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Apple Co-founder: "Snowden Is A Hero To Me"
Hot on the heels of the apparent defeat of the extension of The Patriot Act, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak reaffirmed his support for digital privacy in an interview over the weekend with Arabian Business.com.
When we start to talk about privacy and I ask him whether he thinks NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden is a hero or a villain his answer is prompt and unabashed.
"Total hero to me; total hero," he gushes. "Not necessarily [for] what he exposed, but the fact that he internally came from his own heart, his own belief in the United States Constitution, what democracy and freedom was about. And now a federal judge has said that NSA data collection was unconstitutional."
Snowden, who revealed classified NSA documents to reporters in 2013, is a fugitive from US prosecutors, living on a temporary visa in Russia, another nation he has criticised for its approach to privacy. The judgement Wozniak refers to is that of a federal court in New York, which earlier this month found Section 215 of the US Patriot Act, which authorised the mass surveillance programmes exposed by Snowden, to be insufficient grounds for justifying the NSA's collection of domestic communications data.
"So he's a hero to me, because he gave up his own life to do it," says Wozniak. "And he was a young person, to give up his life. But he did it for reasons of trying to help the rest of us and not just mess up a company he didn't like."
As stories emerge worldwide of implanted spyware in commercially available hard disks and in SIM cards sold to international telecoms companies, security specialists have incessantly offered solutions to the general public, as to how to shield private activities and data from prying eyes. Wozniak, however, is pessimistic about the prospects of protection, and believes the root cause of the problem extends back to the early years of OS development.
"It's almost impossible [to protect yourself] because today's operating systems generally get so huge that they can only come from a few sources, like Microsoft, Google and Apple," he says. "And those operating systems have so many millions of lines of code in them, built by tens of thousands of engineers over time, that it's so difficult to go back and detect anything in it that's spying on you. It's like having a house with 50,000 doors and windows and you have no idea where there might be a tiny little camera."
Woz is an ardent privacy advocate and bemoans the lost chances of computing's fledgling years, where he feels it may have been possible to block future attempts at monitoring.
"There is a type of technology that you can fairly securely today run on your computer and someone else's computer, [which allows you to] send them a message and it's private the way it should be," he says. "I believe that I should be allowed to send a message to my wife and nobody can know it unless they know our passwords.
In 1991, a system named PGP [Pretty Good Privacy] emerged for secure point-to-point data transfer. The data to be sent was encrypted on the machine that sent it and decrypted on the destination machine. Wozniak decries the technology as a lost opportunity for OS vendors.
"At that point in time, if Apple and Microsoft had built [PGP] into their operating system, it would have been a permanent part of email and all email would have been secure," he says. "Now we're talking about making laws that you cannot use encryption. It's almost like you can't have any secrets anymore. And the modern generation just accepts this as the status quo.
"Companies like Google and Facebook are trying to make money off knowing things about you; they're trying to funnel things to you and make money that way. Apple is only making good products that you can choose to buy if you want, so I look at Apple as being more the protector of privacy than anyone else."
* * *
Finally, Wozniak unleashes some other brutal truths...
"Everything is first-class [in Dubai]... The United States used to talk, when I was growing up, like that's what we were. The US would look like this if we didn't spend all our money on the military."
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yes, definitely, Edward Snowden is THE HERO.
Agreed. For his age alone and the possibilities of years lost. HERO
Indeed, Snowden is a hero. Wozniak, not so much. Maybe he's afraid of getting his fat neck stretched at some point in the future. I look Forward! to all these hypocritical assholes who were in the best positions to "See something, say something" having their come to Jesus moment too.
Whether its with the business end of a gun barrel pressed to their forehead or not.
By the looks of him, I think Wozniak co-founded the Apple Pie. *oink*
Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot. But the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville, did not!
If more prominent, visible people such as Woz, came out so publicly, loudly & strongly praising Snowden, maybe it would wake up more currently sleeping sheeple as to how badly their RIGHTS have been undermined & illegally eroded by a tyrannical government that's so far exceeding its constitutional LIMITS that it is frightening.
I tip my hat to Woz.
I agree wholehartedly, TruthinSunshine.
Unfortunately, governments have already devised ways to take care of people who go off-script like Woz: 50 nanograms of Polonium-210.
Speaking of PGP and the creator
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/25/philip-zimmermann-king...
snowden 2016. hes really the only one we the people can trust.
What difference does it make? I mean, it's not like they are going to stop spying on us, invading our privacy, and you can bet your last dollar Google & Microsoft are working HARD to monitor everything you do & say online, but don't even get me started on the gov. facebook database.
