Go Slow

Federal law enforcement agencies and intelligence gatherers are seeking to have laws passed to force providers of online chat services and other instant messaging communications to build in intercept capabilities so the feds can execute court ordered wiretaps on these instant messaging services. The 7-26-2014 Star Tribune reports on this from a Washington Post article by Ellen Nakashima. The article is on page A7.

To quote Ellen: "Industry officials, security experts and other counter that the government already has many tools available to get the information that it needs."

I believe what she reports. I think in the era of Obama, a healthy mistrust of federal spying on citizens is warranted. I would be slow to legalizing their mandated wiretap-ready hook up to these instant messaging services' platforms.

Let us go slow, and if a few criminals and spies put one over on us, so be it. We need to protect privacy and civil liberties first and foremost. Big Brother is too intrusive already.