Thread: Edward Snowden and his stay in Russia

Originally Posted by Hanna

How would you guys like it, if your country demanded your fingerprint, before they give you a passport allowing you to travel abroad. Then they make your fingerprint available to another country!

You need to move to Russia, Hanna
Russia doesn't care about your fingerprints
Yet

Originally Posted by Doomer

You need to move to Russia, Hanna
Russia doesn't care about your fingerprints
Yet

Yeah, I think people are slightly freer in Russia, for the moment. Less invasion of privacy.
I've noticed here on MR and elsewhere that Russian people are just very cynical and sceptical, and probably wouldn't stand for too much invasion of privacy.

Plus, I think the society is a little more "old fashioned" in the bureacracy. It's easier to spy on people if you are using the very latest technology for everything and keep it in databases that can be cross-referenced between different authorities.

One thing I like about the UK though: You basically don't need an ID. I particularly like that for medical treatment.

But the creepiness is coming. For example when I wanted to buy a monthly train ticket I had to tell them my address. I asked them why and they couldn't respond. Just read in the paper that Oyster cards (smart travel cards in London) have been used 8000 times to catch criminal, because the police can pull out the record of where the person travelled.

Basically, privacy is dead and Snowden is the one who confirmed it.
You'd better have very mainstream opinions and behave within the norms of the "normal". Or you'll get picked up by data mining bots soon enough, and they can focus in on you.

And as for Russia: Well, the FSB was aware of the Tamerlan Tsarnaev's anti-West/pro-islam comments on social networking sites, right? So unless they stumbled across that by chance, they've got something going to keep an eye out for people.