Yet more proof that the slow-rolling Internet breakage caused by the NSA’s illegal activities continues.
Was it worth it? Total up the damage to the hardware companies, from organizations that will no longer by Cisco routers or American airliners, or use Google or Amazon web services, to cloud companies that are going to have to figure out how to separate EU data from US data, to startups that won’t because the new requirements of meeting EU privacy requirement without the safe harbor will be too onerous for worldwide release.
Then toss in the license that this has given the Chinese to hack OPM, Anthem, and others to build total databases of every American government employee, contractor, subcontractor (Thank the Supreme Court and its’ ruling on HSPD-12 for that), their medical, credit, and financial history. Probably Russia too.
And did the NSA actually catch anyone? They didn’t call 9/11. They didn’t call ISIS. They didn’t catch the underwear bomber, the marathon bombers, the shoe bomber, Timothy McVeigh (and his unnamed associate), the Hebdo killers, the 7/7 attack, the Crimean invasion, etc. What have they called?
Turner: They’ve got all of it.
Higgins: What? What did you do?
Turner: I told them a story. I told ’em a story. You play games; I told ’em a story.
Higgins: Oh, you… you poor, dumb son of a bitch. You’ve done more damage than you know.
Turner: I hope so.
Higgins: You’re about to be a very lonely man. It didn’t have to end this way.
Turner: Of course it did.
Higgins: Hey Turner! How do you know they’ll print it? You can take a walk… but how far if they don’t print it?
Turner: They’ll print it.
Higgins: How do you know?
Of course, the NYT did have the story. And didn’t print it.