Internet privacy worries don't lift big data industry

Beijing time, June 10, the New York Times print edition of the Monday article said that the continuous fermentation of the U.S. government surveillance of the people caused a high level of privacy security concerns, which will be the data-driven technology industry adversely affected.

The following is an overview of the article:

The Dreamers, the wise and the imaginative are creating the Internet, and they want the internet to be a tool for emancipation and knowledge. Last week, the prospect of the Internet fulfilling its original mission seemed bleak as the news surfaced that the US government was using the Internet to monitor and track people.

The incident is somewhat frustrating for Silicon Valley, which is based on internet technology.

Earnest, a retired computer scientist at Stanford University, said: "Most people who study on the internet are plagued by abuse." At first, we were concerned about government control. Well now, our government has found a way to intervene. ”

The tech world is always trying to keep a certain distance from Washington. Entrepreneurs always complain that regulation kills innovation. Government officials should not meddle in matters they do not understand, and all the activities of Silicon Valley seem to be in their possession.

Network privacy Security is worrying

The first wonder is how industry-leading companies, including Microsoft, Google (Weibo), Yahoo, Apple and Facebook, have made it easy for the NSA to Agency their data. For now, the only thing that says nothing to the government is Twitter.

These companies have directly denied cooperation with the U.S. government in the "Prism" monitoring program. However, they do not seem eager to explain the situation of indirect co-ordination and the bottom line in their hearts.

Silicon Valley entrepreneurs have publicly urged more details to be disclosed.

"The success of Silicon Valley consumer companies is based not only on the value that their products bring to users, but also on the degree of trust they build between them," said Adriano Farano, Watchup co-founder of the ipad News video application, Faranoush. The most important thing in Silicon Valley is the credit of our entire ecosystem. ”

Silicon Valley's ecosystems thrive on personal data. The "Prism" project, which collects e-mails, videos, audio, and other forms of data stored on the Internet, is a sensitive moment when Internet privacy security is being questioned.

New technologies such as Google glasses have always pushed people into uncharted territory, which is beyond the control of the people. From tech to start-ups, technology companies are mulling plans to collect the most intimate data to sell their products.

"We have been pushing the government to protect us," said Christopher Clifton, a computer scientist at Purdue University. At the same time, we are busy exposing all kinds of information to outsiders. In fact, some of the data will actually be exposed, and it may be uncomfortable, but don't be surprised. ”

I'm not a hero.

Obviously, such an uncomfortable situation has left some people no longer silent. Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee, was reported to have disclosed to the Guardian the US government's surveillance of people's documents. "The Internet is the most important invention in human history, but its value is undermined by perpetual regulatory action," Snowden said in an interview with the Guardian. ”

"I don't regard myself as a hero," Snowden said. Because what I do is in my own interest. I do not want to live in a world without privacy, which will not promote the exploration and innovation of knowledge. ”

U.S. President Barack Obama is trying to reduce the impact of the storm. He said Prism's goal was only for foreign nationality holders, and that it was worth giving up some privacy in order to be safe.

Bob Taylor, who played an important role in the Internet's formation in the 60 's, argued that Obama's stance was a dangerous statement. "The government should have told the work it was doing," Taylor said. The move opens up deeper problems, and we are no longer in control of the government. ”

Some of the tech celebrities who don't have a crush on Washington argue that the prism project could be used as a private weapon.

Bob Matkav, the father of Ethernet, said on Twitter that he was more worried about the Obama administration's use of the program to suppress political opposition.

But even though Silicon Valley has recognized the reality that personal data has been abused through other informal channels, there is a long way to go to change that.

Even large computer manufacturers sell their systems to the government, not to mention the various types of start-ups selling personal information. Companies that try to draw a line with the government may have an impact on their companies ' prospects or profits, so they are better at lobbying.

You have no privacy.

As early as 1999, Scott Maikenili, former CEO of Sun Microsystems, said: "You have no privacy, forget it."

Maikenili has yet to retract the phrase, but he also expressed the same view as Matkav that the new government abuses private data. Maikenili said, "Are you afraid at&t have your data?" or Google? They are both private entity companies. At&t can't hurt me, but Jerry Brown and Obama. "Maikenili has been criticizing the California government and Governor Jerry Brown. Maikenili says his tax situation is audited every year.

Aaron Levy, founder of the Cloud storage service box company, Levie on Twitter about the "Prism" project: "The idea of the NSA is simply a combination of 30 start-ups, and we have a weak burst." ”

The joke, though interesting, reflects the fact that there is no real conflict between the government and Silicon Valley's interest in data. The most important thing, Levy argues, is transparency and the use of data, and the need for government and technology industries to work together to create a better model.

At the same time, some scientific and technological leaders have suggested that a good way to protect internet privacy is to "keep a low profile". Gordon Eubanks, an entrepreneur who has been in Silicon Valley for more than more than 30 years, argues that both sides that support security and support privacy have a eubanks, and before the dispute is resolved, he advises: "I am careful about the information on the web." I never post any information about an address, family, or pet on the Internet. Even the point of "praise" is very careful. ”

(Responsible editor: The good of the Legacy)