The issue is that most privacy laws were drafted to cover communications, not computing and that technically it is possible to encrypt data and store it securely in the cloud. However, that is not possible if one wants to compute with that data.
“You cannot protect data in cloud computing,” he said.
In recent years, Bowden has worked with those trying ways to make cloud computing contracts work, an act that is impossible, given the US constitution. Even if Congress were to pass a law that provided the protection desired, spying on foreigners in a foreign land is a presidential prerogative and the President cannot be restricted by congress.
Rather Bowden said the only way was for the European Union to withhold data flows to US based cloud computing providers, essentially engage in a trade war, until a desirable outcome is achieved.
The former Microsoft employee said that the only way to ensure privacy was to have free and open source software running on locally hosted data centres.
Ultimately the NSA’s surveillance is highly corrosive to democracy.
Bowden said most people do not think they have anything to hide, but people vote politicians and trust bureaucrats to take decisions fairly in the collective interest. The danger is that those politicians and officials may be influenced by fear of NSA spying on their own private life. Anyone with half a brain cell in public life knows their career can be ruined by one tabloid news story.
“The thoughts that Edward Snowden have put in the minds of the public cannot now be unthought,” he said.