> I think that a common misconception of the current discussions is that people still expect NSA to obey some kind of law.
I realize that, and I know many things they are doing are extra-constitutional, and even extra-legal. But that was precisely my point. How can the companies just stand to being bullied by law enforcement like that just because "they say so", especially when they think that what they're asking them is at least unconstitutional.
And I know there's a difference between how easy this is in theory, and how easy it is in practice, but come on - what are they going to do? Put Ballmer or Larry Page in prison for not obeying them? The companies would have the best 100 lawyers in the world fighting for them.
It just pisses me off that some companies seem to cooperate way too easily with the mass spying, either because they find no problem with it themselves, or they're just too scared to try anything, even as big corporations.
"...what are they going to do? Put Ballmer or Larry Page in prison for not obeying them?"
Sure, why not? It may sound ludicrous but do you really think it's beyond the realm of possibility? You should look up stories about the CEO of Qwest and what he claims happened to him when he said no to the NSA (in 2007) [1].
> And I know there's a difference between how easy this is in theory, and how easy it is in practice, but come on - what are they going to do? Put Ballmer or Larry Page in prison for not obeying them? The companies would have the best 100 lawyers in the world fighting for them.
There are many ways to destroy people's life's besides putting them in prison. Dictatorships teach that quite well.
All they have to do is arrest the and hold them pre-trial. Do you think any billionaire would tolerate the opportunity costs resulting from two or three years in pre-trial detention?
Never been to the US, but I grew up in a country trying to recover from a dictatorship, so I never believe that secret services have any law to obey.