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US Internet Firms Ask Trump To Support Encryption, Ease Regulations (reuters.com) 173

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: U.S. internet companies including Facebook Inc and Amazon Inc have sent President-elect Donald Trump a detailed list of their policy priorities, which includes promoting strong encryption, immigration reform and maintaining liability protections from content that users share on their platforms. The letter sent on Monday by the Internet Association, a trade group whose 40 members also include Alphabet's Google, Uber and Twitter, represents an early effort to repair the relationship between the technology sector and Trump, who was almost universally disliked and at times denounced in Silicon Valley during the presidential campaign. Some of the policy goals stated in the letter may align with Trump's priorities, including easing regulation on the sharing economy, lowering taxes on profits made from intellectual property and applying pressure on Europe to not erect too many barriers that restrict U.S. internet companies from growing in that market. Other goals are likely to clash with Trump, who offered numerous broadsides against the tech sector during his campaign. They include supporting strong encryption in products against efforts by law enforcement agencies to mandate access to data for criminal investigations, upholding recent reforms to U.S. government surveillance programs that ended the bulk collection of call data by the National Security Agency, and maintaining net neutrality rules that require internet service providers to treat web traffic equally. The association seeks immigration reform to support more high-skilled workers staying in the United States. While urging support for trade agreements, the letter does not mention the Trans Pacific Partnership, which Trump has repeatedly assailed with claims it was poorly negotiated and would take jobs away from U.S. workers. The technology sector supported the deal, but members of Congress have conceded since the election it is not going to be enacted.
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US Internet Firms Ask Trump To Support Encryption, Ease Regulations

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  • by Anonymous Coward

    Too bad these companies and so many other people dismissed him as a joke, mocked him and his supporters relentlessly for the past year. The arrogance of these people is astounding.

    I hope by "Immigration reform" they aren't hoping for an expanded H1B program. I think he made it perfectly clear that was not going to fly anymore. You know...by having the former Disney employees present on his campaign trail.

    • by Rei ( 128717 ) on Tuesday November 15, 2016 @08:53AM (#53288693) Homepage

      He also railed against Goldman Sachs, and now has an ex Goldman Sachs banker-turned-media magnate as his chief strategist, and a Goldman Sachs-banker-turned-filmmaker is the leading contender for his treasury secretary.

      He ran on "draining the swamp", and now his transition team is dominated by the swamp itself, a bunch of scandal-wrapped establishment and wannabe-establishment figures. Of course even that seems to oscillate as they bounce each other around. One day Chris Christie is leading the transition, the next day he's not even part of it. Now Pence is running it, while also fighting a legal battle in Indiana to (facepalm) prevent the public from seeing his emails.

      He ran on an immediate full repeal of Obamacare, now he says he's going to evaluate it and try to keep some of its most important provisions, like the ban on discrimination for preexisting conditions, and keeping children on their parents' policies. Which I can't even begin to imagine the outcome of, because if he does that, then he has to make something functionally equivalent to the mandate - otherwise, healthy people who don't get insurance through their employer go without insurance until they get something serious, wherein they can just sign right up despite the "preexisting condition", and hence almost everyone on a non-corporate insurance policy is being treated for something expensive, and thus the rates become astronomical.

      He ran on building a wall, huge, thick, unbroken, and explicitly never just a fence... now it's going to be a mix of walls, fences, and possibly not even that in places. At least that's the stated policy plan as of today, who knows what it will be tomorrow.

      I have no clue what sort of policies this guy is actually going to pursue, and neither does anyone else here. He's changed so much over the years, and often day to day. Like most people except for the hardest-core partisans on each side, I'm hoping for the best and fearing the worst. I'm not even sure he really knows what to do next in many cases. The fact that nobody in his campaign even knew that you have to replace the White House staff when you take office blows my mind. Were they paying that little attention when Obama, or any other president for that matter, took office?

      Again: I hope for the best but fear the worst.

