> This is software that isn’t ready for prime time, hasn’t been fully cooked, and is operating in a country that’s too corrupt to pass meaningful modern privacy laws or to regulate data brokers.
Something about the way this is worded, whether intentional or not, really drives home the reality of the US’ diminished standing as a trusted global partner. Like, we’re simply not taken seriously anymore. And it’s not just because of corruption - the corruption is there because of deep-seated political ignorance.
What I'm saying is the US broadly has low corruption. I don't have to pay a bribe to get my drivers license or to get through the airport. Prices are the same for everyone, and campaign donations are tracked and made public. Broadly speaking you can't purchase bills or laws, and have to convince the public. People own houses worth tens of millions and nobody from the government comes to demand money outside of standard taxes. I don't love everything about our legal system, but it's largely predictable and public. There are lots of countries where they can just lock you up forever, or you have to go through closed courtrooms you're prohibited from commenting on that you may never return from.
The US has issues, but any supposed lack of data privacy laws isn't due to corruption, it's due to the will of the people and the rights of the people involved.
Low compared to who? Third-world countries? Again, just shows how far we’ve fallen that these are the comparisons being made.
> Broadly speaking you can't purchase bills or laws, and have to convince the public.
Please explain the existence of a multi-billion-dollar lobbying industry? Is that money being spent for fun? And unfortunately, the public are so ill-informed that spending money = convincing the public.
> The US has issues, but any supposed lack of data privacy laws isn't due to corruption, it's due to the will of the people
I tend to agree with this, but I think the corrruption is an indirect result of there being very little rational political willpower in the US. The population is too easily distracted, divided and influenced.
Sadly that isn't even close to the worst of it. Trump regularly pardons people of federal crimes in exchange for money and forcibly shuts down insider trader investigations into his own family.
We are living in a time of unprecedented open corruption in the US government.
Private sponsorship of personal vanity projects (White House ballroom)…
Jet gifted by a foreign entity (Qatari AF1)…
Ambassadors demanding personal payment for guaranteed audiences (Guilfoyle)…
And that’s just in recent memory. The Left isn’t blameless either. The fix needs to be systemic (repeal Citizens U, re-build independent oversight and nerf the executive), but unfortunately I only see it becoming a deeper and more acrimonious blame game.
US privacy laws - has anyone gone to jail or massive impacting fines for violations?
No-one can ever deterministically test any of this - just expect the worst to happen.
"Don't write any bugs"