NSA finally admits to spying on Americans by purchasing sensitive data::Violating Americans’ privacy “not just unethical but illegal,” senator says.

  • rottingleaf@lemmy.zip
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    9 months ago

    Well, some things are stochastic in daily life, but pretty coherent over long periods. In 00s lots of people were enthusiastic over that data harvesting etc creating us a new future. As something which will make the future interesting, even if dangerous.

    Well, here it is. Nothing interesting, but the dangers are exactly as expected. As it always happens.

    • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
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      9 months ago

      Yeah there needed to be privacy laws passed back then. It’s going to very difficult to do now because there’s so much money involved. Personally I think 90% of the “data-driven economy” is bullshit and we’d be better off without it. But when Google, Facebook, etc. are saying “if you pass this law, we will lay of X% of our workforce” it’s difficult to to do, even though those companies will likely lay off those workers regardless.

      Sometimes I think of an alternate reality where Al Gore was president back then. He invented the internet! Yeah, I know that thing was just GOP disinformation, but he did actually care about technology. Maybe technology growth could’ve gone down a better path. Instead we got Dubya and a war in Iraq.