DEFCON 20: Bigger Monster, Weaker Chains: The National Security Agency and the Constitution
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN points to it as a prescient talk that discussed, in 2012, much of what Snowden's leaks later confirmed.
What it is
A DEFCON 20 panel with NSA whistleblower William Binney, journalist James Bamford and ACLU lawyers on the NSA's mass collection of communications and its conflict with the Constitution.
Recommended by 1 HN commenters across 1 different months, 2012 to 2019.
What Hacker News said
Recommends jmkni · 2015-06 · on “NSA whistleblower warns of surveillance state”
A year before Snowden took off to Hong Kong, William Binney was on a panel at Def Con where NSA surveillance was talked about at length, worth a watch - [this video] lot of the stuff which was later leaked by Snowden is discussed here, nice to see Binney vindicated. Interestingly, the NSA facility in Hawaii where Snowden was working at the time is mentioned by name. I often wonder if this Defcon talk inspired him to do what he did.
Cites saber_taylor · 2012-12 · on “'Everyone in US under virtual surveillance' - NSA whistleblower”
The Defcon video is similar: [this video] (not sure if this link is bootleg) [LINK] (just the audio) has the ACLU and the same guy if that makes it more legit. The 10 zetabyte storage capacity estimate is based on building size. I think we need more details.
Cites dram · 2013-06 · on “Could Glenn Greenwald go to jail? The law is alarmingly murky”
The NSA is wholesale collecting data and later using a secret court to authorize them to query their own databases [1]. PRISM is not just an interface. It is officially known as SIGAD US-984XN which means it intercepts and collects electronic communications. [1] Bamford, Binney and the ACLU at Defcon 2012 [this video]
Cites jmkni · 2019-09 · on “Edward Snowden: Permanent Record”
I remember the DefCon 20 talk, Bigger Monsters, Weaker Chains with William Binney - [this video] This was in 2012, 2013 was when Snowden did what he did. I always wondered if he saw this talk and was motivated by it.