to FISA, which allows agencies to record your stuff and action on it without a warrant, provided they can make up a good enough reason to do so. Even then, if a court order is issued, most of your shit is recorded by the NSA anyway. As soon as the police can obtain probable cause, I am sure they will be able to get access to the backlog of information.

 

[thenerdds]

This makes me want to live in a cage and swear off technology altogether.

 

[LinksOcarina]

I got nothing to hide.

Unless they start policing what we think.