We need hardware that respects our freedom. We can't debate if it is spying
when there is no way for us to readily investigate it. We are dependent on
many pieces that may or may not be active at the moment.
What the NSA can do is spy on those who don't use encryption (most of us).
They can't even spy on those who do use it (to a great extent).
However what they can't decipher they need taps for. And while they don't
need to tap the majority of us it would be extremely useful for them to be
able to tap *some* people.
Flashing a slightly different BIOS and enabling features in the CPU that
enterprises use is one possibility.
Obviously there are potentially lots of different ways to compromise a
system. The most clandestine way to do it is probably via the technology we
are discussing.
If you want to spy on people like Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, Ecuador's
ambassadors, and others this would be an ideal way to do it.
It completely bypasses any security.
