While you won’t have access to YOUR data, the future winner of the DRM wars and the effective owner of your computer and data certainly will.

This system will also be a great back-door for those engaged in illegal activities as, if the vendor can access the data, so will someone who has cracked the “security” used by the vendor. It needs to be remembered that security systems like “trusted computing” and laws like the DMCA only protect against the activities of generally law abiding people, and doesn’t in any way protect anyone against illegal activities.

So you’ve got your new (Intel 945?) computer with its motherboard mounted TPM chip, created a few home videos, letters etc. and encrypted them to keep them safe from terrorists, paedophiles and the like (well thats what the TPM is for, isn’t it?) … then your motherboard dies … or gets stolen … or you buy a new one. Can’t get your files now can you, even from backups, as the only place the key existed was in the now-gone TPM.

The NZ government recognise this. Good for them, its about time someone in power did and rejected Big Media’s attempt to take control of our /personal/ computers.

This is not the only problem I have with “Trusted” Computing, but its a biggie. Tell me I’m wrong, someone.