Snowden's Email Provider Vanishes, Vows To Fight For Constitution

[Karloff]

Snowden's Email Provider Vanishes, Vows To Fight For Constitution

"I would strongly recommend against anyone trusting their private data to a company with physical ties to the United States," says Lavabit's Ladar Levison.

When Edward Snowden of PRISM fame [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124721-NSA-Harvests-Facebook-Google-Apple-User-Data-Secret-Files-Claim] contacted human rights activists in July, he used a secure email from provider Lavabit to do so. Lavabit boasts asymmetric encryption, to protect user's data while it's on the Lavabit servers. Or at least, it did; Lavabit has shut down, its founder Ladar Levison claiming it was either close to or had already become "complicit in crimes against the American people." He says he daren't say more than that, under threat of legal sanction, and is preparing the paperwork "to fight for the Constitution in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals."

Levison went on to advise against anyone trusting their data to a company with physical ties to the United States, and it would seem that at least one company has taken heed. Silent Circle, another secure email provider, has shut down its service voluntarily, claiming it has seen the writing on the wall. "Email is broken because govt can force us to turn over what we have," said CEO Michael Janke. Silent Circle is keeping its phone and text services active, since it doesn't store that data itself, but its secure email function is permanently offline. "We apologize for any inconvenience, and hope you understand that if we dithered, it could be more inconvenient," says company co-founder Jon Callas.

Snowden is currently in Russia, seeking asylum. This has caused a rift between Russia and the United States; President Obama recently cancelled a meeting with President Putin, citing the Snowden affair as one of the reasons why.

Source: Ars Technica [http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/08/ed-snowdens-encrypted-e-mail-service-shuts-down-leaving-cryptic-message/]


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[Baldr]

A government has every right to Subpoena the data with a proper warrant. Problem with these companies is they want keep the government out because the criminals make them a lot of money.

 

[Psychobabble]

Get Em Up Against The Wall

Great. Lavabit was my email provider. I always thought it would be the right wingers that would turn the US into a fascist dictatorship. Silly old me eh?

 

[Smeatza]

A government has every right to Subpoena the data with a proper warrant. Problem with these companies is they want keep the government out because the criminals make them a lot of money.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't a warrant just a piece of paper signed by a judge?
Is there really any way to tell if the issuing of a warrant is justified?

OT: I just find it funny that the US government (Obama specifically) would have the gall to accuse Russia of a cold war mentality when they're pulling this shit.
They do, but pot and kettle much.

 

[ColaWarVeteran]

Lavabit meanwhile is begging for donations for their legal defense fund. Sounds more to me like they figure why provide a service that costs them money when they can claim "We're fighting for your freedoms!" and let the free money flow in. Because apparently "Defending the constitution is expensive!"

 

[dumbseizure]

A government has every right to Subpoena the data with a proper warrant. Problem with these companies is they want keep the government out because the criminals make them a lot of money.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't a warrant just a piece of paper signed by a judge?
Is there really any way to tell if the issuing of a warrant is justified?

OT: I just find it funny that the US government (Obama specifically) would have the gall to accuse Russia of a cold war mentality when they're pulling this shit.
They do, but pot and kettle much.

As far as I am aware, a judge won't just sign a warrant.

They have to present evidence to the judge, so that the judge feels that a warrant is justified, otherwise it isn't granted.

 

[Smeatza]

As far as I am aware, a judge won't just sign a warrant.

They have to present evidence to the judge, so that the judge feels that a warrant is justified, otherwise it isn't granted.

But the judge will never have to justify his decision to any higher-ups? Or an independent body?

 

[Reeve]

Snowden was using the email service to try and contact human rights groups. So according to the United States it is criminal to try and help a political refugee (recognised as one by the UN, no less) to try and communicate with legal human rights groups.

Absolutely outrageous. The current american regime does not give a fuck about moral principles; only about maintaining, and extending, its power and influence.

 

[Reeve]

You might want to report on this too: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/08/in-wake-of-lavabit-shutdown-another-secure-e-mail-service-goes-offline/

 

[ColaWarVeteran]

You might want to report on this too: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/08/in-wake-of-lavabit-shutdown-another-secure-e-mail-service-goes-offline/

They already did in this very same article.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Obama really isn't winning any friends lately, is he? There's this mudslinging fest with Russia, and then there was the Keystone Pipeline comments that pissed off Canada. Then again, trying to prevent a person from contacting human rights groups is also rather dickish.