I doubt it. People are chemically stupid and media brainwashed not to give a shit. Give them an iDevice and they are A-OK.
Plus they are too busy listening to the subtle orders given to them by Madison Avenue on what they need to buy in order to affirm their otherwise meaningless, empty, and worthless lives.
Speaking of neck stretching, the marketing people, ALL OF THEM, have to go as well.
I want to believe but Snowden worked for the See Eye Aye and no one leaves. I think he is an op against the En Ess Aye as Jon Rappaport said at the time.
http://www.nomorefakenews.com/
Woz is a good guy and kind of a savant. If he thinks Apple are good guys then he is naive.
Woz was going to leave the USA and move to Australia or NZ. I forget which one.
....actually Snowden left with 16 other whistle-blowers. Putin's got the goods. All of it. It took 7 months for Snowden and his compatriots to download all of it on broadband 24/7.
Pooty-poot is just waitin' to drop the (digital) bomb.
Hilarity will ensue when this happens.
Gonna suck big time to be a US politician when the dam breaks and the River of Shit begins to flow.
The dam already broke, look at Lake Mead's water level data. The actual water isn't dropping but the data is all over the board. Russian hackers giving the US fair warning that they own our servers.
In response to the upchain comment "Woz was going to leave the USA and move to Australia or NZ. " taking your loved ones to a safer part of the world makes sense and shows them good faith and love. If the Northern Hemisphere infrastructure ever cooks off for any of a variety of possible reasons, the byproducts and downstream effects are not very good at all. Having a place in the south is no worse than having a super yacht followed by your own oil tanker, like some already have and which they can use to go anywhere they want.
Like you, I am patiently waiting for the Mega-dump of "classified" information that will erase any lingering belief in the "system" and our elected (or unelected) leaders. BRING IT!!
CNN, MSNBC, Time, Newsweek, New York Times, Salon, Huffpo, NBC, ABC, CBS, and the rest of the Corporate Media Complex will go into overtime slamming the leakers as threatening national security, all the while completely ignoring the content of the leak. Op-eds will demand summary executions of all Americans that supported the leak.
Don't underestimate the tenacity of well programmed monarch slaves.
Trust me, when all is said and done, the sheep will be demanding summary executions of those that revealed to them that they are being spied upon.
Sorry ass jacks. Putin and snow job are controlled opposition. If they wanted to they would've dropped the truth bomb years ago. Wake the fuck up already or wait indefinitely for 911 truth. Maybe those other honeypots like The Intercept and Wiki leaks will be your savior....they identify whistle blowers who aren't too smart and ' close the loop '. How many governments have fallen from Snowden/putin? The royal arch mason? That would be zero. If you haven't figured it out yet, please donate to them so you can be poor as well as stupid so they can laugh their asses off.
Controlled opposition cannot be ignored and dismissed. However, there is a possibility a number of people in the military and "intelligence" don't like the direction the country is heading and we have a schsim in their ranks. Snoweden was picked for the job and his flight to Russia was well planned. As you state zero governments have changed their ways based on the revelations. Something this big doesn't change overnight. Let's see where this heads.
Link?
Well the way I look at it, at the time everyone suspected it was going on, he just provided the proof it was, as he was in a unique position to do it.
He hasn't done anything to damage liberty (quite the opposite) here. And as far as St.Pooty, he's just doing his thing, sticking it to an adversary.
Snowden challenged Putin on his own internal spy network as well (on live Russian TV) if you will remember.
He's the real deal, always default to more liberty not less and it can be reasoned out, at least thats the way I see it.
nmewn, lucky for you ZH erases all old comments or we could all see again how you went on and on about what a fake Snowden was. I guess I'm happy to see you finally came around now that its convenient. I guess light does dawn on Marblehead after all.
This is not a good approach. When someone who was blind can now see, instead of rubbing their nose in it, I welcome them with open arms and celebrate a new member to the family. All past sins forgiven. Your comment does nothing positive and if anything, will cause people to retreat into their egoism and remain adversarial longer than they would have without your "I told you so" bullshit.
Stuff your ego and focus on the big picture. Are you in this to stroke your ego and boast, or are you in this for principle? Put aside your ego, jump on board the team, and come on in for the big win!
Unless you were wide awake at puberty age, remember the old adage. People in glass houses...
Frankie, I take your point, but I have to make an exception for nemwn because he's such a devious tool. Ask him how Bldg. 7 went down if you want a good laugh and listen to his statist reply. He's not what he pretends to be. I think all the PTB trolls are on a new program to ingratiate themselves with the cognisati to try to have cred when something important [to them] comes up. Hence nemewn's wishy washy ways.
