Brazil Divorcing the American Controlled Internet

[Malthus]

Cutting other connections isn't going full Pyongyang, they'd still be connected.  It would just force all the Brazilian traffic through this new line.

Then what's the point?  Presumably they can't reach an Amazon or Google server through this new line alone.

I'm wondering that myself.

It would not surprise me if the "point" turned out to be 'well-connected bidders on planned Brazillian cable work find politically acceptable way to exclude cheaper and better American competitors from bidding against them, by tapping into current controversy'.

[Barrister]

Cutting other connections isn't going full Pyongyang, they'd still be connected.  It would just force all the Brazilian traffic through this new line.

Then what's the point?  Presumably they can't reach an Amazon or Google server through this new line alone.

I'm wondering that myself.

It would not surprise me if the "point" turned out to be 'well-connected bidders on planned Brazillian cable work find politically acceptable way to exclude cheaper and better American competitors from bidding against them, by tapping into current controversy'.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jul/07/nsa-brazilians-globo-spying

[Valmy]

What do non-US companies have super NSA avoiding powers? 

[frunk]

Then what's the point?  Presumably they can't reach an Amazon or Google server through this new line alone.

If the line is hooked into the European network through Portugal, why not?

Theoretically this could stop data taps on the lines, which are one of the ways the NSA is spying on the world.  In practice it isn't terribly difficult for them to apply an after install snooper (or just as likely bribe a contractor to gain access at some point).  So, yeah, this is probably pretty dumb except as a way of increasing capacity/reliability of the Brazilian international connection.

[celedhring]

Cutting other connections isn't going full Pyongyang, they'd still be connected.  It would just force all the Brazilian traffic through this new line.

Then what's the point?  Presumably they can't reach an Amazon or Google server through this new line alone.

I'm wondering that myself.

It would not surprise me if the "point" turned out to be 'well-connected bidders on planned Brazillian cable work find politically acceptable way to exclude cheaper and better American competitors from bidding against them, by tapping into current controversy'.

Or "American competitors blame loss of contract to better and cheaper non-US companies on current controversy".

[derspiess]

How exactly laying a comm cable is "disconnecting from the US"? We have plenty of comm cables in Europe that don't involve the US, you know.

And how long has this been going on?? 

[Malthus]

Or "American competitors blame loss of contract to better and cheaper non-US companies on current controversy".

Well, fair enough, only this seems (if the OP article is to be accepted) to be a pre-emptive policy on the part of Brazil.

[Barrister]

Or "American competitors blame loss of contract to better and cheaper non-US companies on current controversy".

Well, fair enough, only this seems (if the OP article is to be accepted) to be a pre-emptive policy on the part of Brazil.

Am I on your ignore list Malthus?

I gave you a link.  There's nothing pre-emptive here.  NSA has been snooping on Brazillian internet traffic.

[Malthus]

Cutting other connections isn't going full Pyongyang, they'd still be connected.  It would just force all the Brazilian traffic through this new line.

Then what's the point?  Presumably they can't reach an Amazon or Google server through this new line alone.

I'm wondering that myself.

It would not surprise me if the "point" turned out to be 'well-connected bidders on planned Brazillian cable work find politically acceptable way to exclude cheaper and better American competitors from bidding against them, by tapping into current controversy'.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jul/07/nsa-brazilians-globo-spying

The US spies on everyone, and not using cable companies based in the US isn't I think going to stop them - they could just as easily suborn whoever is hired to do the installing, for one; or use another method, for another.   

[Malthus]

Or "American competitors blame loss of contract to better and cheaper non-US companies on current controversy".

Well, fair enough, only this seems (if the OP article is to be accepted) to be a pre-emptive policy on the part of Brazil.

Am I on your ignore list Malthus?

Of course not! 

I gave you a link.  There's nothing pre-emptive here.  NSA has been snooping on Brazillian internet traffic.

You misunderstand what I mean be "pre-emptive". In context, what I meant was that the Brazilians were putting the exclusion policy in place - so it dosen't make much sense to argue that US cable companies will simply use this as an excuse for losing competitively; any actual competition is being "pre-empted" by the policy.

[Valmy]

The point of installing their own cable, and cutting out any and all American companies, is to remove that ability.

I have a hard time buying that all American Companies are NSA tools and zero foreign companies are but hey if it works good on them.  Maybe I will move to Brazil.

[alfred russel]

Cutting other connections isn't going full Pyongyang, they'd still be connected.  It would just force all the Brazilian traffic through this new line.

Then what's the point?  Presumably they can't reach an Amazon or Google server through this new line alone.

I'm wondering that myself.

It would not surprise me if the "point" turned out to be 'well-connected bidders on planned Brazillian cable work find politically acceptable way to exclude cheaper and better American competitors from bidding against them, by tapping into current controversy'.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jul/07/nsa-brazilians-globo-spying

The US spies on everyone, and not using cable companies based in the US isn't I think going to stop them - they could just as easily suborn whoever is hired to do the installing, for one; or use another method, for another.

The most likely situation here is some combination of the Brazilian government being foolish and the Brazilian government playing to foolish voters.

[Jacob]

What do non-US companies have super NSA avoiding powers?

They are possibly less susceptible to putting in backdoors for the NSA?

[Jacob]

I have a hard time buying that all American Companies are NSA tools and zero foreign companies are but hey if it works good on them.  Maybe I will move to Brazil.

My guess is that it's less about moving from 100% vulnerability to US spying to 0%, but more about signalling to both domestic and international audiences that Brazil is still pissed off about the spying and they're going to be cranky about it for a while.

What effect it actually has is probably beyond our ken to accurately estimate.

[The Minsky Moment]

It would not surprise me if the "point" turned out to be 'well-connected bidders on planned Brazillian cable work find politically acceptable way to exclude cheaper and better American competitors from bidding against them, by tapping into current controversy'.

Ding, ding, ding!  We have a winner!