I feel like your comment goes so far and then stops short of the key takeaway from this.
From below >>The NSA reported using 3 hops for data dumps from their bulk surveillance store.
From below >>The NSA reported using 3 hops for data dumps from their bulk surveillance store.
I'm not sure what this means, and you appear to be referencing a comment in this HN thread. I'd imagine that if an entity uses a hardware splitter to intercept all traffic, the number of alleged hops used in a network traversal isn't as important.
To the authors point, 2 hops could just about be anyone.
To your point, 2 hops could be a very tenuous link.
If you put both points together you get effectively mass surveillance of just about anyone whilst still claiming to be on the right side of the law.