Topic: Dark Mail

The closure of the Lavabit email service is re-examined, with claims that the service was fundamentally insecure because it relied on a single master key for all accounts. The founder's subsequent "Dark Mail" initiative is viewed as a distraction from the fact that the original system could be easily compromised by the government.

Ladar Levison of Lavabit is launching the "Dark Mail Alliance" alongside PGP creator Phil Zimmermann to develop a new secure email protocol. Adam Curry expresses skepticism about the project's intellectual property controls and Levison's past willingness to cooperate with federal authorities for a fee. He warns listeners not to be "snookered" by the "Summer of Snowden" marketing.