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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/13/mark-zuckerberg-obama-nsa-facebook-message
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| Mark Zuckerberg called Obama about the NSA. Let's not hang up the phone | Mark Zuckerberg called Obama about the NSA. Let's not hang up the phone |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Let’s applaud Mark Zuckerberg’s increasingly | Let’s applaud Mark Zuckerberg’s increasingly |
| public angst over the US government’s sabotage of communications security, | public angst over the US government’s sabotage of communications security, |
| and the Internet itself. The Facebook founder’s massively shared post Thursday afternoon | and the Internet itself. The Facebook founder’s massively shared post Thursday afternoon |
| shows progress since his first remarks on the subject just over a year ago, | shows progress since his first remarks on the subject just over a year ago, |
| when he said the government “blew | when he said the government “blew |
| it” on security issues, largely by way of insufficient transparency about surveillance activities. | it” on security issues, largely by way of insufficient transparency about surveillance activities. |
| Now Zuckerberg has complained directly to President | Now Zuckerberg has complained directly to President |
| Obama about “the damage the government is creating | Obama about “the damage the government is creating |
| for all of our future”. When Facebook works to improve security, he | for all of our future”. When Facebook works to improve security, he |
| wrote users, “we imagine we’re protecting you against criminals, not our | wrote users, “we imagine we’re protecting you against criminals, not our |
| own government. The US government should be the champion for the internet, not | own government. The US government should be the champion for the internet, not |
| a threat.” (Do read the whole | a threat.” (Do read the whole |
| thing – it’s not very | thing – it’s not very |
| long – before you continue reading this.) | long – before you continue reading this.) |
| We should applaud Zuckerberg not just for what he said but for the possible | We should applaud Zuckerberg not just for what he said but for the possible |
| impact of his message. We need people like him to help explain why the National | impact of his message. We need people like him to help explain why the National |
| Security Agency – just one malefactor among an assortment of other security and | Security Agency – just one malefactor among an assortment of other security and |
| law enforcement bodies here and abroad – has become at least as much a menace to our security as it is a protector. | |
| Obama does Between Two Ferns. He does fancy fundraisers. He returns calls from celebrities, among | Obama does Between Two Ferns. He does fancy fundraisers. He returns calls from celebrities, among |
| others in the ranks of the rich and powerful – but not from | others in the ranks of the rich and powerful – but not from |
| journalists or the rest of us. And the president needs to hear Zuckerberg’s words directly, and as often as possible: To keep the internet strong, we need to keep it secure. | journalists or the rest of us. And the president needs to hear Zuckerberg’s words directly, and as often as possible: To keep the internet strong, we need to keep it secure. |
| Moreover, after what’s sure to be millions of people who were otherwise not very engaged in the topic of internet security go ahead and read Zuckerberg’s post, they may care just a bit more about what’s | Moreover, after what’s sure to be millions of people who were otherwise not very engaged in the topic of internet security go ahead and read Zuckerberg’s post, they may care just a bit more about what’s |
| being done to us all by our erstwhile protectors – not just by the criminals. | being done to us all by our erstwhile protectors – not just by the criminals. |
| Yet there’s another rational reaction to | Yet there’s another rational reaction to |
| Zuckerberg’s post, especially when you parse it carefully: a rueful chuckle at | Zuckerberg’s post, especially when you parse it carefully: a rueful chuckle at |
| the missing elements, not to mention its outright hypocrisy. | the missing elements, not to mention its outright hypocrisy. |
| I’m reminded of the semi-faux fury we heard | I’m reminded of the semi-faux fury we heard |
| from Google’s executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, over the NSA’s literal | from Google’s executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, over the NSA’s literal |
| wiretapping of its internal data systems. | wiretapping of its internal data systems. |
| Google’s business is based on surveillance – its own observation of its | Google’s business is based on surveillance – its own observation of its |
| users – so it can lure more advertising customers. | users – so it can lure more advertising customers. |
| Facebook is in a similar business. The social network is collecting vast amounts of data on its users and their online activities both | Facebook is in a similar business. The social network is collecting vast amounts of data on its users and their online activities both |
| inside its walled garden and, when they don’t log out, via the nearly | inside its walled garden and, when they don’t log out, via the nearly |
| ubiquitous “Like” button (analogous to Google Analytics, which is | ubiquitous “Like” button (analogous to Google Analytics, which is |
| also widely used by largely invisible to Web users). Who are the customers? | also widely used by largely invisible to Web users). Who are the customers? |
| Advertisers, for the most part. | Advertisers, for the most part. |
| I don’t want to minimize the positive steps | I don’t want to minimize the positive steps |
| these companies have taken. It’s great that both Facebook and Google – as well as Yahoo, which has been fighting in court for a long time now, and other | these companies have taken. It’s great that both Facebook and Google – as well as Yahoo, which has been fighting in court for a long time now, and other |
| big cloud companies – are working harder to keep rogue government agencies and | big cloud companies – are working harder to keep rogue government agencies and |
| criminals from hacking these giant databases. | criminals from hacking these giant databases. |
| It would be even better if they | It would be even better if they |
| gave users a way to opt out entirely, because the government can still get the | gave users a way to opt out entirely, because the government can still get the |
| data via legal and quasi-legal means, even if the companies resist dragnet data | data via legal and quasi-legal means, even if the companies resist dragnet data |
| collection. And because we have no way of knowing what kind of people will be running | collection. And because we have no way of knowing what kind of people will be running |
| these enterprises in the future, not to mention what kinds of privacy-invading | these enterprises in the future, not to mention what kinds of privacy-invading |
| laws and regulations future governments may enact or concoct out of thin air. | laws and regulations future governments may enact or concoct out of thin air. |
| The existence of these giant databases of our everyday lives is a threat, because history suggests | The existence of these giant databases of our everyday lives is a threat, because history suggests |
| that what can be misused ultimately will be misused. | that what can be misused ultimately will be misused. |
| So I have a simple request of Mark Zuckerberg, | So I have a simple request of Mark Zuckerberg, |
| even if the chances he’ll grant it are south of slim. Please give me the option | even if the chances he’ll grant it are south of slim. Please give me the option |
| of a paid Facebook account with at least these features: | of a paid Facebook account with at least these features: |
| a) Facebook Pro doesn’t | a) Facebook Pro doesn’t |
| track me; | track me; |
| b) Facebook Pro stores zero data about me; and | b) Facebook Pro stores zero data about me; and |
| c) Facebook Pro uses encryption in every | c) Facebook Pro uses encryption in every |
| possible way. | possible way. |
| There’s more I’d like to see, but that would be a good start. | There’s more I’d like to see, but that would be a good start. |
| Facebook has a partial template in-house. | Facebook has a partial template in-house. |
| It just paid a staggering amount of money for WhatsApp, the mobile messaging | It just paid a staggering amount of money for WhatsApp, the mobile messaging |
| service that purports to offer at least some of those features. I’ve been | service that purports to offer at least some of those features. I’ve been |
| assuming that Facebook would ultimately apply its own revenue model – the users | assuming that Facebook would ultimately apply its own revenue model – the users |
| are the product – to WhatsApp. What if it did the reverse? Now that might be worth a standing ovation. | are the product – to WhatsApp. What if it did the reverse? Now that might be worth a standing ovation. |