GCHQ head says privacy is not an absolute right

in legal on 2014-11-04 17:22 (#2TWS)

US technology companies have become "the command and control networks of choice" for extremists, the new head of GCHQ has claimed. Writing in the Financial Times, Robert Hannigan says some US tech companies are "in denial" about how their services are being misused. He also said UK security agencies needed support from "the largest US tech companies which dominate the web".

Mr Hannigan argues that the big internet firms must work more closely with the intelligence services, warning that "privacy has never been an absolute right." What say the |.ers?

Re: Mr Hannigan is an extremist (Score: 1)

by tanuki64@pipedot.org on 2014-11-06 21:10 (#2TY4)

Reasonable people know that there is a hierarchy of rights. With civil rights and liberties on top. And one civil liberty is the right to privacy. So, if you can enforce copyright without violating the privacy of the whole population just because they could illegally download a movie... more power to you. If not... tough luck. The internet changes things just like the printing press did. Some benefit, other go the way of the Dodo.

And your

"No don't protect people's lives, I want free stuff".

is an evil strawman argument, since I previously said, that if a general internet surveillance really prevents terrorism and loss of life, it would be the sensible thing to do.