I hadn’t heard of this, but it is somewhat alarming. Background information:
“Simply put, the Justice Department takes the position that a secure-communications provider can become part of a criminal conspiracy or racketeering enterprise, if the requisite intent is there.”
Verdict.”Now that Ramos has pled guilty, he’s agreed to forfeit $80 million in cash, as well as tens of million of dollars worth of assets. He’s also handing over server licenses and over 150 domain names that Phantom Secure used to do business. Ramos will be sentenced on December 17th.” https://www.engadget.com/2018/10/04/phantom-secure-ceo-pleads-guilty-encrypted-cartel-phones/
Seems like it would have been a bigger story if maybe the media wasn’t spending all their time trying to figure out what the Devils Triangle was.
While this case seems fairly straight-forward -- the entire enterprise seems designed to avoid detection -- it’s not that big of a leap from this to services such as WhatsApp.
Too bad America learned effectively nothing from alcohol prohibition; IMO, the War on Drugs has done more far more damage to this country than the drugs themselves.
Nannies gonna nanny; wish we had a legal document which prohibited the Fed Gov from doing that. Oh, wait…
Assuming Kavanaugh is indeed confirmed, I hope that he’s “evolved” in the right direction about the 4th Amendment since his shit opinions re the Patriot Act when he worked in W’s White House.
Happy Caturday, Gerbil Nation!
Good morning, Fatwa, and Sven!
I’m hoping to hear the sweet, sweet sounds of Leftists’ heads exploding today. That, of course, assumes that certain key Republicans can grow a spine and/or that red state Democrats up for re-election hear foot-steps closing in on them and do the right thing.
The willful stupidity of the left: “Throughout the hearing and during their arguments afterward, a number of senators stated that while they believed something “bad” had indeed happened to Dr. Ford, they also believed Judge Kavanaugh. This apparent contradiction implies that while these men were willing to believe in the abstract concept of rape, they were not willing to believe that a man they knew — a man like them — could commit rape himself. “People don’t want to believe that wealthy, entitled, white men who are judges, who are coaches of their daughters’ basketball teams, would do something like this. And they do,” says Belknap.”
No, it isn’t an “apparent contradiction.” You can believe that something bad happened to Ford, but that Kavanaugh had nothing to do with it.
Ironic. I read Senator Collin’s statement and was surprised a bit, from her. Her defense of the judge’s philosophy kind of worried me. When he was selected I thought Amy Barrett seemed a better choice but I had settled done a bit. She seemed like she was trying to talk me out of him, though I know that was not how she saw it. At least he should be better than Kennedy and I hope much better than many nominations we have seen from the last four Presidents. Now if Trump can make a good pick to replace RBG when that day comes, things should be better. I hope we don’t see a Souter any time soon. I was disappointed enough with Roberts, who I had high hopes for. The swamp is infectious indeed.
I am on several machinist forums and have made some friends there (ironically they do not know me as “Machinist” but as Jeff.). I have gotten to know one fellow in OK who is building a shop. His background was networking and IT. A short time ago he told me about a system he and a few others had created to use unused cell phone bandwidth for emergency communications. When I got that “Presidential alert” warning recently I wondered if that was his system so I asked him last night and indeed it was. I knew it was used locally for emergencies but did not realize it was national. He said it was some time ago so they had probably changed or adapted it but it was the set up he created (he wrote the code, I think).
Small world.
He is interesting, very religious, family centered, trying to build a business for his family to live with and take over. He would have made a good Gerbil in the day, I think.
Heh…very Trumpian photo caption Mac.
Caturday salutations, Wheelizens!
In re other news: all I’ve got to say is “BAH!!”.
BBL.
Genuinely impressed by this:
Very nicely done.
I hadn’t heard of this, but it is somewhat alarming. Background information:
“Simply put, the Justice Department takes the position that a secure-communications provider can become part of a criminal conspiracy or racketeering enterprise, if the requisite intent is there.”
https://www.lawfareblog.com/illegal-secrecy-prosecution-phantom-secure-and-its-implications-going-dark-debate
Verdict.”Now that Ramos has pled guilty, he’s agreed to forfeit $80 million in cash, as well as tens of million of dollars worth of assets. He’s also handing over server licenses and over 150 domain names that Phantom Secure used to do business. Ramos will be sentenced on December 17th.”
https://www.engadget.com/2018/10/04/phantom-secure-ceo-pleads-guilty-encrypted-cartel-phones/
Seems like it would have been a bigger story if maybe the media wasn’t spending all their time trying to figure out what the Devils Triangle was.
While this case seems fairly straight-forward -- the entire enterprise seems designed to avoid detection -- it’s not that big of a leap from this to services such as WhatsApp.
Hi Fatwa -- Happy Kanaughageddon Day!
Hey, Sven!
Cheers for the links re Phantom Secure.
Too bad America learned effectively nothing from alcohol prohibition; IMO, the War on Drugs has done more far more damage to this country than the drugs themselves.
Nannies gonna nanny; wish we had a legal document which prohibited the Fed Gov from doing that. Oh, wait…
Assuming Kavanaugh is indeed confirmed, I hope that he’s “evolved” in the right direction about the 4th Amendment since his shit opinions re the Patriot Act when he worked in W’s White House.
Not sanguine about that.
Happy Caturday, Gerbil Nation!
Good morning, Fatwa, and Sven!
I’m hoping to hear the sweet, sweet sounds of Leftists’ heads exploding today. That, of course, assumes that certain key Republicans can grow a spine and/or that red state Democrats up for re-election hear foot-steps closing in on them and do the right thing.
Hi, Paddy!
The willful stupidity of the left: “Throughout the hearing and during their arguments afterward, a number of senators stated that while they believed something “bad” had indeed happened to Dr. Ford, they also believed Judge Kavanaugh. This apparent contradiction implies that while these men were willing to believe in the abstract concept of rape, they were not willing to believe that a man they knew — a man like them — could commit rape himself. “People don’t want to believe that wealthy, entitled, white men who are judges, who are coaches of their daughters’ basketball teams, would do something like this. And they do,” says Belknap.”
No, it isn’t an “apparent contradiction.” You can believe that something bad happened to Ford, but that Kavanaugh had nothing to do with it.
Ironic. I read Senator Collin’s statement and was surprised a bit, from her. Her defense of the judge’s philosophy kind of worried me. When he was selected I thought Amy Barrett seemed a better choice but I had settled done a bit. She seemed like she was trying to talk me out of him, though I know that was not how she saw it. At least he should be better than Kennedy and I hope much better than many nominations we have seen from the last four Presidents. Now if Trump can make a good pick to replace RBG when that day comes, things should be better. I hope we don’t see a Souter any time soon. I was disappointed enough with Roberts, who I had high hopes for. The swamp is infectious indeed.
I am on several machinist forums and have made some friends there (ironically they do not know me as “Machinist” but as Jeff.). I have gotten to know one fellow in OK who is building a shop. His background was networking and IT. A short time ago he told me about a system he and a few others had created to use unused cell phone bandwidth for emergency communications. When I got that “Presidential alert” warning recently I wondered if that was his system so I asked him last night and indeed it was. I knew it was used locally for emergencies but did not realize it was national. He said it was some time ago so they had probably changed or adapted it but it was the set up he created (he wrote the code, I think).
Small world.
He is interesting, very religious, family centered, trying to build a business for his family to live with and take over. He would have made a good Gerbil in the day, I think.