--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [Bill] Binney will argue with you all day…" description: "\"[Bill] Binney will argue with you all day about ThinThread, but his idea was that it would collect everything about everybody but be immediately encryp..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03f/edward-snowden-555_arguing_bill-binney-will-argue-with-you-all-day_1448117.jpg" --- # \[Bill\] Binney will argue with you all day about… ![“[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/i/03f/edward-snowden-555_arguing_bill-binney-will-argue-with-you-all-day_1448117.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03f/edward-snowden-555_arguing_bill-binney-will-argue-with-you-all-day_1448117.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/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.” [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compromise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compromise/) [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Privacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privacy/) [Privacy Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privacy-rights/) [Retrospective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retrospective/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) ## Related quotes > [What the NSA really wants is the capability of retrospective investigation. They want to have a perfect record of the last five years of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/what-the-nsa-really-wants-is-the-capability-of-retrospective/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [The public has a right to know what kind of monitoring the government is doing, and there should be a public discussion of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-cohen/the-public-has-a-right-to-know-what-kind-of-monitoring-the-government/) [Adam Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-cohen/) > [I'm very, very worried about the invasion of privacy rights that we're seeing not only from the N.S.A. and the government but from corporate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/i-m-very-very-worried-about-the-invasion-of-privacy-rights-that-we-re/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [We should craft our laws to allow images of criminal suspects to be captured in public - but also to make sure that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-cohen/we-should-craft-our-laws-to-allow-images-of-criminal-suspects-to-be/) [Adam Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-cohen/) > [We have got to protect privacy rights. We have got to protect our God-given, constitutionally protected civil liberties, and we are not doing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-broun/we-have-got-to-protect-privacy-rights-we-have-got-to-protect-our-god/) [Paul Broun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-broun/) > [The erosion of privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment, written to protect us against unreasonable search and seizure, began in earnest under President George…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/the-erosion-of-privacy-rights-under-the-fourth-amendment-written-to/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [The ability of businesses to monitor our behavior is already a fact of life, and it isn't going away. Of course we must protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/the-ability-of-businesses-to-monitor-our-behavior-is-already-a-fact/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [I think Democrats are right. We fight for the American dream, for the environment, for privacy rights, a woman's right to choose, a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-boxer/i-think-democrats-are-right-we-fight-for-the-american-dream-for-the/) [Barbara Boxer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-boxer/) > [Recommended additon to the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights: "A right to not have your data rise up and attack you."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/recommended-additon-to-the-consumer-privacy-bill-of-rights-a-right-to/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [It is a little bit difficult to talk about things that do involve classified matters in public. But I think the public needs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/it-is-a-little-bit-difficult-to-talk-about-things-that-do-involve/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [I certainly respect privacy and privacy rights. But on the other hand, the first function of government is to guarantee the security of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crane/i-certainly-respect-privacy-and-privacy-rights-but-on-the-other-hand/) [Phil Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crane/) > [According to the Privacy Rights Center, up to 10 million Americans are victims of ID theft each year. They have a right to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-gutierrez/according-to-the-privacy-rights-center-up-to-10-million-americans-are/) [Luis Gutierrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-gutierrez/) > [The institutions that we've built up over the years to protect our individual privacy rights from the government don't apply to the private sector.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/the-institutions-that-we-ve-built-up-over-the-years-to-protect-our/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Foreigners like me have no privacy rights whatsoever. Yet we keep using U.S.-based services all the time, making us a legal target for gathering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikko-hypponen/foreigners-like-me-have-no-privacy-rights-whatsoever-yet-we-keep/) [Mikko Hypponen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikko-hypponen/) > [Taxpayers should not be coerced into giving up their privacy rights just to file their taxes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-bean/taxpayers-should-not-be-coerced-into-giving-up-their-privacy-rights/) [Melissa Bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-bean/) ## More by Edward Snowden > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/much-of-what-i-saw-in-geneva-really-disillusioned-me-about-how-my/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [The NSA and Israel wrote Stuxnet together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-nsa-and-israel-wrote-stuxnet-together/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [As a general rule, so long as you have any choice at all, you should never route through or peer with the UK under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/as-a-general-rule-so-long-as-you-have-any-choice-at-all-you-should/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ \[Brazil\] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-new-standards-for-this-we-need/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [You are also asked to take an oath, and that's the oath of service. The oath of service is not to secrecy, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/you-are-also-asked-to-take-an-oath-and-that-s-the-oath-of-service-the/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We need to think about encryption not as this sort of arcane, black art. It's a basic protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-need-to-think-about-encryption-not-as-this-sort-of-arcane-black/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [A lot of people in 2008 voted for Obama. I did not vote for him. I voted for a third party. But I believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/a-lot-of-people-in-2008-voted-for-obama-i-did-not-vote-for-him-i/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Too often we forget that social and political movements don't happen overnight. They don't bring change immediately - you have to build a critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/too-often-we-forget-that-social-and-political-movements-don-t-happen/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ There was a real choice when \[Barack Obama\] became president. It was a very difficult choice - to say, "We're not going to hold… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obama-became-president-it-was-a/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We've learned that we've allowed technological capabilities to dictate policies and practices, rather than ensuring that our laws and values guide our technological capabilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-ve-learned-that-we-ve-allowed-technological-capabilities-to/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [It's much easier, I think, to protect communications while they're in transit at least, than it is to enforce legislation in every country in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-s-much-easier-i-think-to-protect-communications-while-they-re-in/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If an adversary didn't target our power plants but they did target the core routers, the backbones that tie our internet connections together, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-an-adversary-didn-t-target-our-power-plants-but-they-did-target/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I care more about the country than what happens to me. But we can't allow the law to become a political weapon or agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-care-more-about-the-country-than-what-happens-to-me-but-we-can-t/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) [Explore all 478 Edward Snowden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## More Arguing quotes > [I do wish you wouldn't argue with me when I'm knitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-durrell/i-do-wish-you-wouldn-t-argue-with-me-when-i-m-knitting/) [Gerald Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-durrell/) > [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [Men are fair, and they have learned not to personalize anger - they can disagree with you and argue to the bone, but afterward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/men-are-fair-and-they-have-learned-not-to-personalize-anger-they-can/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [When Eudæmonidas heard a philosopher arguing that only a wise man can be a good general, "This is a wonderful speech," said he; "but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/when-eud-monidas-heard-a-philosopher-arguing-that-only-a-wise-man-can/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Fasting is required, staying away from fighting and arguing and bombing of masjids is still going on. Hatred is still manifested between Sunni and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/fasting-is-required-staying-away-from-fighting-and-arguing-and/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [The problem for the Left, however, is that the moment it stops painting the Right as vile, it has to argue the issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-problem-for-the-left-however-is-that-the-moment-it-stops-painting/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-argue-with-a-person-who-has-renounced-the-use-of-reason-is-like/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [You can argue that the Terminator movies reboot their world each time they go back in time, but that doesn't negate the value of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hayter/you-can-argue-that-the-terminator-movies-reboot-their-world-each-time/) [David Hayter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hayter/) > [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [I'm a very serious person, but I don't take myself very seriously and I would rather laugh all day than argue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/i-m-a-very-serious-person-but-i-don-t-take-myself-very-seriously-and/) [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/) > [These eyes, tho' clear To outward view of blemish or of spot, Bereft of light, their seeing have forgot, Nor to their idle orbs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/these-eyes-tho-clear-to-outward-view-of-blemish-or-of-spot-bereft-of/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [There's crucial distinction that has to be drawn between the Shari'a, which is this hugely expansive vision of cosmic order that I've been describing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadakat-kadri/there-s-crucial-distinction-that-has-to-be-drawn-between-the-shari-a/) [Sadakat Kadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadakat-kadri/) > [Only fools argue whether to eat meat or not. They don't understand truth nor do they meditate on it. Who can define what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/only-fools-argue-whether-to-eat-meat-or-not-they-don-t-understand/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [The surest sign that you haven't any sense is to argue with one who hasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-surest-sign-that-you-haven-t-any-sense-is-to-argue-with-one-who/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) Browse all 1,908 Arguing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "[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.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Snowden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/bill-binney-will-argue-with-you-all-day-about-thinthread-but-his-idea/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arguing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/bill-binney-will-argue-with-you-all-day-about-thinthread-but-his-idea/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03f/edward-snowden-555_arguing_bill-binney-will-argue-with-you-all-day_1448117.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03f/edward-snowden-555_arguing_bill-binney-will-argue-with-you-all-day_1448117.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03f/edward-snowden-555_arguing_bill-binney-will-argue-with-you-all-day_1448117.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“[Bill] Binney will argue with you all day about ThinThread, but his idea was that it would collect…” — Edward Snowden", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Edward Snowden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "[Bill] Binney will argue with you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/bill-binney-will-argue-with-you-all-day-about-thinthread-but-his-idea/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/bill-binney-will-argue-with-you-all-day-about-thinthread-but-his-idea/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```