Snowden deal: just two of encrypted e-mail service closed
The closure of the Texas-based e-mail Lavabit, which enjoyed a brief NSA contractor Edward Snowden, said owner and operator services Ladaria Levison. In a statement posted on the website Lavabit, he alludes to secret proceedings that led to this step. "I had to make a difficult decision: either to take part in the crimes against the American people, or shut down the service Lavabit, on the creation of which I have worked for almost 10 years - says Levison. - After serious thought, I decided to suspend the service ". Lavabit attracted attention last month when Snowden, who was then in the transit area of Sheremetyevo, human rights defenders sent an invitation to meet with him to address edsnowden@lavabit.com . This, in particular, the representative confirmed the human rights organization Human Rights Watch in Moscow Tatyana Lokshina by publishing the text of the invitation to Facebook.
According to the magazine Wired, Snowden used Lavabit from January 2010, that is, long before the media gave thousands of classified NSA documents. Lavabit offered its customers "asymmetric encryption" email. As explained by the site administrator, this means that the electronic message is encrypted before it is placed on the server. In order to decrypt it, the recipient must be a password. The administrator Lavabit not guarantee complete security, but emphasized that the chosen method of encryption that service is so complex that decode the message without password "will not be for a long time." In a message posted on the site Lavabit, Ladaria Levison says that "legally not able to" explain the reasons for closing the service.
"I think you have a right to know what happened - he says to the users - the First Amendment (to the U.S. Constitution - GA) guarantees my freedom of speech in such situations. Unfortunately, Congress passed a law saying otherwise. At the moment I have no right to talk about what happened to me over the last six weeks, though I twice requested concerning the request. " Wired Magazine suggests that Levison was the so-called "letter in the interests of national security" - a request for information on one or more clients Lavabit. The recipient of the letter has no right to disclose the fact of the request. Or, suggests Wired, Levison got a warrant to search servers. Himself Levison said only that his company has already started preparing appeals to the Court of Appeal "in order to protect the Constitution." "The favorable court decision will revive Lavabit as an American company," - he writes. Until there is a court order or as long as Congress does not change the law, Levison "strongly advises trust confidential information to companies that are physically located in the United States." Wired Magazine reports that in March this year Lavabit «willingly" provided information for a search warrant in the case of child pornography. "This shows that Levison is not a fanatic in matters of privacy, - says the magazine. - Apparently, the circumstances that forced him to close the service, were out of the ordinary.
" After a few hours after the demarche service Lavabit, announced the closure of the service Silent Circle, also provides services to the encrypted e-mail messages to users. In addition to email, Silent Circle service also provided services to encrypt phone calls and other communications. At Silent Circle stated that "inspired" by the decision Lavabit and support it. At the same time, in the Silent Circle emphasize that threats from the authorities they did not get, though obvious reasons for the closure is also not called. "We did not receive complaints and calls to the prosecutor, search warrants and letters from the security agencies. But we are working on proactive and closes now, "- said in a zayavlyaenii service.
In a statement Silent Circle said that the service "wants to be 100% clean in front of their customers, and do not apologize later." "We have decided that it is better to close with a proud face, than to take the shameful decision", - said in a statement. The company also said it would continue to support the work of services Silent Phone, Silent Text and Silent Eye for existing customers. "Silent Mail was a good idea, but only for a certain period of time and that time is over," - said the service.
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