◼ Feds Threaten To Arrest Lavabit Founder For Shutting Down His Service - from the either-you-help-us-spy-on-people-or-you’re-a-criminal dept - techdirtThis is pure Soviet/KGB-East German/Stasi socialism. It means Levinson doesn’t really own his business, and can shut it down any time he wants as if it were a hot dog stand. It means the government owns his business — and owns him and you and me.
The saga of Lavabit founder Ladar Levison is getting even more ridiculous, as he explains that the government has threatened him with criminal charges for his decision to shut down the business, rather than agree to some mysterious court order. The feds are apparently arguing that the act of shutting down the business, itself, was a violation of the order:
… a source familiar with the matter told NBC News that James Trump, a senior litigation counsel in the U.S. attorney’s office in Alexandria, Va., sent an email to Levison’s lawyer last Thursday – the day Lavabit was shuttered — stating that Levison may have “violated the court order,” a statement that was interpreted as a possible threat to charge Levison with contempt of court.
◼ ISP CEO Explains What Happens When The NSA Shows Up At Your Door - techdirt
◼ “What Is That Box?” — When The NSA Shows Up At Your Internet Company - Justine Sharrock/Buzzfeed
When people say the feds are monitoring what people are doing online, what does that mean? How does that work? When, and where, does it start?
Pete Ashdown, CEO of XMission, an internet service provider in Utah, knows. He received a Foreign Intelligence Service Act (FISA) warrant in 2010 mandating he let the feds monitor one of his customers, through his facility. He also received a broad gag order. In his own words: at the link
◼ Britain forced Guardian to destroy copy of Snowden material - Reuters
...In an article posted on the British newspaper's website on Monday, Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger said that a month ago, after the newspaper had published several stories based on Snowden's material, a British official advised him: "You've had your fun. Now we want the stuff back."
In the building's basement, Rusbridger wrote, government officials watched as computers which contained material provided by Snowden were physically pulverized. "We can call off the black helicopters," Rusbridger says one of the officials joked.
The Guardian's decision to publicize the government threat - and the newspaper's assertion that it can continue reporting on the Snowden revelations from outside of Britain - appears to be the latest step in an escalating battle between the news media and governments over reporting of secret surveillance programs.
