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Comment by spacefight | Hacker News Reader

Care to explain why you're not against it? I haven't found a single reason, which justifies to tap on a full comms link of a whole network. Not a single one.

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Safety is the only reason I ever get from anyone. "I have nothing to hide and if it finds terrorists, then I'm all for it" is an actual quote. I don't agree with that statement, but it's obviously out there.

Yeah right, a totally wrong illusion of safety.

In that case, won't wearing an anklet keep one even safer?

This statement is true mate .. believe it or not

The fact that what you are doing today has been deemed acceptable to the overseers is no guarantee that it will be tomorrow.

If you lived in a country struggling from terrorism and corruption you'll understand my reasons. I don't mind losing my privacy for sake of safety of people.

Neither did the Germans living under the Stasi.

I mind losing my privacy for the sake of issues affecting a tiny fraction of the population.

I also wouldn't mind seeing some stats, that surveillance is an effective tool against the threats you listed.

I see your point and totally agree with it

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Benjamin Franklin

I always disagreed with that quote, and hate it when people roll it out like it's some sort of irreproachable truth.

Doesn't help that it's completely out of context as well, IIRC.

But even in this quote the weasel word "essential" is included in the term "essential Liberty". So what is absolutely essential? Could there be legitimate disagreements on that?

If it's struggling from corruption then that is even worse. What happens when someone who is corrupt gets in charge of the surveillance? They could do anything, like have everyone they don't like branded as terrorists.

Being spied on against your will is terrorism. It is corruption in the US as the spying has violated the highest law.

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