 

[ungothicdove]

Get Em Up Against The Wall

Great. Lavabit was my email provider. I always thought it would be the right wingers that would turn the US into a fascist dictatorship. Silly old me eh?

I don't really think there's much difference in either party, honestly. They bicker over welfare and what to waste our money on, but when it comes down to it, the politicians and decision makers aren't that different. They have power and they want more power. Sometimes it seems that gay rights, or wars, or whatever other issue is big at the time is only a diversion while they slowly take our freedom away.

 

[tangoprime]

and then there was the Keystone Pipeline comments that pissed off Canada

It pissed off quite a few people in the central United States too, but nobody really cares about us. It's almost hilarious, if it wasn't so frightening, how Obama ran against Bush and his unjust wars and the Patriot act, and seeing what he's up to now that he's in office, with drone assassinations, extrajudicial killing of US Citizens, undeclared wars, and unprecedented domestic spying / suppression of the 1st, 4th, and 5th amendment rights.

 

[Hazzard]

Are we safe discussing this on the Escapist?

 

[Hagi]

A government has every right to Subpoena the data with a proper warrant. Problem with these companies is they want keep the government out because the criminals make them a lot of money.

Not really.

The problem is that under current US law the government has the right to all data without any warrants whatsoever.

I'd suggest heading to Ars Technica, the source of this article, they provide much more extensive reporting and information on many issues regarding Internet privacy, security and freedom.

Also interesting would be checking out the founders and leadership for Silent Circle.

https://silentcircle.com/web/founders-leadership/

These aren't shady figures and criminals. These are people that have invented many of the most basic security and privacy measures in use today, by common consumers and governments both. They've fought for free speech and an open Internet, providing the tools to make that possible.

Please, do some research before you start accusing people of being greedy assholes complicit in criminal activity.

 

[tangoprime]

A government has every right to Subpoena the data with a proper warrant. Problem with these companies is they want keep the government out because the criminals make them a lot of money.

Wrong, the problem is that the government as proven that it will get what it wants regardless of little old things like the 4th Amendment, all they have to do is say "terrorist" and thanks to the FISA court they'll get what they want with basically no oversight, and have the option to NDAA your ass away to a military prison somewhere if you resist.

 

[shirkbot]

A government has every right to Subpoena the data with a proper warrant. Problem with these companies is they want keep the government out because the criminals make them a lot of money.

Not really.

The problem is that under current US law the government has the right to all data without any warrants whatsoever.

I'd suggest heading to Ars Technica, the source of this article, they provide much more extensive reporting and information on many issues regarding Internet privacy, security and freedom.

Also interesting would be checking out the founders and leadership for Silent Circle.

https://silentcircle.com/web/founders-leadership/

These aren't shady figures and criminals. These are people that have invented many of the most basic security and privacy measures in use today, by common consumers and governments both. They've fought for free speech and an open Internet, providing the tools to make that possible.

Please, do some research before you start accusing people of being greedy assholes complicit in criminal activity.

Unfortunately, FISA warrants are legal warrants, despite the fact they violate all common sense as to what a warrant is actually intended to do.

OT: I'll be waiting to see where this goes. The US has stepped way out of line and they're going to kick off a full-on internet arms race between their data collection and people's data security if they're not careful...

 

[Hagi]

Unfortunately, FISA warrants are legal warrants, despite the fact they violate all common sense as to what a warrant is actually intended to do.

Right, sorry.

Still thinking of these silly things where you had to provide actual evidence upon which you based your suspicion against a single entity and only then could get access to the data concerning that specific entity only.

I should probably get on with the times.

It seems that it's now all about all data in which one of the parties is not American and containing a keyword that may possibly have some connection to terrorism.

 

[CriticalMiss]

So how is that war against Eurasia Eastasia Eurasia going?

OT: This is a bad sign is simply offering privacy is now considered a act against the people of the USA. Next up you will be a terrorist for having curtains covering your windows to stop the NSA having a peek. Land of the free, home of the brave and all that.