I thought that thread was too old to continue so I started this thread. NSA whistleblower William Binney said that around 80% of the world’s data communication goes via the U.S. And Binney also said that the NSA datacenters are way too big for just collecting meta data. A very good point! He said that all the meta data can be stored in like a single room, and what really is going on is that the NSA collects EVERYTHING.
So not only does the NSA collect meta data, emails and text messages. They collect all audio and video too! Both from mobile devices and from desktop browsers etc.
This means that they will collect most of the data chunks on the SAFE network. And my theory is that the NSA already easily can break standard encryption techniques, such as those used in the SAFE network.
If we assume that the NSA can piece together the data chunks correctly, they will be able to snoop on most of the SAFE network. And with cooperation with other intel agencies around the world, such as GCHQ and even Asian agencies and others, they will definitely be able to snoop on the entire SAFE network basically.
Is such scenario bad? No! I don’t think so. Because if intelligence agencies were totally blocked from access it means a huge danger of organized crime, terrorism and other really nasty “businesses” being able to operate unhindered in the dark on massive scales. Really scary.
My personal view is that it is not that easy to sniff on the SAFE network. It is really good designed. The encryption, the whole design, it really is in my opinion the best ‘full’ solution to the internet sniffing which is happening by agencies. Most solutions only offers a little part to the solution on top of the current internet. SAFE works on a full solution which won’t be easy to sniff or break.
One thing which will be great, is if when the private key which you use to decrypt your personal stuff on the SAFE network, is on a hardware device, like a trezor. It is already discussed in this forum.
Another thing which makes it potential, is that SAFE can exist in its own mash network. That would be a nice milestone 2 when the SAFE network is launched.
During the last Fosdem2019, Roger Dingledine explained in a talk The Current and Future Tor Project that the way to prevent the NSA from sniffing your data on the Tor network through exit nodes, is to stay on Tor. Don’t leave it. This is one of the things which happens on SAFE as well. You will stay on SAFE, its own network, without central components like in the current internet.
…it would seem that the market niche of allying with various armed gangs (can be read “governments”) has already been taken. What market would a privacy and anonymity platform serve if it failed to provide privacy & anonymity?
Obviously, centralized hierarchies will be put into a virtual life-or-death struggle with decentralized peer-to-peer efforts, as the trust service / arbitration service once offered by the gangs will be supplanted.
The thread does an excellent job of highlighting the exponential shrinkage in rate of return for the centralized system to combat decentralized systems. It could similarly be rephrased, how much effort would a centralized fish system expend to keep amphibians from going topside? Centralized systems are slow in response, methodical in their advance, and led by consensus in direction.
If you recall the movie Brazil, Central Services will never spend as much trying to catch Harry Tuttle, as they will do trying to keep everyone from giving Harry a call.