      • by DarkOx ( 621550 )

        That all might be true but Trump does seems to be sticking somewhat to his guns. When the indictments came down on Chris Cristy's people over bridgegae and it was not longer deniable that Cristy reasonably must have or should have known; Trump pretty promptly demoted him.

        That is encouraging. Give people a chance until they show they are not loyal or swap things. When they let him down he cuts them loose. Hopefully it stays that way.

        • by chthon ( 580889 )
          So, he is playing "The Apprentice" then?
          • So, he is playing "The Apprentice" then?

            It's what he knows. I imagine he'll stick with it as it'll make for good news and look like he's doing something. I expect him to fire and replace more people than Lincoln did generals.

        • That's likely what got Christie demoted. This also signals however that Pence may play a more active role as VP, instead of being a traditional hood ornament like Biden.
        • Trump's son-in-law has also been working to push out Chris Christie. Seems he is bitter that Christie prosecuted his father for, wait for it, tax evasion among other charges!
      • by jandersen ( 462034 ) on Tuesday November 15, 2016 @09:35AM (#53288931)

        He also railed against Goldman Sachs, and now has an ex Goldman Sachs banker-turned-media magnate as his chief strategist, and a Goldman Sachs-banker-turned-filmmaker is the leading contender for his treasury secretary.

        "Media magnate" - not to mention that he has a reputation for being a racist and white-supremacist etc etc. Sad to think that I, only a few days ago, spoke in favour of giving Trump a chance to show us what he really is like; I guess that is what he is now doing, and it doesn't look pretty. Keep it up like this, and even the most pessimistic expectations will be more than fulfilled.

      • The fact that nobody in his campaign even knew that you have to replace the White House staff when you take office blows my mind. Were they paying that little attention when Obama, or any other president for that matter, took office?

        Again: I hope for the best but fear the worst.

        That is not a fact, per se, it was a claim by an Obama staffer or two. Kellyanne Conway laughed that off as absurd. A guy doesn't get to become a billionaire by not doing a little research into the most basic things like that, seriously. Some elements are bound to be a little overwhelming though, even for a seasoned politician.
        You could say Steve Bannon is an outsider, though I'm not sure I get a good feeling about the guy.

    • You can always tell that we're getting screwed when the name of a policy includes the word "reform".
    • Too bad these companies and so many other people dismissed him as a joke, mocked him and his supporters relentlessly for the past year. The arrogance of these people is astounding.

      I hope by "Immigration reform" they aren't hoping for an expanded H1B program. I think he made it perfectly clear that was not going to fly anymore. You know...by having the former Disney employees present on his campaign trail.

      You beat me to it. During the campaign, they were not only busy insulting him, but also made it a point to blacklist members of their community who preferred him instead, like Intel's Brian Krzanich. Now they want him to do what they want, rather than what his supporters want.

      They should have taken a page out of his during the primary. During the primary, when GOP rivals accused him of being supportive of Dems, he told everyone that he gave money to both sides and got along w/ everybody to get things d

  • by TheRaven64 ( 641858 ) on Tuesday November 15, 2016 @08:05AM (#53288423) Journal

    Dear Mr Trump,

    You may remember us. We're the people who were suggesting that California leave the USA because you won. We also took some blame for fake news that we claim let you win. Oh, and all of us donated heavily to your main political rival, allowing her to outspend you by a pretty large margin in the Presidential campaign.

    Now that you remember who we are, we'd like to ask you a small favour. Please will you do something that helps maintain the balance of power in our favour, rather than that of the instruments of the surveillance state that will be under your control?

    Thanks,

    A bunch of people that hate you

    • by Spy Handler ( 822350 ) on Tuesday November 15, 2016 @08:17AM (#53288493) Homepage Journal

      The association seeks immigration reform to support more high-skilled workers staying in the United States.

      Google and Facebook want more H1B visas, not a big surprise.

      What's surprising is that they have the gall to ask Trump to give it to them, after donating millions to Clinton. Weren't Eric Schmidt and Sheryl Sandberg basically a part of the Clinton campaign?

