Lavabit, email service used by Snowden, shuts down

Lavabit, email service used by Snowden, shuts down

boingboing.net

Remember when word circulated that Edward Snowden was using Lavabit, an email service that purports to provide better privacy and security for users than popular web-based free services like Gmail?

Lavabit's owner has shut down service, with a mysterious message posted on the lavabit.com home page today.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
lavabit.com

As reported by BoingBoing.net-

According to Lavabit owner Ladar Levison, the emailing platform that touted higher personal security for it's clients- the operation has seemingly been forced to shut down by an ultimatum issued by TPTB and he is now bound by law not to disclose the details surrounding this sudden action.

A quote from the full article by Ladar Levison lavabit.com:

"My Fellow [Lavabit] Users,

I have been forced to make a difficult decision: to become complicit in crimes against the American people or walk away from nearly ten years of hard work by shutting down Lavabit.

After significant soul searching, I have decided to suspend operations. I wish that I could legally share with you the events that led to my decision. I cannot. I feel you deserve to know what’s going on--the first amendment is supposed to guarantee me the freedom to speak out in situations like this.

Unfortunately, Congress has passed laws that say otherwise. As things currently stand, I cannot share my experiences over the last six weeks, even though I have twice made the appropriate requests."

This is just the latest testament to the fact that our supposed First Amendment Rights are but a fairy tale.

Even if the U.S. government can justify the action of shutting down someone's business; denying them the right to speak of the circumstances surrounding such action is sickening.



boingboing.net
(visit the link for the full news article)

Scary stuff. It's right there at lavabit.com... too. If this isn't proof the U.S is headed towards a police state I don't know what is. It seems obvious that congress is completely onboard with these plans, despite the fact they represent an overwhelming majority of Americans who are NOT in favor of domestic spying.

You have a President who ran on a platform of government transparency and respect for the constitution who turned out to be a liar and has trampled both, a congress with no regard for the will of the people who put them there, and secret courts that you aren't allowed to know about. So much for checks and balances?

Wow...I can't believe they are going as far as to shut down the service. Something someone has worked so hard on to make and they just tell him to close up shop. So sick of the politics behind this and how shady they are.

America land of the oppressed

Guess the USA and UK spent all that time fighting the NAZIS in world war 2 for nothing. We may have well surrenderd then as we lost our freedoms anyways, just took longer for them to die.

It's all too believable...that's just it...

As the president and congress make a blatant mockery of our constitution and bill of rights- what are we the people doing? Taking it like a champ, that's what.

Apparently the owner of lavabit.com feels as many people do, in that he's got too much to risk in bucking the authority of the government by spilling the beans. It's a damn shame too because this is how tptb keep us continually oppressed.

Lets see, business man, sees a market need, builds a company to fill said need, need just happens to be inconvenient to governments violation of the law, government shuts company down.

Woohoo land of the free...

They are not even bothering with the illusion of freedom.

reply to post by topdog81


What kind of proof do people need to realize that they now live in a country that rules through tyranny? We all know he was forced to shut down because he wasn't willing to play ball with the US Gov.

I'm just waiting for them to start rounding up the "Jews" (not acutally Jews, but any group of people).

Rome before the fall.. I wonder if the next president is going to be Nero and watch it all burn? Oh well, this express train to hell is starting to loose it whells. I wonder how much double speak and back tracking the Congress will due once their heads start getting chopped off.

Originally posted by cenpuppie
reply to post by topdog81

 

What kind of proof do people need to realize that they now live in a tyranny?

I'm just waiting for them to start rounding up the "Jews" (not acutally Jews, but any group of people).

Rome before the fall.. I wonder if the next president is going to be Nero and watch it all burn?

You don't think its this one?

reply to post by benrl


The irony is, not enough people are feeling the squeeze. It's the poor and downtrodden that fights back, the middle class and up have to much to loose in their eyes. That's usually, there i don't want to toss out a blanket statement, hehe.

No, we're not at rock bottom yet. Once we descend into the abyss, that's when you'll see a fight.

Let's put 3 and 4 together an go with this much that we do know and see where we can round things off.

Snowden used Lavabit
Snowden fled US to Russia and leaked secrets about US government
Lavabit is shutdown with letter that states he cannot talk about things but will try to resurrect his company as an american company.

