A small piece of good news on the privacy front. I deeply respect people like Nicholas Merrill. This Internet provider pledges to put your privacy first. Always. From the article: Nicholas Merrill is planning to revolutionize online privacy with a concept as simple as it is ingenious: a telecommunications provider designed from its inception to shield its customers from surveillance. Merrill, 39, who previously ran a New York-based Internet provider, told CNET that he's raising funds to launch a national "non-profit telecommunications provider dedicated to privacy, using ubiquitous encryption" that will sell mobile phone service and, for as little as $20 a month, Internet connectivity. Read on to behold his cred.
The Kickstarter hasn't stopped him. According to CNET, he just raised over $40K in one day. My best guess about Congress? They won't do anything until people start flocking to his ISP. By then it will probably be too late.
One of the best things people like him can do in the area of privacy is simply not to keep any records that aren't required to be kept in the first place. That not only reduces your cost of doing business but also leaves fewer records sitting around that can be requested by subpoena. Diligent use of encryption is where he's likely to ruffle the most feathers.