      • by Anonymous Coward

        I don't know if Eric Schmidt was ever officially a part of the Hillary campaign, but in the leaked emails he emails he offered to do anything he could do to ensure her victory.

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by gtall ( 79522 )

        Trump? A negotiator? I guess that answers why no U.S. bank would lend to his alleged companies any longer. And the word in the business world was that if you deal with Trump, get your money up front first...but expect a lawsuit later. The only people stupid enough to "negotiate" with Trump lately were a bunch of clueless foreigners who didn't know him for what he really is, i.e., Sargent Bilko's mentor.

      • Yes he sues everyone out of love and understanding!
        • Comment removed based on user account deletion
          • by EmeraldBot ( 3513925 ) on Tuesday November 15, 2016 @10:29AM (#53289267)

            I suppose it's a typical leftist mindset that people should be able to break contracts and essentially steal money from the other party by not fulfilling their obligations while pocketing the money. Apparently Trump doesn't agree with that. Good on him.

            What the hell does being a left minded person have to do with fulfilling a contact? Especially when Trump was quite happy with the work until it came time to pay up???

          • Let me make sure I'm following what you're replying to. TheRaven64 I believe indicated that it's hypocritical of "US Internet Firms" to attempt to negotiate with the candidate they tried to defeat. Then you wrote, which was quite sensible:

            HBI:

            The guy is a negotiator. He'll throw them a bone, but get big concessions in response to this.

            Endless hate is not really a characteristic of Trump. Pragmatism is.

            TechnoCore:

            Yes he sues everyone out of love and understanding!

            HBI:

            I suppose it's a typical leftist mindset that people should be able to break contracts and essentially steal money from the other party by not fulfilling their obligations while pocketing the money. Apparently Trump doesn't agree with that. Good on him.

            Wow. This is just completely fucking insane. What are you even trying to say here?

            Oh, you do remember that Trump believes that as a policy matter bathrooms don't need to be legislated, but in Trump Tower, he'll let trans faggots with woman suits like me rape little gir

          • by jafiwam ( 310805 )

            I suppose it's a typical leftist mindset that people should be able to break contracts and essentially steal money from the other party by not fulfilling their obligations while pocketing the money. Apparently Trump doesn't agree with that. Good on him.

            If I were a democrat, I'd be more worried about all the funds the clintons took in bribes and the liabilities those bribes created.

            Some of those folks didn't get what they were promised for their money. Some might get their money back, the ones that don't might act out.

            • As a Democrat (most of the time), it isn't clear to me that bribery was going on, and, if so, none of it is binding and there are no secret liabilities. Bribes don't work that way.

          • I suppose it's a typical leftist mindset that people should be able to break contracts and essentially steal money from the other party by not fulfilling their obligations while pocketing the money. Apparently Trump doesn't agree with that. Good on him.

            So now it's "leftist" when the Flim Flam Führer doesn't pay his contractors? It's "leftist" when he reneges on his debts? It's "leftist" when management helps itself to a pension fund?

            Free clue: "leftist" does not mean "people I don't like."

      • Endless hate is not really a characteristic of Trump. Pragmatism is.

        C'mon now...

    • To quote Harold Wilson former UK PM "A week in politics is a very long time"
    • by Anonymous Coward

      #LearnToSwim

    • Dear Mr Trump,

      You may remember us. We're the people who were suggesting that California leave the USA because you won. We also took some blame for fake news that we claim let you win. Oh, and all of us donated heavily to your main political rival, allowing her to outspend you by a pretty large margin in the Presidential campaign.

      Now that you remember who we are, we'd like to ask you a small favour. Please will you do something that helps maintain the balance of power in our favour, rather than that of the instruments of the surveillance state that will be under your control?

      Thanks,

      A bunch of people that hate you

      This is comedy gold!!!

    • by khallow ( 566160 )

      Please will you do something that helps maintain the balance of power in our favour, rather than that of the instruments of the surveillance state that will be under your control?

      "in our favor"? I guess you missed the bit about the NSA running over the interests of these businesses without consequence or accountability. That balance of power leans some other way.

