Microsoft and the NSA

So for those of you that haven't seen this yet, Microsoft's general counsel has responded to the NSA claims, here's the article:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57594011-38/microsoft-u.s-constitution-is-suffering-from-nsa-secrecy/

For those of you that don't have to read the full thing, it basically states that they don't just hand all their data over to the NSA, but comply to legal requests aka, court orders or subpoenas for information on specific people, and don't give them access to their encryption keys or access to their system.

The general counsel, Eric Holder, also goes on to say that the government should be more transparent in these request as to allow Microsoft to disclose what type of information is requested to the user when it is done, but the department of justice is not allowing them to do this.

Not exactly the "spybox" but still. Your thoughts?

do those that dont want the X1 because its a 'SPYBOX' realise that there phones,laptops,Pcs ETC can also be considered 'SPYBOXES' WTFU PEOPLE! 

If you use a phone of any kind, connect to wi-fi connection from anywhere, search the internet on any site, approach an ATM from any bank, swipe a card for any purchase, board a flight to any city, or walk the streets of any public place, you should not complain about an invasion of privacy, because everyone of these activities collects, accumulates, and shares data. But it doesn't end there. If you watch a program from any digital channel, take a picture from any digital device, enter any building using digital cameras, own a device saved with digital data or drive a car with any digital features, you are already helpless to tech scanning devices. And that isn't the worst of it. If you have ever downloaded a FREE to play anything, used a google app of any sort, bought anything from an android device, uploaded anything on the internet, "liked" anything on any website ever, thumbs uped or downed anything ever, given permissions for anything for Facebook ever or answered any questions on a survey in exchange for something "free", you have already willingly invaded your own privacy.

In short at length, I am saying that there is no such thing as privacy in a technological world. Freedom comes with consequences. If you are free to take off your shoes to feel the grass between your toes, don't complain when your feet get dirty, get bit by insects or step on sharp rocks. Likewise, if you like the convenience and comfort that lowering your guard affords you -- such as taking off your protective "shoes", you have no right to complain when your identity gets dirty, your privacy is bitten by the government, or your bank accounts are pierced by the sharp tactics of hackers.

I am not a conspiracy theorist. These things actually exist and happen all the time. Even still, I enjoy my digital entanglements regardless of their pitfalls. All I am saying is that those who get all up at arms about the latest "invasion" of privacy are naive to the core. They refuse to open their eyes to the reality that "privacy" is just the lie we tell ourselves because the vulnerability of our identity is too scary to deal with.

Personal privacy is basically like driving a car on the freeway. If what drivers did was constantly worry about the FACT that every single car zooming past them could kill them, no one would ever drive again. The fear of facts would literally immobilize them. Multiply that fear by every possible way to die anywhere at any time, and everyone would go insane. Instead, we have the ability to assess risk through a process of desensitization. This means that the more frequent a dangerous action is completed the greater the fear associated with such an action is decreased. Eventually, dangerous activities that should be terrifying become commonplace and boring with the repetitive familiarity from doing them.

We either accept that technology is invasive by nature or purge technology completely. There is no middle ground. We either wear our shoes in the grass or take them off. We cannot have it both ways.

^^^ Can I get a what what?

UPDATE: July 17th article (last paragraph for the literarily lazy):

http://bgr.com/2013/07/17/nsa-xbox-one-spying-potential/

For the truly lazy, this means that if the Xbox ONE is subpoenaed for the Kinect footage, then our nation is already dekcuf  <<< use a mirror.

RaistlinMajere wrote:this means that if the Xbox ONE is subpoenaed for the Kinect footage, then our nation is already dekcuf  <<< use a mirror.

Don't you guys have the 4th amendment that's supposed to protect you against this kind of thing?!

yeah, the 4th amendment. That would be the Constitution, the document that our current government administration is at war with. Yes, the 4th amendment would protect us which is what the article linked says.