14 DAY TRIAL // Six months ago, the first NSA leaks got published. Almost immediately, the world reacted. One strong voice belongs to StopWatching.Us, a coalition of individuals, organizations and companies that seek to put a stop to NSA’s mass surveillance habits.
The list of companies that has signed up to aid with whatever was needed is large and one of them is MediaFire, a huge name among cloud storage companies, one that’s trusted by many.
Brent Bucci, the company’s VP accepted to talk to Softpedia about the NSA, Edward Snowden and StopWatching.Us.
Softpedia: For starters, tell us a little something about yourself and the company you represent.
Brent Bucci: My name is Brent Bucci, and I am the Vice President of MediaFire, one of the largest consumer cloud storage services in the world.
Softpedia: Mediafire is one of the companies that’s present on the list of signatories for the StopWatching.Us campaign. Why did you choose to join such a movement?
Brent Bucci: As one of the biggest online storage companies in the US, MediaFire is committed to keeping our users safe and secure when it comes to their data. We are thrilled to be part of StopWatching.Us, which includes some of the most respected names and businesses in technology, including Mozilla and Reddit. StopWatchingUS allows us to empower our users to have a national voice when it comes to their privacy.
Softpedia: Do you believe the rallies and actions taken so far have had any type of impact on the US government?
Brent Bucci: I think that as both businesses and individuals speak up about privacy concerns, we will see a fundamental shift in how organizations such as the NSA function. Hopefully, groups such as StopWatching.Us can provide US lawmakers with a sensible framework for protecting internet users around the world.
Softpedia: One of Edward Snowden’s greatest fears, and something that many people believe is that despite everything that’s been revealed, nothing is going to change. Do you share the same belief or do you think the NSA’s powers will be reined in?
Brent Bucci: I think that as more documents emerge we will see a public outcry for transparency and action from the Obama Administration. I hope that this leads the NSA to adopt clear policies that respect the need for user privacy.
Softpedia: How do you think the world should deal with the mass surveillance issue since it’s not just the NSA that spies on citizens, but also other countries?
Brent Bucci: Online users need to speak up and encourage their local government representatives to get involved in adopting sensible policies when it comes to user data. A fractured internet is the last thing that anyone wants.
Softpedia: The United States seems be divided about Edward Snowden. Do you think he’s a hero or a traitor?
Brent Bucci: I think that too much time has been spent focused directly on individuals such as Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, and Bradley Manning, and not enough energy has been spent examining the policies and poor decisions that lead to the current state of online privacy in the US. The full impact of Edward Snowden's actions will be felt for years to come.
Softpedia: Countless times, the US government, including President Obama, said that Snowden shouldn’t have gone to the media, but rather use the state-imposed methods to report what he’s seen and what he believes to be morally wrong. Do you believe we’d be having this discussion right now had that been the situation?
Brent Bucci: I personally believe that if the NSA revelations hadn't been leaked by Snowden, someone else most certainly would have eventually leaked it.