We had a spirited discussion over coffee today about the whole NSA data collection fuss  and sparked by the continuing refusal of the UK Government to accept there is a case to be concerned,  even if you have “nothing to hide”.

Think of it this way.  You are sat at home,  there is a knock at the door.  You answer  it’s that nice man from the NSA,  he says “excuse me,  we’d like a few minutes of your time,  can you just write down every phone call you’ve made in the last 3-months, what time of day you made the call,  what number you called,  how long the call lasted.”. –  you say why,  they say,  dunno,  may make some sense in the future.

Going to give it to them?  Going to call a lawyer?  Done anything wrong?  –  well good news,  you don’t need to,  they won’t come knocking,  they’ve got all the data anyway.

Then,  remember that phone call you had?  You know,  the crazy guy that your cousin thought would be a an interesting match up,  he called you? No?  Well never mind,  the NSA does. 

He called you from his Walmart cellphone,  me they want to  know what you discussed.  At the time when he ranted on about the PM of Saudi Arabia you never gave it a 2nd thought,  turns out a couple of years later the PM was assassinated by some nut job who had that phone on him…  You remember what you said?

Dam right the NSA shouldn’t have any of your digital data unless they get permission from you,  before collecting it.

Still confused?