In light of recent discussions in SST concerning drones, kill lists and the 2nd Ammendment, I think many of you will find this video to be of interest. It is Jacob Applebaum's keynote speech at the 29th Chaos Communication Congress (29C3) given in Hamburg, Germany on 27 December 2012. Applebaum is both a hacker and a hactivist. He is a developer and tireless advocate for the Tor Project, an excellent network anonymity tool. He is also a staunch defender of Wikileaks, whistleblowers and all those who "rage against the machine."
Some will find this speech off putting or the rantings of an anarchist. I do not. Nor does Bruce Schneier, a more mainstream security technologist and articulate critic of much of our security policy and industry. In describing Applebaum's speech, Schneier says it "is worth listening to. He talks about what we can do in the face of oppressive power on the Internet. I'm not sure his answers are right, but am glad to hear someone talking about the real problems." Bruce Schneier voiced some of the same concerns that Applebaum talks about in his essay "Power and the Internet" which ends:
"… Because if we're not trying to understand how to shape the Internet so that its good effects outweigh the bad, powerful interests will do all the shaping. The Internet's design isn't fixed by natural laws. Its history is a fortuitous accident: an initial lack of commercial interests, governmental benign neglect, military requirements for survivability and resilience, and the natural inclination of computer engineers to build open systems that work simply and easily. This mix of forces that created yesterday's Internet will not be trusted to create tomorrow's. Battles over the future of the Internet are going on right now: in legislatures around the world, in international organizations like the International Telecommunications Union and the World Trade Organization, and in Internet standards bodies. The Internet is what we make it, and is constantly being recreated by organizations, companies, and countries with specific interests and agendas. Either we fight for a seat at the table, or the future of the Internet becomes something that is done to us."
BTW, I can identify with the photo above of Wau Holland, the founder of the Chaos Computer Club. I, too, have sat in German phone booths with laptop, acoustic coupler and a pocket full of kleingeld. I, however, knew enough to wrap the handset and coupler in a jacket and hold it under my arm to cut down on noise interference. I also had a better looking beard at the time.
TTG
