Arguing Quote by Edward Snowden
![“[Bill] Binney will argue with you all day about ThinThread, but his idea was that it would collect everything about everybody but be immediately encrypted so no one could read it. Only a court could give intelligence officials the key to decrypt it. The idea was to find a kind of a compromise…” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/03f/edward-snowden-555_arguing_bill-binney-will-argue-with-you-all-day_1448117.jpg)
“[Bill] Binney will argue with you all day about ThinThread, but his idea was that it would collect everything about everybody but be immediately encrypted so no one could read it. Only a court could give intelligence officials the key to decrypt it. The idea was to find a kind of a compromise between [privacy rights and] the assertion that if you don't collect things as they happen, you won't have them later - because what the NSA really wants is the capability of retrospective investigation.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Snowden on NSA Surveillance, 2013
The quote highlights a balance between mass data collection for security and strong encryption to protect privacy, allowing access only via judicial oversight.
In simple terms: Collect everything, encrypt it, let courts decide access.
Key Takeaway
Implement encrypted bulk collection with legal safeguards.
Themes
privacy
security
surveillance
law
technology
Mood
concerned
analytical
reflective
Type
policy
technological
ethical
When to use this quote
- law enforcement investigations
- national security monitoring
- privacy advocacy
- policy development
Key Concepts
cryptography
mass data
judicial oversight
retrospective analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we ensure timely access for emergencies while preserving privacy?
- What safeguards prevent abuse of decryption keys?
A Different Perspective
Encryption may hinder urgent investigations if court processes are slow.
![“What the NSA really wants is the capability of retrospective investigation. They want to have a perfect record of the last five years of your life, so when you come to their attention, they can know everything about you. I'm not down with that, but [Bill] Binney was trying to create something like…” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/da9/edward-snowden-555_attention_what-the-nsa-really-wants-is-the-capabil_920203.jpg)
![“[Brazil] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data sovereignty."” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/af7/edward-snowden-555_brazil_brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-n_14906.jpg)
![“There was a real choice when [Barack Obama] became president. It was a very difficult choice - to say, "We're not going to hold senior officials to account with the same laws that every other citizen in the country is held to," or "This is a nation that believes in the rule of law."” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/104/edward-snowden-555_accounts_there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obam_27838.jpg)
