Thursday, 13 March 2014

THe NSA and the US Constitution: Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg: Washington is ‘a threat’ to the Internet

BY BRIAN FUNG

March 13 at 3:36 pm

(Tony Avelar / Bloomberg)

(Tony Avelar / Bloomberg)

Silicon Valley companies like Facebook have been openly critical of the Obama administration for its surveillance practices. But that's apparently not enough for Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, who lashed out Thursday at Washington.

"When our engineers work tirelessly to improve security, we imagine we're protecting you against criminals," Zuckerberg wrote in a blog post in the Washington Post, "not our own government."

Zuckerberg went on: "The U.S. government should be the champion for the Internet, not a threat. They need to be much more transparent about what they're doing, or otherwise people will believe the worst."

Zuckerberg has vented about the issue in phone calls to President Obama, the social network co-founder said. The full blog post is available below.

Brian Fung covers technology for The Washington Post, focusing on electronic privacy, national security, digital politics and the Internet that binds it all together. He was previously the technology correspondent for National Journal and an associate editor at the Atlantic. His writing has also appeared in Foreign Policy, Talking Points Memo, the American Prospect and Nonprofit Quarterly.

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G.I. Groucho

3:04 AM GMT+0200

To quote the good people from Traffic,

"Dear Mr. Zuckerberg play us a tune
Something to make us all happy
Do anything, take us out of this gloom
Sing a song, play guitar, make it snappy

You are the one who can make us all laugh
But doing that you break out in tears
Please don't be sad if it was a straight mind you had
We wouldn't have known you all these years."

lavistabb

2:56 AM GMT+0200

Mr. Zuckerberg:

You are a stupid, stupid man. You simply are unable to bring yourself to say the word "Obama" so you use a euphemism-"Washington". It looks to me like you are not at all concerned and are more worried about what all the "popular kids" will say if you diss their idol. That will not help things at all so just eat it. Thanks, you coward.

BRIAN KELLY

2:50 AM GMT+0200

Facebook secure???...what a joke!!...Zuckerberg is grandiose and delusional...people petitioned him to keep minors safe on Facebook by monitoring age, and he refused....its a completely unsafe site for people who are not particularly savvy...Zuckerberg could have easily created software for this, but he refused because it would COST too much...so many people get petitioned and so many minors and unaware people are very vulnerable on Facebook...Zuckerberg did not lift a finger, or should I say a penny, about it...

blashgari

2:25 AM GMT+0200

The question is why all of this is being done and what exactly are people looking for.

There is every possible story from terrorism and industrial espionage to politics and police work. I am zero convinced. Stories support the program. But the reason for the program itself seems to be something that spreads out over millions of people globally who have nothing in common other than being hacked. The “enemy” seems to be “people”.

1

G.I. Groucho

2:48 AM GMT+0200

Are you talking about Facebook or the NSA when you refer to "the program"?

metroman76

2:13 AM GMT+0200

You know theres a real problem when the pot calls the kettle black.

2

Istina

1:52 AM GMT+0200

Why so much hate-rage towards Zuckerberg, isn't it America based on private businesses, smaller and bigger, I mean that's the essence of this country? Yes he is reach because people like using his services, so what is the problem? Do you like to be survey for your protection, well buy security system at home, I don't like all my phone calls and e-mails to be surveyed for my protection by the government. Why do you think the government is your brother and friend? When was the last time the government did something good for you, except of course finding new ways of taxing you?

1

63cents

2:42 AM GMT+0200

i admit myself to a certain "zuckerberg envy"

if not hatred, certainly at minimum irritation.

his stunning success and great wealth the prime emotional motivation

that being said, in at least this case, zuckerberg is raising an important issue

and generally speaking i agree with the thrust of his argument.

BRIAN KELLY

2:59 AM GMT+0200

because he's a hypocrite, and has an oversized sense of importance in the world, Istina...successful, fine, effect on the world, yes, but very limited...but he feels he is so important that he can speak like a world leader - the problem is he's hiding the fact that Facebook has not done half the very basic things they should to be secure (because it costs Zuckerberg money)...like what? like putting in software to monitor and protect minors who dont realize how to choose protection online...they get taken advantage of all the time without knowing it...as well as other vulnerable people, mentally, elderly, etc...he is unwilling to spend that money...he just puts in programs and tells the customer they have to figure out how to choose it. Thats unsafe and very directly irresponsible, and a leader would never leave people open to harm like that

FLG38

1:50 AM GMT+0200

How does this guy know everything?

1

Pkpennington

1:40 AM GMT+0200

He calls the President and vents his unhappiness? I wonder if the President would take my calls, or do you think it has something to do with Zuckerberg's money? Where is Harry Reid when you need him?

