Encrypted email Lavabit used by Snowden shuts to avoid 'complicity in crimes against Americans'

RT.com ^

[Red in Blue PA]

The highly encrypted email service reportedly used by NSA leaker Edward Snowden has gone offline - and its administrator claims the company is legally barred from explaining why.

On Thursday, the homepage of Lavabit.com was changed to a letter from the company’s owner announcing that the site’s operations have ceased following a six-week long ordeal that has prompted the company to take legal action in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Now in the midst of an escalating fight from the federal government aimed at cracking down on encrypted communications, one of the last free and secure services has thrown in the towel under mysterious circumstances.

“I have been forced to make a difficult decision: to become complicit in crimes against the American people or walk away from nearly ten years of hard work by shutting down Lavabit. After significant soul searching, I have decided to suspend operations,” owner and operator Ladar Levison of Dallas, Texas wrote in the statement. “I wish that I could legally share with you the events that led to my decision. I cannot.”

“I feel you deserve to know what’s going on--the First Amendment is supposed to guarantee me the freedom to speak out in situations like this. Unfortunately, Congress has passed laws that say otherwise,” wrote Levison. “As things currently stand, I cannot share my experiences over the last six weeks, even though I have twice made the appropriate requests.”

[supercat]

I think we have a stark choice: either we have to allow the government to collect, scan, and analyze all electronic and voice traffic or we have to tolerate a few successful terrorist attacks on US soil.

How is allowing the government the power to spy on those who might oppose communism going to in any way reduce the likelihood of a terrorist attack? If anything, it would more likely increase the likelihood of a terrorist attack by keeping out of power those who would actually take action against terrorism.

[Weirdad]

Thank you.

I like to see Freepers saying this succinctly and clearly. It has not been said enough by us, “the good guys.” We are strong against the world if we are strong internally. We are nothing if we enact our enemy’s exact government against ourselves, as though that will protect us. What would be left to protect?

Sadly there are too many Freepers who have (for the best of reasons, without realizing the problem) advocated the opposite for too long.

Wake up everyone! We need ALL of us bravely involved in defying totalitarianism!

[autumnraine]

I heard many a freeper use the if you have nothinng to hide... crap when the patriot act was being pushed.

[hoosiermama]

FYI

[Still Thinking]

But ALL correspondence was historically immune to being read. How dare they claim they have a right to oppose it now! In fact, all correspondence should STILL be encrypted by default. It’s the historical norm.

[Political Junkie Too]

They are on Double-Secret Probation.

-PJ