while I agree that users could do a lot of the computing that is now outsourced to the cloud on their own computers, I think there is a lot of convenience in the cloud model and it may be hard to get consumers to move away from it. I would like to hear more about how we might actually effect change so that the government simply doesnt have the right to requisition data from companies as they have been.
As amirmc said, I think the move towards a decentralized system, as the Internet itself operates, can be a viable solution to the cloud problem.
What we see today is accumulation of great power and influence in the hands of a few Big Tech companies. Even without cooperation with NSA, such imbalance is dangerous.
It's like a reverse trend from personal computing back to mainframe era, where users are expected to plug into the Source, conduct their affairs, and then unplug, leaving all data in the central repository, looked after by someone else.
If we could devise a set of standard protocols for cloud communication (like we have for emails), it would give us an opportunity to shift control from centralized proprietary platforms back to users. Any party could then implement the protocol and any user would be free to choose how to access their data, where to store, and who to communicate, as long as they're on the Internet.
While I agree effecting change in the government is very important it cannot be the only thing people focus on. It won't solve the underlying problem in any meaningful way. Other governments are not subject to US rules and vice versa, so anyone who has a tap on the backbones can still snoop as much as they please. Moving people to decentralised systems and/or proper crypto is going to be more impactful overall.