As far as "Stuff your ego" goes, I'm selfless. I'm in it for the truth.
Fair enough, I was taking your comment at face value without context. Thanks for clarifying.
@ conscious being,
"nmewn, lucky for you ZH erases all old comments or we could all see again how you went on and on about what a fake Snowden was."
You are a lying piece of shit, you have always been a lying piece of shit and you will never change from being a lying piece of shit.
From the very moment the Snowden event happened I was defending him and his motives, you can't find an ill comment from me about him because I never said it.
Motherfucker.
Revisionist history you hoser, but carry on in your dillusions. I see you did not address the Bldg.7 point. Afraid of embarrassing yourself? ... again?
Indeed...
AND
privacy is recognized as a fundamental right in the universal declaration of human rights 1948,
and the european convention on human rights 1970.
its in the US constitution - not explicitly but its implied in the fourth, fifth, and ninth amendments.
its part of the 2000 charter of fundamental rights of the european union.
in 2013 the UN general assembly approved a resolution titled "the right to privacy in the digital age", affirming that our fundamental right to privacy applies online as well as offline, and the risk of mass surveillance undermines this right.
I've always thought "...be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures..." was pretty fucking explicit. Then again the Supreme Court's definition of reasonable is wholly unreliable...
Fuckin' A.
The unspoken mission statement of law schools is the attainment of complete circumvention of constitutional law through clever legal arguments and subtle subterfuge predicated on stari descises and eternal patience.
It's a fucking game to these clowns, and a profitable one at that for their minions walking K street with metaphorical lawyer badges on their $2000 Armani suits.
Add law school professors to the list of candidates for neck stretching.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilpul
Lawyers, the direct descendant of the rabbis.
depends what you mean by is/in/fucking ... I'm sure Hitlary will be totally open about all this:-)
time to throw the bums out and get new bums in there /sarc
in case it's not clear, it won't matter which of the chosen puppets get voted in.
Wasn't he on dancing with the tsars?
OMG that's funny. Touche for the play on words.
what is this "democracy" everyone is talking about?
You get to choose either Brawndo or Toilet Water!
damn hot diggity! I know what I'm choosing. It's Brawndo! Because not only is it what plants crave, but... wait for it.... it's got electrolytes! Fucking love this democracy thing!
I put Dewars in my toilet. Smells nice, disinfects, and keeps the bowl clean. I drink the Glenlivet.
The Constitution guarantees every State a REPUBLICAN form of government.
The CONstitution guarantees NOTHING.
Read the Soviet Constitution when you get a chance. It is wonderfully written and had it have had teeth, would have made the USSR a great place to live in.
Turns out that anglo sheep are just as stupid, naive, and credulous as slavic sheep.
History repeats.
"The US would look like this if we didn't spend all our money on the military."
Not really. Dubai relies on a vast underclass of virtual slave laborers to provide the luxury services. In America such people would be living off welfare and producing nothing.
Allow me to help fix that: America relies on a vast underclass of illegal immigrants to provide the luxury services. In America such people are living off welfare and producing nothing.
Ah, Ye Olde Doing Jobs 'Muricans Won't Do' canard.
sigh.
You mean all those people in Harlem and East New York couldnt deliver sandwiches on bikes to college kids?
Oh do go on.....
Only a person here would put a negative spin on government spending less money to kill people.
Well, the "defender" could always just surrender without a fight ;-)
Ok, so I know the dude co-founded Apple, but that kind of smart rarely shows this level of actual intelligence.
Speaking of that level of actual intelligence, this quote has the same iron in it's words :
Steve Jobs > Quotes > Quotable Quote“The axis today is not liberal and conservative, the axis is constructive-destructive.”
"Everything is first-class [in Dubai]"
Yes, sure. If you're having slaves working for nothing, miracles happen.
If slavery is a bad thing, why do so many of us allow ourselves to become part of it?
At least slaves usually get a crappy place to sleep that's provided by the master.
snowblow what does he think about 911
what intel has he spilt.
in the real world
monsanto carpet co is a good investment perfect for american cattle
People Think Monsanto Is A Carpet Company
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeATyp7pZP4
Tony come on. The guy knows about methods. He told what he knew. He wasn't even working when 9/11 went down. Just because he knows about techniques does not mean he has access to everything collected before he got on the scene. They keep it compartmentalized for a reason.
I'm glad this Steve is still around. Apple would have been a much better company if Jobs had left instead of him. Still love the Apple IIe. Odell Lake FTW.
Jobs did leave. They gave the helm to some Pepsi guy and it all went to hell. Then they begged Jobs to come back again and the rest is more history.
