Two Tier System of Privacy, One for the Powerful and one for the under privileged class
~~Since the news has been a buzz about President Trump’s daughter being given a position in the Whitehouse and she is awaiting her special phone that is protected from hacking…My question is: How come government officials get special phones that can’t be hacked – but the rest of us are vulnerable to hacking and being wire tapped? This sounds like two different levels of privacy, one for the powerful and one for the rest of us! That is a two tier system where government officials have an elevated, secure privacy phone while the rest of us “lower class” citizens are kept susceptible to wire taps and being hacked. How is that fair? It appears to me that we have a government system where the powerful are given more rights and privacy than we have. That is not the way our American system was set up, we should have equal rights under the law – not one for the rich and powerful and a lower standard for an under-privileged class.
It seems to me that when Trump found out he was being wiretapped he would have suddenly realized the reason for defending the 4th Amendment and protecting that right for all citizens. Instead he has followed what Obama was doing and has still not pardoned Snowden and Assange for being whistleblowers. They put their life on the line to defend the public’s right for privacy and defending the US Constitution. Unfortunately, Trump is doing the very opposite of his oath of office! We will never be free in a nation that operates on a two tier system of one for the rich and powerful and one for the rest us. Without equal rights for all citizens we are not truly free, cannot pursue happiness and do not live in liberty. George Eaton
Trump doesn’t like the spying that was done on him, but he is okaying these servers to spy on all of us? Kelleigh Nelson
Online Privacy Protections Gone
By Stephen Lendman
3-29-17
Last Thursday, majority Senate Republican members passed SJ Res. 34, a joint resolution, rescinding FCC broadband privacy rules.
On Tuesday, House members followed suit, Trump sure to sign the measure into law, letting telecommunications and cable companies sell private customer information for profit without their permission – an infringement of their privacy rights.
Free Press Action Fund head Craig Aaron said the following:
“Ignoring calls from thousands of their constituents, House Republicans just joined their colleagues in the Senate in violating internet users’ privacy rights.”
“Apparently they see no problem with cable and phone companies snooping on your private medical and financial information, your religious activities or your sex life.”
“They voted to take away the privacy rights of hundreds of millions of Americans just so a few giant companies could pad their already considerable profits. Facing a growing public outcry, they rushed through this vote before more people could find out what was at stake.”
Essential online protections are gone, with no prospect for replacing them by this Congress and administration. Personal information is now a commodity to be sold for profit. Our private lives don’t matter.
Congress and the administration side with predatory profiteers, ignoring the rights of ordinary people.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) blasted the move, saying telecommunications and cable companies “will have free rein to hijack your (online) searches, sell your data, and hammer you with unwanted advertisements.”
“Worst yet, consumers will now have to pay a privacy tax by relying on VPNs to safeguard their information. That is a poor substitute for legal protections.”
ISPs will have “new powers to harvest your personal information…” They’ll monitor customers online, create personal/sensitive profiles, selling them for profit.
EFF vowed to contest the new measure in court, along with preparations to demand a future Congress reverse what this one passed.
On March 28, a White House office of the press secretary statement said “(t)he administration strongly supports House passage of S.J.Res. 34.”
When presented to Trump, “his advisors (will) recommend that he sign the bill into law.”
Public sentiment opposing it doesn’t matter. Business prioritizes override it.
