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bananas

(27,509 posts) Fri Mar 18, 2016, 08:40 PM Mar 2016

Redaction error reveals FBI did target Lavabit to spy on Edward Snowden

Source: Guardian

A redaction oversight by the US government has finally confirmed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s targeting of secure email service Lavabit was used specifically to spy on Edward Snowden.

Ladar Levison, creator of the email service, which was founded on a basis of private communications secured by encryption and had 410,000 users, was served a sealed order in 2013 forcing him to aid the FBI in its surveillance of Snowden.

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After 38 days of legal fighting, a court appearance, subpoena, appeals and being found in contempt of court, Levison abruptly shuttered Lavabit citing government interference and stating that he would not become “complicit in crimes against the American people”.

<snip>

Documents obtained from the federal court were published by transparency organisation Cryptome, as noted by Wired’s Kim Zetter, revealing that “Ed_Snowden@lavabit.com” was the intended target of the action against Lavabit.

The documents were released after legal action from Levison, who has been fighting in an attempt to lift himself from his order of silence and reveal what really happened. A motion filed in December prompted the court to order the release of files within the case, specifically with the identity of the subscriber redacted.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/mar/18/redaction-fbi-target-ladar-lavabit-spy-edward-snowden

18 replies

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Redaction error reveals FBI did target Lavabit to spy on Edward Snowden (Original Post) bananas Mar 2016 OP

Sadly, there are a lot of people here who support the government's action. BillZBubb Mar 2016 #1

I have a lot of respect for people like Lavabit christx30 Mar 2016 #2

Apple does have a business interest in consumers knowing it stands for privacy. JonLeibowitz Mar 2016 #4

The question is, what will the FBI do if christx30 Mar 2016 #7

Well first off there is zero problem with a valid search warrant if its constitutional however I do cstanleytech Mar 2016 #3

National Security Letters are an unconstitutional abomination, indeed. n/t JonLeibowitz Mar 2016 #5

Yup unless they have a relatively short time period like say a year to two years max and there needs cstanleytech Mar 2016 #12

Are we Enemies of the State, too? Octafish Mar 2016 #6

All Citizens - By Definition - Are Enemies Of The State - The Patriot Act Makes It So cantbeserious Mar 2016 #8

Didn't Hillary vote for that, too? Major Hogwash Mar 2016 #9

Hillary LURVES the national surveillance state... Fast Walker 52 Mar 2016 #11

USA PATRIOT Act was supposed to be temporary. Octafish Mar 2016 #15

so was the Enabling Act of 1933. hobbit709 Mar 2016 #17

Like this? Vote Hillary to continue.. Vote Bernie to stop. nt phazed0 Mar 2016 #10

Indeed. A little mentioned but important part of Bernie's record. Fast Walker 52 Mar 2016 #13

Oops! blackspade Mar 2016 #14

K & R for truth davidthegnome Mar 2016 #16

KnR for protection of our right to privacy in our homes and papers (electronic devices). Dont call me Shirley Mar 2016 #18

BillZBubb

(10,650 posts)

1. Sadly, there are a lot of people here who support the government's action.

Reply to bananas (Original post)

Fri Mar 18, 2016, 08:45 PM

Mar 2016

christx30

(6,241 posts)

2. I have a lot of respect for people like Lavabit

Reply to BillZBubb (Reply #1)

Fri Mar 18, 2016, 09:01 PM

Mar 2016

and Apple that are willing to risk it all to protect the rest of us from my government. But the very idea is scary as hell.

JonLeibowitz

(6,282 posts)

4. Apple does have a business interest in consumers knowing it stands for privacy.

Reply to christx30 (Reply #2)

Fri Mar 18, 2016, 09:14 PM

Mar 2016

What impresses me more are the Apple Engineers prepared to tell the government to stuff it. (Of course, even here, such an action would only raise their value in the tech community job market)

christx30

(6,241 posts)

7. The question is, what will the FBI do if

Reply to JonLeibowitz (Reply #4)

Fri Mar 18, 2016, 10:44 PM

Mar 2016

every engineer is willing to go to jail rather than help them? They can force you to break rocks. They can hand you a rifle and force you to die for them. You can't force someone to think, they can't force you to use your brain against yourself.

And imagine how it'd help Apple's business? "Our people will willing to be jailed rather than compromise your security. That's Apple's commitment to our customers."

cstanleytech

(26,282 posts)

3. Well first off there is zero problem with a valid search warrant if its constitutional however I do

Reply to BillZBubb (Reply #1)

Fri Mar 18, 2016, 09:07 PM

Mar 2016

have a problem with the whole not allowed to reveal the information to a 3rd party part, that area concerns me more than lavabit being served a valid warrant because it allows government to behave in a shadowy way and could very well be abused.

JonLeibowitz

(6,282 posts)

5. National Security Letters are an unconstitutional abomination, indeed. n/t

Reply to cstanleytech (Reply #3)

Fri Mar 18, 2016, 09:15 PM

Mar 2016

cstanleytech

(26,282 posts)

12. Yup unless they have a relatively short time period like say a year to two years max and there needs

Reply to JonLeibowitz (Reply #5)

Fri Mar 18, 2016, 10:55 PM

Mar 2016

to be a low cap on the number of them they can use without going to congress to get special permission for a few more which itself has a low cap on the number of times they can issue them without then going to SCOTUS and getting another low cap of them and if they use all those up then they are SOL and need to use regular warrants.