Now, this article is seriously awesome and breaks down WEI really nicely.
But let’s be real here - governments aren’t gonna care that much about people bypassing ads. Piracy is still thriving, after all. People will find ways around it, and worst case, just get a second computer for privacy.
Client-side scanning mandates are a whole different ball game. It’s all about keeping the kids safe, you know! (And apparently, fighting drugs too. This anti-drug bill contains similar anti-encryption language as the EARN IT Act. Seems like everyone wants a slice of this surveillance cake before it’s even cooked.)
They ain’t gonna let any pockets of freedom in computing survive.
Phones and PCs will be locked down tight. Retro computers will be barred from the Internet or even confiscated. Jailbreaks will be outlawed and censorship will wipe them out. Governments will have complete control over what we can use and install on our devices.
And guess what EFF says about this in their post on client-side scanning?
this entire mechanism is circumventable by using an alternative client to the officially distributed one
That post should have at least made the same points as the WEI one, but in their despair, they ignored the truth. They knew that governments would get what they want regardless.
I think that’s wrong. We can’t escape reality. We have to face the despair and admit we’ve lost! Bow down to our lords and masters! Let’s kneel before our new gods!