  • Translated (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward

    We fucking hate you. We loath your existence. We used our influence to actively campaign against you by manipulating the information the public sees and hears.

    Now, here's our list of demands.

    Now go away or we shall taunt you a second time-a.

    Arrogant, self-entitled pieces of shit.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    Maybe actually writing to the guy with reasonable requests is a better way to go about it instead of rioting, looting and posting endless inane memes on Facebook. Just a thought.

    Reference The Caine Mutiny for ideas on the matter.

    • by Mashiki ( 184564 )

      No no. That goes against the current orthodoxy being promoted by groups like moveon.org and answer. You're supposed to riot, trash shit and so on to show your resolve. Not be reasonable, clear, concise, and lay out something that seems reasonable and get people to agree with it.

      Just look at the last week right? People aren't going to get pissed off or anything and ignore them anymore. Just like I'm sure these electors will bend over backwards and do what the people threatening them want. [spokesman.com]

      • It's a close election in a winner-takes-all system. Whenever that happens, it means that someone just got 51% of the vote and yet won 100% of the power at stake. this means 49% of the population are feeling disenfranchised, and thus angry. Anger leads to protests, a few of which will turn into riots. If the election had gone the other way, it would be Trump supporters holding protests and occasionally rioting.

    • by Anonymous Coward

      inane memes

      There you hit the problem. They'll never stop shitposting for Hillary, because they literally think Trump won because of 'meme magic' or some other such fucking nonsense.

      They don't understand that the average American cares more about being able to buy a house, raise a family and retire than they do about which bathroom your gay Mexican attack helicopter friend should use.

      • The average Trump voted didn't seem to realize that voting for Trump is not going to help him buy a house, raise a family, and retire. Trump is a known liar, and is also known for screwing the little guy.

  • lowering taxes on profits made from intellectual property

    The government bears a large burden for protecting your IP. Even IP that I do not agree with. If you are going to reap the benefits of that, then pay the fucking price.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    How about instead Trump immediately and indefinitely halts the H-1B visa program - no new H-1B visas issued, extended or renewed until further notice.

    This was something he said he would do, it is popular among his supporters and as far as I am aware it is within the purview of the executive to decide who can immigrate and on what visas.

    "The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, Pub.L. 82-414, enacted a provision still found in Title 8 of the U.S. Code at Section 1182(f). The provision gives the president

  • by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 15, 2016 @08:25AM (#53288529)

    Some quotes from his Twitter:

    "I have officially cast my vote for @HillaryClinton... Let's make history tonight! #ImWithHer #electionday"

    "Clinton wiped the floor with Trump tonight. Say hello to your next president, America! #debatenight"

    "Trump is a saggy sack of shit. If any one of you is even remotely considering voting for him this November, please unfollow me."

    And so on. And now he clearly uses his position on Slashdot to push articles against Trump twice every day or even more often. Can't whipslash do anything about it? Guy's starting to get boring with his propaganda.

    • by Anonymous Coward

      +1 fact. Have you also noticed how the related links at the bottom are always manipulated to present either an anti-Trump or pro-SJW agenda?

      Today's related links:
      -Brexit
      -Another dead guy
      -Capitalism = bad
      -Butthurt over losing the election
      -Anti-Trump article

  • How about a standard encryption for email, to comply with HIPAA, so the stupid FAX MACHINES will DIE OFF. Been working on them, printers, photocopiers, computers for over 35 years and with VoIP sometimes it's almost impossible to get fax machines to work with VoIP. Some healthcare agencies I have to deal with WILL NOT authorize Fax to email or anything other than a straight fax machine or fax MFP. 9600-14.4k bps is about the max you can get. People are use to attaching a 30-40 page file to email, complain
    • Email encryption is standardised. S/MIME is well supported by pretty much all mail clients (including Outlook, Apple Mail and Thunderbird). The problem is that end-to-end encryption is basically incompatible with webmail. You need to provide your encryption keys to the mail client and if that client is running code provided by a third party that communicates with a third party server then you've lost already.
      • by johanw ( 1001493 )

        Not really, there are programs that will decrypt the current window if it contains pgp encrypted text. Quite easy, if more mail clients supported inline pgp instead of that unreliable s/mime with its "trusted" keys built in most programs.

