"DRM is a security problem" Re: Call for support for 'citizens to fight back against online censorship and surveillance' and to have a vote on the 'web we want'

David Singer:
> you continue to confuse surveillance and DRM; the fact that you don’t
> like either does not, in fact, make them the same or even related
> problems.

I disagree with much of what Fred Andrews wrote. But this statement is
correct:

>> DRM is a security problem that would take away citizens control of
>> their own computer and would be a vector for commercial and state
>> actors to compromised citizens privacy.

DRM can in practice not be implemented using copyleft FOSS licenses and
proprietary software generally is less trustworthy than FOSS. As Bruce
Schneier wrote:

"Closed-source software is easier for the NSA to backdoor than
open-source software."
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/05/nsa-how-to-remain-secure-surveillance

And to make this even worse some jurisdictions have made it illegal to
disassemble or reverse engineer DRM software.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management#Laws_regarding_DRM

And we all remember what perhaps is the most well known DRM software so
far, the Sony BMG rootkit, do we?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal

I suggest to move this discussion to public-restrictedmedia@w3.org where
it belongs.

Cheers,
Andreas

Received on Monday, 16 December 2013 20:39:58 UTC