undefined | Better HN

0 pointsaezart6mo ago0 comments

The government staying out of it makes it worse. The companies have so much power over your life without any oversight.

0 comments

card_zero6mo ago

On the other hand, the government staying out of it makes it better, because if you're banned by the main taxi firm or housing market or [insert rhetorical third thing], there remains the chance of using some sketchy unpopular alternative service, and you're not in violation of the law if you find such a option.

aspenmayer6mo ago

I’m reminded of the punishment that Kevin Mitnick received, which included a ban on using any computing device more advanced than a landline phone. I understand that he was agreed to this, but one cannot agree to sell themselves into slavery[0], and yet these supervised release conditions are considered legal and acceptable to most folks not subject to them. Plea deals are a pox on society.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Mitnick#Arrest,_convicti...

> Mitnick was released from prison on January 21, 2000. During his supervised release period, which ended on January 21, 2003, he was initially forbidden to use any communications technology other than a landline telephone.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_agreement

lovich6mo ago

The sketchiness of those alternative services frequently means you are in violation of the law by using them. IP law on its own for film and tv is a series of monopolies granted to pieces of content and if the owner doesn’t want to sell it to you, Pirate Bay is not a legal alternative.

Regardless these arguments about whether it’s bad based on if the government is involved or not is ridiculous given how interwoven our corporations and government are. Like just doing business with any company strips your 4th amendment rights on that data.

There’s no sane way to argue that they have a clear delineation throughout society

card_zero6mo ago

The clear delineation is the police and prisons, and courts. If the government is a corporation that happens to control the police, despite having that power it still isn't supposed to have everything all sewn up, because laws and courts and institutional resistance prevent it from doing anything it likes. This system is theoretical and supported mostly by wishing, but used to work for quite a long time. Meanwhile the actual corporations don't even have proper police forces and would struggle to get you put in actual prison for violating their rules.

1 more reply

marcosdumay6mo ago

> The government staying out of it makes it worse.

That's because all that power turns the companies into paragovernamental organizations. Anything with the power to gatekeep human rights is a government.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

card_zero6mo ago

aspenmayer6mo ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Mitnick#Arrest,_convicti...

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_agreement

lovich6mo ago

There’s no sane way to argue that they have a clear delineation throughout society

card_zero6mo ago

1 more reply

marcosdumay6mo ago

> The government staying out of it makes it worse.

That's because all that power turns the companies into paragovernamental organizations. Anything with the power to gatekeep human rights is a government.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse