"Trust"
It's amazing how much our lives center around computers now. Almost everything is online, and almost everything that is important is at least on a computer - from credit card securities, legal documents, bank accounts and stock exchanges, to even little things such as an address book or your family photos. That's not even mentioning media - like your mp3s, video clips and movie files - or programs - games, graphic/music editors, etc. If there is nothing in that list above that you haven't been at least partly influenced by or involved with, then you should get yourself some kind of Hermit of Humanity certificate, because it's simply not possible. Even reading what I'm writing now requires a computer :P
If you really sit down and think about it, that is one hell of a lot of information. And Intel, Microsoft, AMD and some other large companies plan to close their collective fists around all that information. How? With TCPA (Trusted Computing Platform Alliance). Basically, TCPA provides a platform from which the Powers That Be (whoever these Be) can - and I sh*t you not - remotely delete anything on your computer. Chew on that for a while. Remote censorship. Now, I know your first thoughts are of that 1,000-large mp3 collection you have on your computer, but think a little more macroscopically. In essence, whoever possesses such power controls...well, everything that's on a computer - which is, as I said, everything that's important. Courts - or software companies - could delete anything on your computer that they deem "subversive": anything from pornography to criticisms of political leaders. And what's worse is, because of the prevalence of Microsoft operating systems in the world, with TCPA implemented it will become even more inconvenient to use any other OS, even in spite of its censorship, thus allowing TCPA to corner the market and exercise even more control over information.
I don't think I am exaggerating when I say that this is one very large step in the direction of the Orwellian 1984. Big Brother will be whoever holds the reins here, and I imagine that the potential for abuse of this power will be boundless. The fact that it's called "Trusted Computing" is almost laughable, since what TCPA means, in essence, is a computer that can breach your trust. The irony is quite stomach-turning :P
Anyway I've just picked up on the salient points of the evils of TCPA - click on the link above to get to a very good FAQ on it (thanks to Tom for the link). There's a bill being proposed in the US Congress at the moment, to make TCPA-enabled computers the only legally enforced system in the United States - and the US is the Silicon Valley of the world, so I'd imagine everyone else would have to jump on board if this goes through. I can't stress enough how much I do not want this bill to pass. I don't normally believe in political/corporate activism, but this is an infringement of the most fundamental rights of any human being in the 21st century, so, I'll just do my little bit and spread the word. Anti-TCPA? Go here to see what you can do for the Anti-TCPA movement.
Trust, my arse.