---
title: "Privacy for Hillary — but none for the rest of America"
date: 2016-10-13T16:54:00+06:00
draft: false
tags: ["data privacy","three-letter agencies","infosec","signal app"]
author: "Olivier Falcoz"
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---
**The Irony of Clinton Embracing ‘Snowden-Approved’ Security App**

In 2014, [Hillary Clinton](http://observer.com/2016/06/the-classified-double-standard/) [claimed](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2613670/His-leaks-helped-terrorists-Hillary-Clinton-blasts-NSA-leaker-Edward-Snowden.html) National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Edward Snowden’s leaks revealing a mass surveillance program of U.S. citizens helped terrorists and weakened national security. Meanwhile, she denied—and continues to deny—similar allegations directed at her “[extremely careless](http://observer.com/2016/05/game-over-emailgate-just-crippled-the-clinton-express/)” use of a [private email server](http://observer.com/2016/07/exclusive-security-source-details-bill-clinton-maneuver-to-meet-loretta-lynch/) during her [time](http://observer.com/2016/02/breaking-hillary-clinton-put-spies-lives-at-risk/) as [secretary of state](http://observer.com/2016/06/breaking-hillary-clinton-sent-information-marked-classified/).

In 2015, during the first Democratic Party debate, [Clinton](http://observer.com/2016/08/latest-email-leaks-keep-exposing-clinton-foundation-corruption/) [said](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/13/clinton-sanders-snowden-nsa-democratic-debate) Snowden should “not be brought home without facing the music.” 

During the second Democratic debate, Clinton [called](http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/edward-snowden-clintons-call-for-a-manhattan-like-project-is-terrifying-20151220) for a “Manhattan-like project” to expose any encrypted communication, yet her own campaign is using the same encryption technology she wants to stop others from accessing. 

Given [Hillary Clinton](http://observer.com/2016/08/how-much-corruption-can-clinton-laugh-off/)’s critical attitude toward Snowden, his actions, and encryption in general, it is ironic that after the Democratic National Committee (DNC) was hacked earlier this year, her campaign staff and the DNC scrambled to install and exclusively use the encrypted app, Signal. 

Who popularized it? [Edward Snowden](https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/661313394906161152). 

-- [Michael Sainato](https://observer.com/author/michael-sainato/) in [Observer](https://observer.com/2016/08/the-irony-of-clinton-embracing-snowden-approved-security-app/)