Bruce Schneier on Power, the Internet, and Security

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4.7 • 4.4K Ratings

🗓️ 10 June 2013

⏱️ 64 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Bruce Schneier, author and security guru, talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about power and the internet. Schneier argues that the internet enhances the power of the powerless but it also enhances the power of the powerful. He argues that we should be worried about both corporate and government uses of the internet to enhance their power. Recorded before news of the PRISM system and the use of Verizon's customer information by the NSA (National Security Agency), Schneier presciently worries about government surveillance that we are not aware of and explains how governments--democratic and totalitarian--can use the internet to oppress their citizens. The conversation closes with a discussion of terrorism and the costs of the current system for reducing the probability of a terrorist attack.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Econ Talk, part of the Library of Economics and Liberty.
0:06.4	I'm your host, Russ Roberts of Stanford University's Hoover Institution.
0:11.0	Our website is econtalk.org where you can subscribe, comment on this podcast, and find links
0:16.3	and other information related to today's conversation.
0:19.0	You'll also find our archives where you can listen to every episode we've ever done going
0:23.3	back to 2006.
0:25.4	For email address ismailadycontalk.org.
0:27.9	We'd love to hear from you.
0:29.8	Today is May 13, 2013, and my guest today is Bruce Schneier.
0:37.9	He is widely recognized as an authority on security of all kinds, from Internet Security
0:42.9	to Anti-terrorism.
0:43.9	He's the author of numerous books.
0:45.9	His latest is Liars and Outliers, and our topic for today is the relationship between
0:50.8	power and the Internet, power and technology.
0:54.4	Though I'm sure we'll strain some other topics as well.
0:56.5	Bruce, welcome to Econ Talk.
0:58.0	You're welcome.
0:59.0	Thanks for having me.
1:00.0	A lot of people argue that the Internet has empowered the powerless, and there's a lot
1:03.6	of evidence for that, but you accept the point and add, well, it's also empowered the
1:09.8	power full.
1:11.3	How has that, how has that happened?
	...

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