ok, now this is just scarey. I have been reading this excellent book by David Brin called "The Transparent Society - Will technology force us to choose between privacy and freedom?" This book was written in 1998. I just came across this passage that is relevant to this very thread
Quote:
|
As a mental experiment, let's go along with FBI director Freech and try to envisage what might have happened if those bombers had actually succeeded in toppling both towers of New York's World Trade Center, killing tens of thousands. Or imagine that nuclear or bio-plague terrorists someday devastate a city. Now picture the public reaction if the FBI ever managed to show real (or exaggerated) evidence that they were impeded in preventing the disaster by an inability to tap coded transmissions sent by the conspirators. They would follow this proof with a petition for new powers, to prevent the same thing from happening again.
|
Sounds like he was reading today's headlines four years ago! To paraphrase the following few paragraphs, he states that this kind of think will slowly chip away at both our privacy and security. The effect is like a ratchet that will creep relentlessly toward one way transparency. A one-way mirror under which we are watched by officials from on high, while they receive little or no oversight in the exercise of these powers.
The book poses some very complex questions and situations in regards to the apparent dichotomy of privacy vs security. Brin argues that we can have
both if we have two way transparency. If you get a chance to check this book out I highly recommend it.