Seems he was hit with a " Agree with us or cease operations " order.

So he didn't hand over information that related to snowden and therefor didn't keep his companie's servers or something major in the running of his company or it would still be up.

Honestly it reeks of US government Bulling companies to get what they want, but you cannot silence the internet, huh NSA?

We can speak for those stuck behind offical paper restraints or at the very least, speculate.

Gotta love a country who was founded on freedoms, being the main one freedom of speech, an if snowden worked for a school food distribution center and discovered food wasn't handled right and was not always real food, that he would of been a hero and the Media would of suckled on his info for years to come.

Instead he is treated as if he physically harmed people. He disclosed much information people in the social circles already talked about an speculated.

Interesting.

He wasn't in the Military, he was a civilian and therefor protected under our Bill of Rights and US Constitution. So the American People thought.

I guess we won't be seeing the development of new spy proof technologies any more. I find this more disturbing than the spying itself. Its obvious that privacy is now becoming illegal.

reply to post by Tranceopticalinclined


People like to make it sound like signing a NDA somehow means you shouldn't blow the whistle on blatantly illegal and unconstitutional behavior. It's pretty pathetic when people can justify branding the guy a traitor because he signed a non disclosure agreement. If we look back through history, individuals who had the balls to stand up to dictators and buck the system are considered heroes by todays standards, but I'm sure those very dictators who held on to power with iron fists viewed those same heroes as traitors, too.

what next smoke signals or carrier pigeon to carry messages people need to play tptb at their own game and swamp them with gibberish emails texts etc .

Sometimes actions are louder than words. People should bookmark this one, because these actions suggest all the others are playing into the requests and/or demands being handed down upon them.

reply to post by boncho


The actions of the U.S. government in this and many other situations-

Suggest that every concept of civil liberty, freedom, and privacy have been abolished. Anyone that thinks otherwise is drowning in the Kool-aid.

A tragic demise to the construct of living free and of one's own volition.

land of the oppressed...
tyranny

some of you have no idea of the meaning of these words..
boohoo poor bloody Americans, your still have more freedoms and rights than many many many other nations yet you pretend like your living in the slums of congo.

WOW!!!!!

United Stazi of America....it's like we're living in Hitler controlled Germany!!!!!

I simply cannot EFFIN BELIEVE that these types of acts are going on in American which is supposed to be built on the constitution.

I want to throw up right now and think I will......uncle sam is a little beeatch!!!!!


reply to post by Agit8dChop

nations yet you pretend like your living in the slums of congo.

you might want to take that back...... i can take yo to a few slums in detroit and chicago, gun filled killers who won't flinch an eye at blasting at you, starving kids with flies on em......happens here too!!!! U.S. is falling apart in many places

Originally posted by benrl
Lets see, business man, sees a market need, builds a company to fill said need, need just happens to be inconvenient to governments violation of the law, government shuts company down.

Woohoo land of the free...

They are not even bothering with the illusion of freedom.

edit on 8-8-2013 by benrl because: (no reason given)

Why should they?

We will still cast our vote for them.

reply to post by topdog81


Here is the message:

My Fellow Users,

I have been forced to make a difficult decision: to become complicit in crimes against the American people or walk away from nearly ten years of hard work by shutting down Lavabit. After significant soul searching, I have decided to suspend operations. I wish that I could legally share with you the events that led to my decision. I cannot. I feel you deserve to know what’s going on--the first amendment is supposed to guarantee me the freedom to speak out in situations like this. Unfortunately, Congress has passed laws that say otherwise. As things currently stand, I cannot share my experiences over the last six weeks, even though I have twice made the appropriate requests.

What’s going to happen now? We’ve already started preparing the paperwork needed to continue to fight for the Constitution in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. A favorable decision would allow me resurrect Lavabit as an American company.

This experience has taught me one very important lesson: without congressional action or a strong judicial precedent, I would _strongly_ recommend against anyone trusting their private data to a company with physical ties to the United States.

Sincerely,
Ladar Levison
Owner and Operator, Lavabit LLC

Defending the constitution is expensive! Help us by donating to the Lavabit Legal Defense Fund here.

Hm, lat time I checked, Lavabit was down because too much people abused of it and used it to send spams. No they say it's because of the US. And meanwhile they ask for donations. Gimmick?