Silk Road forums
Discussion => Security => Topic started by: fredflintstone on August 08, 2013, 06:44 pm
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Been down the last few days, then this on their site today
"My Fellow Users,
I have been forced to make a difficult decision: to become complicit in crimes against the American people or walk away from nearly ten years of hard work by shutting down Lavabit. After significant soul searching, I have decided to suspend operations. I wish that I could legally share with you the events that led to my decision. I cannot. I feel you deserve to know what’s going on--the first amendment is supposed to guarantee me the freedom to speak out in situations like this. Unfortunately, Congress has passed laws that say otherwise. As things currently stand, I cannot share my experiences over the last six weeks, even though I have twice made the appropriate requests.
What’s going to happen now? We’ve already started preparing the paperwork needed to continue to fight for the Constitution in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. A favorable decision would allow me resurrect Lavabit as an American company.
This experience has taught me one very important lesson: without congressional action or a strong judicial precedent, I would _strongly_ recommend against anyone trusting their private data to a company with physical ties to the United States.
Sincerely,
Ladar Levison
Owner and Operator, Lavabit LLC"
Scary times the last few days
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coincidence?
bitmessage.ch have just set up a no javascript squirellmail btw
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Three words: National Security Letter.
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Three words: National Security Letter.
OMG I was gonna post the EXACT SAME THING VERBATIM until I scrolled down and saw you already wrote it. Freaky! ??? :o
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Three words: National Security Letter.
Took the words out of my mouth. I like how he indirectly says it's an NSL as well: "I wish that I could legally share with you the events that led to my decision. I cannot."
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This fascist bullshit is nothing new.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57412225-281/this-internet-provider-pledges-to-put-your-privacy-first-always/
[Clearnet: This Internet provider pledges to put your privacy first. Always.]
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This fascist bullshit is nothing new.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57412225-281/this-internet-provider-pledges-to-put-your-privacy-first-always/
[Clearnet: This Internet provider pledges to put your privacy first. Always.]
Update: I just did a search and found more on this guy. Hopefully he can team up with Levison since they're in the same boat.
http://heebmagazine.com/nick-merrill-how-ethel-rosenberg-made-me-an-internet-privacy-hero/28957
[Clearnet: Nick Merrill: How Ethel Rosenberg Made Me An Internet Privacy Hero]
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http://boingboing.net/2013/08/08/lavabit-email-service-snowden.html and according to Glenn Greenwald, lavabit actually was Edward Snowden's email provider.
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Sucks this guy had to shut down his biz due to the secret police after Snowden. I bet his subscribers went through the roof when the NSA email surveillance was leaked, at least he did the right thing and shut it down instead of letting the feds in and not saying anything to profit.
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And it's yet another reminder that your business no longer belongs to you. It belongs to the government. You run it at their pleasure and they can take it away from you at will.
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I think we can say with certainty that if some privacy service like an Email or VPN provider is "down for maintenance" in the near future it is safe to say it is either already compromised or gone forever. Just like it happened with Liberty Reserve, FH / Tormail and now Lavabit.
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comsec
I woulnt bet this is anything much to do with snowden. He is simply the public event which they can now use to justify doing other stuff. Fascist minds all work one way and you can bet your life that shutting down any comms they cant read is right up there on their list. After all, if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear. might have been written by george orwell. This guy has done the right thing; theres obviously a court order on him to turn over the data but by closing down and appealing, he lets everyone know whats going on, and the appeal may delay said data being handed over, maybe buying time for anyone who feels compromised to take some damage limitation steps.
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U.S.A (UNITED STASI OF AMERICA)
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I heard on Democracy Now that the encrypted email provider Silent Circle has also closed. The noose is tightening, it seems.
Welcome to Obomber's dystopian police state ca. 2013: the beginning of the end of the republic.
What am I saying, the beginning started a looooong time ago, Obomber just accelerated it, pedal to the metal.
goblin
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This guy has done the right thing; theres obviously a court order on him to turn over the data but by closing down and appealing, he lets everyone know whats going on, and the appeal may delay said data being handed over, maybe buying time for anyone who feels compromised to take some damage limitation steps.
I couldn't agree more. This is the best action he can take without violating the NSL. Best of luck to him in Court of Appeals.
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Everyone interested in NSLs should *absolutely* watch Nicholas Merrill's CCC talk about his experiences in the early/mid 00s receiving and being the first person to challenge a NSL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDkHPNbCC1M
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Sucks this guy had to shut down his biz due to the secret police after Snowden. I bet his subscribers went through the roof when the NSA email surveillance was leaked, at least he did the right thing and shut it down instead of letting the feds in and not saying anything to profit.
or he is saying what he is saying to the public to throw us off and really submitting to the feds and working with them. we cannot know for sure.
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or he is saying what he is saying to the public to throw us off and really submitting to the feds and working with them. we cannot know for sure.
That's bullshit. When a fisherman throws away his net, he can't fish no more. For the feds or anyone else.
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That's bullshit. When a fisherman throws away his net, he can't fish no more. For the feds or anyone else.
This is my opinion as well. If he was "working for the feds" I don't think he would have exposed as much as he has. Maybe proof of NSA spying, just not the actual programs and procedures they used. Besides that I don't think they would send him to Russia as the FBI, NSA, CIA all can't get Putin to play nice, what would make you think they could get him to cooperate with something as big as this. Occam's Razor applies.
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im just saying. believe half of what you see. you cant know for sure whats really going on. i just take everything with a grain of salt and as things to consider
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It truly breaks my heart to see this is happening. The best solace is that more and more people are seeing it happen and although many are silent, I have to believe they have thoughts and feelings against this from happening and at some point a critical mass will occur where it will be "washed away". What form "washed away" will look like, I do not know.