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Comment by Vexs | Hacker News Reader

What's kinda funny is that's very similar to what's actually going in computing, especially with encryption most recently.

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Absolutely - because the fundamentals are all the same - highly technical specifics being mandated by people who have no clue about the technology nor the impact of their proposed mandates. As systems get more complex and integrated, we're going to see more of this, not less, I fear. Also, note - this happens in the courts as well.

So why doesn't the industry have lobbyists of their own, pushing the proper narrative then? If politicians on either side want to get it right, then why aren't industry leaders going to Washington, testifying in front of committees and telling these people how this should be handled?

I haven't seen ANY politician coming out and saying they support encryption. As soon as the Apple and FBI case came out, you saw both republicans and democrats divided even on this fairly simple case:

Democratic congressman Mike Honda of California has come down firmly on the side of the tech company, saying that the DoJ sought to increase its authority “with the tyrannical impulses that were the very reason our country was created”.

By contrast, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California called on Apple to cooperate immediately following the “terrorist attack in my state” and threatened legislation, though she said she “hope[d] it would not be necessary”.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/29/apple-fbi...

If the tech industry wants to push the needle forward, then they have to get in the game. As of 2016. I haven't seen many people in the industry rushing to try and educate the politicians in Washington. Sure, they like to write articles and stand on the side of Apple and other companies, but that doesn't count for much in my book.

Why do you presume that they are not lobbying? This recent articles would suggest that tech firms are spending a lot of money on lobbyists:

http://www.wired.com/2015/07/google-facebook-amazon-lobbying...

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/02/09/which-tech-...

And this database would suggest some tech companies fall into the 5th highest spending industry: https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/top.php?showYear=2015&inde...

So, a better question is, why, despite these efforts are we still seeing this? A few reasons, I'd guess...

1) Lobbying efforts by other industries and groups (law enforcement has a vested interest here, for example)

2) A tendency to wanting to look tough on crime and terrorism, especially going into an election year. Moderation and wise restraint are always a tough sell in politics

3) The Unbearable Asymmetry of Bullshit - politics edition. http://quillette.com/2016/02/15/the-unbearable-asymmetry-of-...

4) A propensity on the part of many in government to want to hold more power (closely related to point 2, but more self-serving).

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