      • The problem is that end-to-end encryption is basically incompatible with webmail. You need to provide your encryption keys to the mail client and if that client is running code provided by a third party that communicates with a third party server then you've lost already.

        I give you Mailvelope [mailvelope.com] and FireGPG [getfiregpg.org].

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • by gtall ( 79522 )

      Yep, Smoot–Hawley Tariff worked so well in 1930's for the U.S. Let's have a few rounds of that to make everyone richer.

    • All of the self-styled super educated people who mock Trump voters as rubes

      Is it OK to mock the Trump supporters who are birthers? It's a small fraction, only 40% or so.

    • I support free trade so long as the deck isnt stacked against us.

      What we have done is set up barriers to equal competition, stacked the deck. Environmental regulations that our "trade partners" dont have, labor laws that our "trade partners" dont have, and so on.

      China makes everything because they are willing to pollute more and artificially hold their currency low so that Chinese wages stay cheap. The deck is stacked against us. There are plenty of other south east asian countries and a few south ameri
      • by Anonymous Coward

        Unfortunately that's the situation with everything and it's not just a problem for the US, but much of the Western world as a whole - you can argue it's our problem with terrorism, and national security against countries like Russia too.

        We can't deal with terrorists because we adhere to the Geneva convention and they don't.

        We can't deal with Russia because we adhere to international norms and they just walk into a sovereign neighbours borders and take territory.

        We can't deal with tax havens because we adher

  • An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: U.S. internet companies including Facebook Inc and Amazon Inc have sent President-elect Donald Trump a detailed list of their policy priorities, which includes promoting strong encryption, immigration reform and maintaining liability protections from content that users share on their platforms.

    Are these the same 'Internet firms' who's leaders were talking of California secession a few days ago after the election?

  • by PopeRatzo ( 965947 ) on Tuesday November 15, 2016 @09:50AM (#53289025) Journal

    Who's going to read it to him?

  • The letter sent on Monday by the Internet Association, a trade group whose 40 members also include Alphabet's Google, Uber and Twitter, represents an early effort to repair the relationship between the technology sector and Trump

    .

    We loathe you with every fiber of our being. Here's a list of what we want.

  • The list of their requests has been strongly encrypted with their own software, but they forgot to send the key to Trump....
  • This is a list of terrible things with a few positive points slipped in. Bringing back any variation of the TPP terms would be terrible and the "reform" they have in mind for "immigration" wouldn't be reform at all, it would be further deepening the problem. Reform would be eliminating the h1b program and offshoring not expanding it.
    • I agree that TPP would be a bad thing. But the reasons that Trump opposes it are not ...

      I was going to say not good reasons, but now that I think about it, and have done some googling, I can't actually find any specific reason Trump ever gave for opposing it. He described it as a "horrible deal" but that's as specific as he has ever gotten. He did say "It's a deal that was designed for China to come in, as they always do, through the back door and totally take advantage of everyone." But China is not a sign

  • by Lumpy ( 12016 ) on Tuesday November 15, 2016 @12:57PM (#53290371) Homepage

    80% of the hate I see on Twitter is from the SJW idiots... They all act like a brainless mob.

    • The left is a brainless mob. The right is a brainless mob. And the middle just ignores politics to protect their sanity.

  • No deals can be made with TRUMPENSTEIN. He never honors his deals. He will betray. The TRUMPASTOPHY is upon us. Fight back in every way that you can. Ask nothing of the monster and humiliate him in every way at every opportunity. Organize a TRUMPENSTEIN comic book competition among the tech and nerd communities. Make TRUMPENSTEIN movies. Impeach the creep before he takes office. Come on people. Bloom ! Be all that you can be ! Be creative and join the good fight. Maybe even TRUMPENSTEIN porn movie s

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