From the Democracy Now page for this video:
Lavabit, an encrypted email service believed to have been used by National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, has abruptly shut down. The move came amidst a legal fight that appeared to involve U.S. government attempts to win access to customer information. In a Democracy Now! broadcast exclusive, we are joined by Lavabit owner Ladar Levison and his lawyer, Jesse Binnall.
"Unfortunately, I can’t talk about it. I would like to, believe me," Levison says. "I think if the American public knew what our government was doing, they wouldn’t be allowed to do it anymore."
In a message to his customers last week, Levison said: "I have been forced to make a difficult decision: to become complicit in crimes against the American people, or walk away from nearly 10 years of hard work by shutting down Lavabit." Levison said he was barred from discussing the events over the past six weeks that led to his decision.
Soon after, another secure email provider called Silent Circle also announced it was shutting down.
According to NBC News, the U.S. attorney’s office in Alexandria, VA has sent an e-mail message to the lawyer of Adar Levinson stating that levison may have violated the court order by shutting down Lavabit.
ReplyDeleteFull story at
http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/13/20008036-lavabitcom-owner-i-could-be-arrested-for-resisting-surveillance-order?lite
In other news, the legal blog Groklaw has announced that as a result of the actions of the federal government over Lavabit, it has no alternative but to shut down.
Clearly the repercussions of US federal government policy of intimidation is to quell free speech and discussion.
Meanwhile the sheeple of the UKofGB&NI are totally apathetic towards the forthcoming government legislation to outlaw non-authorized criticism of the government during the period before the next election.
Perhaps if re-elected they should go one further and only allow approved candidates to stand as is the case in City of London municipal elections
and just like that other nation which has clerics in the parliament (viz bishops in the House of Lords) namely the Islamic Republic of iran.