Countries should reconsider if computerising all public records is really worth it.
WASHINGTON DC: This is with reference to Ejaz Haider’s article “Edward Snowden and Obama’s global prison” (July 3). Snowden is a hero. He has validated what so-called conspiracy theorists around the world were cautioning about for quite some time but were always dismissed. The US has been blaming other countries for carrying out cyber attacks and intellectual property theft but it was the biggest offender itself all along. From internet backbones to GSM networks to universities across the world, nothing was seemingly off limits to the US. Even top technology companies were not able to protect their users from spying by US intelligence agencies.
As facts have revealed, the European Union’s fax machines were bugged, along with offices at the United Nations in New York. Germany is ranked as a third-grade ally according to these documents. Countries should reconsider if computerising all public records is really worth it.
Saed Nafees
Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2013.
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