This form's been there for a while, and more importantly, months before they released any source code.
NK On Sun, Feb 17, 2013 at 5:19 PM, Kate Krauss <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi, > > I haven't been following this thread and do not know anything about > "Silent Circle." This is why I'm responding--I'm a human rights activist > and I don't know the backstory to this group, good or bad. I'm responding > to a number of off-putting aspects of the Silent Circle web site, most of > which might be easily fixed. > > So to play the devil's advocate--why would a human rights group that is > not focused on infosec and doesn't already know these people be interested > in participating in this? > > The bombastic text below seems to say, "Join us in our nebulous project. > If you are lucky to receive a free subscription (unclear why you would want > one) we will investigate you." The "bona fides" that are "established" here > are that somebody is very arrogant. The tone of the web site is very > cloak-and-dagger. Compare it to the Tor Project web site, which actually > can protect human rights activists: that web site is upbeat, generally > unpretentious, and the logo is a cartoon vegetable. It is publicly allied > with EFF, which has a great reputation. In contrast, the logo for this > company Silent Circle reminds me of "The Ring." > > Also, in my experience--the risk, and so the investigation, would be on > the other foot--human rights groups would be investigating Silent > Circle--the biggest risk is for the human rights organization and its staff > and members. The Silent Circle web site makes a lot of promises and asks > people to take a lot of risks with their information and possibly their > lives. And when you go to "About us" they seem to be founded by US Navy > Seal--which raises questions that are not answered. A "melting pot" of > talent is a concern when one person is all it takes to endanger lives. > > Some possible fixes: Friendlier, less pretentious content on the "human > rights" page (the all-black is a little goofy)--a specific person to > telephone or OTR instead of filling out this form to send to a stranger, > and the logos of endorsing organizations that people already trust. Does > the Tor Project endorse it? > > Unfortunately for them, human rights groups supply--or at least > endure--the cloak and dagger. Their encryption software shouldn't. > > > Kate Krauss > AIDS Policy Project > (I also work with non-US, at-risk human rights activists) > > > On Sun, Feb 17, 2013 at 2:55 PM, Ali-Reza Anghaie <[email protected]>wrote: > >> I believe this is new from them and perhaps in response to libtech's >> ongoing discussions. >> >> https://silentcircle.com/web/human-rights/ >> >> "*If you are a leader, executive or organizer within an active human >> rights group, which we can gather information on to establish bona fides, >> then please fill out the form below. We are interested in providing you >> with a limited number of free subscription packages for dissemination >> amongst your network in order to protect individual privacy and anonymity. >> We would like to build a relationship with you in order to best understand >> your constraints and requirements. We will use the information that you >> provide in this form to conduct open-source research upon your >> organization, its affiliates, your areas of activity and your open-source >> history.*" >> >> Cheers, -Ali >> >> >> -- >> Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password at: >> https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech >> > > > -- > Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password at: > https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech >
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