1

G.I. Groucho

1:52 AM GMT+0200

If I know anything from that documentary "Casino" ('95), I can assure you he was NEVER in the same casino or restaurant as Frank Rosenthal. Ever.

chieftrollhunter

2:03 AM GMT+0200

What a colossally stupid question.

1

Pkpennington

2:39 AM GMT+0200

But this is a President who's supposed to be untainted by filthy money. BTW, is that an official title, 'chieftrollhunter', or just a colossally stupid pretension?

chieftrollhunter

2:07 AM GMT+0200

Let's put it this way: you create something that lands you a net work of $30 billion and become one of the most influential players on the Internet and, yeah, you might be able to talk to the president.

1

Raymond Murdock

1:40 AM GMT+0200

In big business have always been noted those who for various reasons are usually supposed to built a large balloon that many naive buy either are left to deceive in Exchange for a lollipop, candy or chewing gum. The risks are for those that trust will not be disappointed. The issue is that there are offices for consumers or regulators that are oddly hampered either take to gather the evidence. Commitments as societies have several ramifications where in that tangled and complex system of which all know as it is and commit to who in different areas economics, policies, etc. Where many have put the cry in the sky on the famous NSA issue and it was not just for his private life; but for the big business behind various facades of which there are too many tests according to the same system. When it comes to the truth, many fear to be sprinkled for having not only too much greed but make money easy and without taxes, the rumor every day is bigger and that no one assumes or want to accept responsibilities...

G.I. Groucho

1:50 AM GMT+0200

Raymond - I can only presume you used a web translator for that series of remarks and I would be interested to hear a more succinct (and therefore likely more accurate) translation of what you are trying to say. Much obliged - though not to bad translation software.

blashgari

2:33 AM GMT+0200

You write the way I think...

dwl103

1:28 AM GMT+0200

What a hypocrite.

Look, I don't like the way the feds have handled security either. But Facebook and Google are leading the way in secretly collecting and analyzing metadata about us. Zuckerberg is only doing this to set himself up as some type of hero to deflect off of Facebook.

He is still the slimeball thief that he was in college.

3

gofishing

1:24 AM GMT+0200

what kind of ego maniac 'vents' to the President of the United States ?

1

LawnJockey

1:11 AM GMT+0200

We have the best government money can buy.

starling1

12:31 AM GMT+0200

" It makes us stronger and safer together."

Sure it makes us "safer", when all of our personal information is there for anyone who wants to take the trouble to find it. Zuckerberg is one of the worse about making our data available to all, but he doesn't care, he's making tons of money from sacrificing our privacy and safety. Shame on him.

1

ratl

12:01 AM GMT+0200

What a hoax. Zuckerberg is the far greater villain in abolishing the Constitution and basic human rights to privacy.

2

NSAMonitoringDevice

12:45 AM GMT+0200

Ehhh...yea. Okay pal. And stop liking your own posts. It's kind of sad.

1

ratl

1:25 AM GMT+0200

Ehhh... like !

Plenipotentiary

3/13/2014 10:43 PM GMT+0200

How many males--especially White and/or CEO's--can you list who are in favor of ANY kind of regulation or repression which gets between them and the ABSOLUTE POWER to which they feel entitled?? If you can name at least five who are at least generous with the wealth they have accumulated in this country by taking advantage of flaws in Capitalism which allows them to wield as much clout and unfettered accumulation of assets as the Fabled "Sheikhs of Araby," I'll re-think the contention I have had for years that THIS COUNTRY'S SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC WOES ARE ROOTED IN OUR ENDEMIC "RES," (A word from Latin which means "The Thing") and stands for what is also unbridled and allowed to flourish. RES= RACISM-ELITISM-SEXISM---All of which were originally enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. Latin America has learned over centuries of ruthless, chaotic governments--serving the wealthiest without fetter--what this leads to and most South American countries have uprisings going on which are aimed at bringing more egality to all classes-colors-economic levels, women, etc. WHY DON'T WE??? Start with our prison systems to get to the answers.

jobro1

1:28 AM GMT+0200

Yup, all we white males care about is ABSOULTE POWER!

G.I. Groucho

1:29 AM GMT+0200 [Edited]

I'd suggest that one of the reasons "we" aren't having these uprisings is that the alleged flaws you speak of are so much lesser than the bizarre state-spawned "third way" efforts between capitalism and socialism a number of Latin American countries espouse (mostly resulting in "cronyism").

Furthermore, the very fact that one can post, and that very many, many people post (and otherwise communicate) anti-government messages without government reprisal is a very good reason, in my view, that, at least in a few ways, the Unite States has gotten things very right - Venezuela, say, has a long history of silencing or co-opting opposition, and other countries thereabouts have been even more flagrant in their suppression of opposing viewpoints.

If for nothing else, the freedom of speech allowed here is something to celebrate about our country. That and the fact we aren't terminally short of staple provisions, as is happening with the more autocratic neighbors to our South.

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