Today thousands of Americans will gather in Washington, DC and many other cities across America to protest the mass surveillance by the United States government on millions of people who are not suspected of any crime and have broken no laws. As a fellow citizen of the internet, I am asking for your help.
Recent leaks by whistle-blower Edward Snowden revealed to all of us just how widespread and ubiquitous government spying has become. Ask Angela Merkel.
In case you have not had the chance to actually watch this, I urge you to do so now.
The expansion of government surveillance online isn’t just bad news for diplomats, whistle-blowers, and that guy who ran Silk Road. Increased monitoring and tracking by government and private industry harms all of us who use the internet. It stifles free expression, it allows for the cloaking of corruption, it takes away the means of innovation, and creates a poison atmosphere of suspicion.
But more than anything, you have a right to your privacy. It is a basic human right, and we should not give it away in the name of convenience or because we fear some imagined disaster scenario. Moreover, when we give away our privacy, we also give away the privacy of people who really need it for reasons much more serious than our own. When we give up the keys to the internet we also give them up for dissidents, activists, and people trying to expose malfeasance. As good people, we cannot participate in that.
So what are we gonna do? You know I am gonna tell you because The Grand Inquisitor is here to help.
- Encrypt your shit. Use Tor, encrypt your email, or use a safe search engine. You probably don’t really need to do these things, but when you do you provide cover for people who do. Think of it this way. People who are looking for that activist or whistle-blower are looking for a needle in a haystack. When you secure your data, you make the haystack bigger and that helps them. Sure, you don’t need that level of security, but many people do.
- Hassle your lawmakers. They do work for you, and it is time to let them know. Over the next several weeks there will be new legislation to limit government surveillance powers. Look up your Congress Critters here.
- Take part in the virtual march. Yeah, I know these things are generally silly, but we are internet people so we are going to internet. Help out the ACLU.
- Reach out to your online communities. Exchange knowledge with the people you interact with online. Spread the word about these issues and take the time to learn good security practices from the people around you. Better yet, help the less tech-savvy people in your life protect their privacy and data. In the coming weeks DMM and I and others will be publishing posts about online security so please feel free to give us topic suggestions or questions in the comments.
- Put your money where your mouth is. Here’s a good start.
- Don’t accept surveillance as inevitable, We live in a democracy. This is our country. We make our country the way we want it. Never forget that.
