Non-profit ISP wages war on FBI and DOJ by putting privacy first [video]

[NoStateofMind]

Nicholas Merrill, formerly the head of a New York-based Internet Service Provider that fought the FBI and DOJ in court over the constitutionality of the Patriot Act and won, plans to launch a new non-profit, crowd-funded ISP that will make its users’ privacy a central focus. “I have a bit of a track record of fighting for the right to privacy on the Internet, and I have a plan to radically transform the way the Telecommunications industry works,” Merrill said. His new company, The Calyx Institute, aims to be a “non-profit telecommunications provider dedicated to privacy, using ubiquitous encryption,” and it intends to sell Internet access for as little as $20 per month as well as mobile phone service.

Follow the link for vid.

I'm glad someone is fighting for privacy. He needs a ton of funding but I think he can get there with the right exposure. He fought the law and won.

 

[Rainsford]

It's admirable that he's going to give it a shot, but it's a tougher sell than people might think. Most people really aren't that interested in absolute privacy as a regular feature of Internet and phone service. Tell someone you'll encrypt all their Internet searches, and many people will think about whether they care if their search for local Mexican restaurants is worth protecting or not.

I'm not saying that kind of attitude is GOOD, or even right, but it's hard to interest people in security and privacy in a serious way. It's a mindset that doesn't come naturally to a lot of people. Making a secure ISP and mobile phone service might be the easy part, the hard part might be selling people on why they'd WANT it.

 

[gevorg]

On the other hand, wireless carriers will gladly sell the government agencies any data they have on you:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygre...zon-and-sprint-charge-for-cellphone-wiretaps/

Wiretaps cost hundreds of dollars per target every month, generally paid at daily or monthly rates. To wiretap a customer’s phone, T-Mobile charges law enforcement a flat fee of $500 per target. Sprint’s wireless carrier Sprint Nextel requires police pay $400 per “market area” and per “technology” as well as a $10 per day fee, capped at $2,000. AT&T charges a $325 activation fee, plus $5 per day for data and $10 for audio. Verizon charges a $50 administrative fee plus $700 per month, per target.

Data requests for voicemail or text messages cost extra. AT&T demands $150 for access to a target’s voicemail, while Verizon charges $50 for access to text messages. Sprint offers the most detailed breakdown of fees for various kinds of data on a phone, asking $120 for pictures or video, $60 for email, $60 for voice mail and $30 for text messages.

All four telecom firms also offer so-called “tower dumps” that allow police to see the numbers of every user accessing a certain cell tower over a certain time at an hourly rate. AT&T charges $75 per tower per hour, with a minimum of two hours. Verizon charges between $30 and $60 per hour for each cell tower. T-Mobile demands $150 per cell tower per hour, and Sprint charges $50 per tower, seemingly without an hourly rate.

For location data, the carrier firms offer automated tools that let police track suspects in real time. Sprint charges $30 per month per target to use its L-Site program for location tracking. AT&T’s E911 tool costs $100 to activate and then $25 a day. T-Mobile charges a much pricier $100 per day.

 

[Lithium381]

On the other hand, wireless carriers will gladly sell the government agencies any data they have on you:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygre...zon-and-sprint-charge-for-cellphone-wiretaps/

but we pay for the government agencies, and they pay for that shizznits, so therefore, we're paying for that shizznits

 

[Rainsford]

On the other hand, wireless carriers will gladly sell the government agencies any data they have on you:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygre...zon-and-sprint-charge-for-cellphone-wiretaps/

I think a big part of the privacy issue is definitely economic. Based on the amoral rules of capitalism, a company is basically obligated to get every cent possible out of their customers. The fact that you pay them for a service is immaterial if they could charge you for that service and ALSO sell your personal information to a 3rd party.

I'm not saying this is evil or anything, it's just the way it is. If you want privacy, it's going to have to come from somewhere else. Either pressure the government to FORCE companies to protect your privacy, or take matters into your own hands.

 

[cubby1223]

meh

I'll bet anyone this guy is more interested in the right to piracy than he is the right to privacy.

 

[cubby1223]

I will absolutely laugh when this guy is forced to raise his service prices when all of the largest "pirates" switched over to his services and are all hoarding movies 24/7, because, well, someone has to download them!