The board at my tech company was replaced a decade ago with all commodities-based schleps who know shit about high technology. From there on out we shrank 92% and went from one of the most prestiguous tech giants in the world with near 9 digit sales to a has been 8% of its original size.
Tech businesses cannot be run by MBA's without a tech background. Time and time again when this is attempted they drive the company into the shitter.
Rumor has it they dont know how to build cars or anything else for that matter.
Correction, nearly a hundred billion in sales.
Woz left first though. If Jobs had left at that time instead of Woz, and Woz was allowed to run the place, it would have been better. For me at least, Woz was Apple, at least the Apple I care about. The modern incarnation is a hipster version of M$, and that is so very sad.
FUCKIN A.
And so we are seeing a cultural change in which the corrupt, perverted, greed riddled elitists become anathema instead of something to aspire to.
The people do not need to defeat them, only not become them.
I love my iphone4S - Siri (actually an NSA agent) and I talk about all kinds of shit.
Android ;-)
I refuse to sell my privacy for convenience.
No cellphone for me.
So, are you saying that Satan is better than Lucifer?
No way. Lucifer brought us LIGHT. Satan brought us KARDASHIANS.
Well, like him or not, at least Wozniak had the guts to defend Snowden to the elite cocksuckers who think they own this place. (Even though he may number among them)
It would be refreshing to see a few other folks, who like to run their mouths all the time- stand up and be counted.
sheep: meeeeh meeeeeh meeh meeeeeeh
I look at Apple as being more the protector of privacy than anyone else.
Muaaahahahaha!
Thanks for the good laugh, Steve!!
Can someone shutdown Steve's iPhone via iMessage.
http://www.reddit.com/user/cbhunt14
Why don't you be a hero to us and tell us what Steve really thought of Bill Gates?
Woz
I'm putting you on Bert Herring's Fast Five diet.
If this guy's such a hero why did Apple provide NSA with backdoors?
Do you think he knew about everything that was going on in the company, and that even if he did, he would be able to do much about things?
By the way, he left Apple in '87 - long before OSs became hugely complex - harder to hide nefarious shit in a smaller place.
When the US Government says "do not discose under penalty of ..." (fill in the blank) Most people obey.
Woz walked away from Apple.
meanwhile this cocksucker is hanging out with bernanke, if you think snowden is anything more than a limited hangout to condition you to being spied on i have a bridge to sell you.
Dont think just because you are reading ZH you are not being fed bullshit propaganda the same as everyone else, the propaganda here is just a bit more diluted with truth and slightly more edgy.
Good comment and the guy that neg repped you is sore that you pissed in his cheerios. One must alway be alert to BS and this site is no exception.
I gave you a positive rep to boost your self esteem and help you sleep better at night. ;)
everyone wants to know the truth till they hear it, then they blame the guy telling them.
But shouldn't you strive to be better than everyone, and don't blame the guy telling you?
what?
Why do you blame Snowden, the guy telling you the truth?
@ yepyep
Sturgeon's Law: "90% of everything is crap".
By that yardstick, ZH is far better than most.
Wozniak is quite the porker.
How should one evaluate the opinion of someone who can't even muster the good sense & self discipline of when to take off the feed bag? You'all might think I joke, only I am completely serious.
Doubt that I am revealing anything here, but it seems obvious to me that Snowden was the tip of the spear. It seems highly unlikely that he acted alone. Still, it makes for good theater and certainly should not detract from the consequences to him.
Snowden = patriot.
We should pay no attention to fat people, no matter how important their message might be.
At least, not until they lose some fuckin' weight.
It's better to be ignorant than to put up with looking at all that flab.
Yes, Snowden is a hero and a patriot.
So much more than so many working in .gov and private industry today.
It is easy to grasp the brass ring, it is much harder to let go of it for the right reasons.
Good show ol Snowjobdin,
The blessed constitution and the people it protects are safe....
http://www.thetruthaboutthelaw.com/the-first-amendment-was-dead-on-arrival/
What happened to that guy. Looks like he got hit by a truck and layed out on the street in the hot sun for too long. What's he bad mouthing the military for that Fucker is so fat he can't put his arms down. Arrest him and redistribute his stolen wealth.
It's Freudian
All the intellects putting down Woz for his weight are too poor to be fat.
What he says appears to be great.
But why he has made Apple another spying device for the NSA.
Everyone knows that Apple devices are working for NSA.
I never will buy Apple because of that.
NO removable battery and no removabe SD card. Thats all you need to know.
just talk the hero-like way so idiots will keep buying your crap products
MANNING / SNOWDEN 2016