re Lauren Weinstein -- Microsoft's Police State Vision? Exec Calls for Internet "Driver's Licenses"

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Synthesis:Law and Technology Law and Technology" <synthesis.law.and.technology () gmail com 
> >
> Date: February 2, 2010 4:28:34 PM EST
> To: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
> Cc: dave () farber net, ip <ip () v2 listbox com>
> Subject: Re: [IP] Lauren Weinstein -- Microsoft's Police State  
> Vision? Exec Calls for Internet "Driver's Licenses"

> That flag might work temporarily in the US but I suspect there would  
> be considerably more inertia outside your national boundaries.   
> Where it would run into problems would be when someone points out  
> that this is creating a huge security problem with the potential for  
> forged credentials.  Again, I'm not saying we shouldn't fight  the  
> principle. I'm saying the 'make them look like dangerous lunatics'  
> sober technical approach seems to work best at shooting down such  
> grandstanding in the past. I'm also not convinced that they can  
> implement much without tearing down/starting up (and risk getting  
> disconnected from Canada and the EU in the process).
> And we haven't even begun to talk about how plenty of businesses  
> such as Disney would want to object strenuously to this.
>
> On Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 2:55 PM, Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>  
> wrote:
>
> I think that if the national security "scare the people" flag were
> waved vigorously enough, you'd be amazed at the level of crackdown
> that would be possible without redesigning the Net from scratch,
> certainly enough to accomplish an initial stage of onerous controls
> sufficient to accomplish their short-term political ends.
>
> --Lauren--
>
>
> On 02/02 14:40, Synthesis:Law and Technology Law and Technology wrote:
> > I see that point to a degree and I undestand the need to  
> contiunously and
> > vigorously defend against such controls.
> >
> > But when he makes a point that is so obviously erroneous I have to  
> think it
> > lessens his credibility and consequently hurts that cause.  When  
> he makes
> > the call and someone stands up and asks him "so you are advocating  
> shutting
> > down the internet completely and starting over with something  
> fresh and
> > untested?"  doesn't it make that whole control-is-a-goal look  
> foolish and
> > irresponsible and consequently less credible and less reasoned?   
> The reason
> > to react is his position at Microsoft.  What he is effectively  
> saying is
> > that Microsoff is in favor of throwing everything out and starting  
> over with
> > something that is untested and unproven.  When you put it that  
> way, I think
> > maybe 12 people on the planet will buy into it.
> >
> > We went through something similar when the Trademark bar tried to  
> 'own'  the
> > internet. And almost the same when the micropayment folk wanted to  
> charge
> > for everything...and the content police...etc etc.  I think  
> history teaches
> > us  that people will buy into these harebrained grandstanding  
> postures and
> > it is necessary to fight them on moral/ethical grounds.
> >
> > But once you make them look totally foolish and dangerous on a  
> practical
> > level,  they go away fast.  People are essentially selfish and if  
> you give
> > them choices with the consequences to them, they usually vote the  
> right
> > way.  Tell them it will make them more 'secure' they will want  
> it.  Tell
> > them they will have to throw everything out and lose this and that  
> and this
> > and that and start over with everything just to get something that  
> will curb
> > their freedom at the technology level?  Who is going to vote for  
> that?
> >
> > Dan Steinberg
> >
> > SYNTHESIS:Law & Technology
> > 35, du Ravin phone: (613) 794-5356
> > Chelsea, Quebec
> > J9B 1N1
> > On Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 12:56 AM, Lauren Weinstein  
> <lauren () vortex com> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > Whether or not it can be done as he suggests isn't really the  
> point.
> > > He knows the reality even if he's talking past it for effect.  But
> > > when someone of his stature and representing Microsoft makes such
> > > comments at such a gathering, it plays into the hands of those
> > > governments who want to tightly control access to the Net  
> through any
> > > and all means possible.  So he's still being irresponsible in the
> > > extreme.
> > >
> > > --Lauren--
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
>
> --
> Dan Steinberg
>
> SYNTHESIS:Law & Technology
> 35, du Ravin phone: (613) 794-5356
> Chelsea, Quebec
> J9B 1N1



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