Big Brother is Watching You

[O Really]

Velcome to Russia, Mr. Snowdensky. Congratulations on escaping the vile repressive eveel US government.
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013 ... snhp&pos=1

[bannination]

Police don't need a warrant to seize phone location data, US court rules

Great.

[O Really]

Police don't need a warrant to seize phone location data, US court rules

Great.

"Somebody" mentioned this point (copied from the article) earlier in this topic: "The court's decision is notable in that it characterizes location data as a "business record," which means that the phone companies own the data and can be required to turn it over directly, the same as any other transaction record." ( I think that would be me.)

And imagine - it wasn't even a "double secret probationary" court!

[Wneglia]

Thought Police



Careful what you Google.

[rstrong]

Careful what you Google.

As Cardinal Richelieu said, "If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him." These folks got a heavily armed response for what was just a couple months ago a perfectly innocuous Google search. Imagine what can be mined from the forum posts, web searches etc. of the average person here. Cardinal Richelieu gets six million lines.

And don't forget what your email and phone contacts and Facebook friends are doing; what they post can affect you too. With tools like XKeyscore ("No, we would never ever do this. Oh wait, our documentation on how we do it just leaked"), connecting the dots between you and terrorism is a lot easier than it was a decade ago when Canadian Maher Arar was kidnapped and tortured by the US government - not for doing something suspicious, but because an acquaintance did something suspicious.

Remember, "terrorism" is just the key that unlocks the door to your online activity:

The TIA needs to identify dangerous people before they get on aircraft.
The FBI needs to identify potential serial killers.
The SEC needs to identify potential investment fraudsters.
The IRS needs to identify potential tax evaders.
The DEA needs to identify potential drug dealers.
The ATF needs to identify potential illegal firearm buyers and sellers.
The USFS needs to identify who might be cutting firewood without a permit.
The CDC needs to identify people who might be carrying diseases.
The HHS needs to identify people who buy their prescriptions in Mexico or Canada.

There's also illegal immigration, election fraud and countless other reasons to examine your online records and "investigate" (in a heavily armed manner with multiple black SUVs like the response to the Google search.)

At least the pet stores will benefit, as they replace a lot of dogs.

[bannination]

Thought Police



Careful what you Google.

Came here to post that story.... dang it Doc!

[bannination]

Careful what you Google.

As Cardinal Richelieu said, "If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him." These folks got a heavily armed response for what was just a couple months ago a perfectly innocuous Google search. Imagine what can be mined from the forum posts, web searches etc. of the average person here. Cardinal Richelieu gets six million lines.

And don't forget what your email and phone contacts and Facebook friends are doing; what they post can affect you too. With tools like XKeyscore ("No, we would never ever do this. Oh wait, our documentation on how we do it just leaked"), connecting the dots between you and terrorism is a lot easier than it was a decade ago when Canadian Maher Arar was kidnapped and tortured by the US government - not for doing something suspicious, but because an acquaintance did something suspicious.

Remember, "terrorism" is just the key that unlocks the door to your online activity:

The TIA needs to identify dangerous people before they get on aircraft.
The FBI needs to identify potential serial killers.
The SEC needs to identify potential investment fraudsters.
The IRS needs to identify potential tax evaders.
The DEA needs to identify potential drug dealers.
The ATF needs to identify potential illegal firearm buyers and sellers.
The USFS needs to identify who might be cutting firewood without a permit.
The CDC needs to identify people who might be carrying diseases.
The HHS needs to identify people who buy their prescriptions in Mexico or Canada.

There's also illegal immigration, election fraud and countless other reasons to examine your online records and "investigate" (in a heavily armed manner with multiple black SUVs like the response to the Google search.)

At least the pet stores will benefit, as they replace a lot of dogs.

buuuuut we've been assured this will never happen by our government! (Even though history is staring them right in the face.) I seriously doubt they'll ever investigate investment fraudsters, at least not the big ones, maybe the small ones trying to get into the game... just to protect the larger ones.

If you become a important force for change they can easily take you down now. This will not end well.

[rstrong]

I seriously doubt they'll ever investigate investment fraudsters, at least not the big ones,

There is a sign that they might:

CBC: U.S. inmates can pay for jail upgrade

Those who can afford it can stay in much safer, NON-overcrowded prisons. They get sleeping quarters separate from all the other inmates. Better access to day rooms, showers and phones. And increased visiting hours.

And the state / company makes a profit. You can be sure that this will expanded to longer and more serious sentences (for those who can afford it.)

"Fremont's is not the only pay-to-stay program in California. The state's southern half has about a dozen of these types of programs, ranging in nightly fees from $85 to $255."

The creation of a two-tier prison system that benefits wealthy offenders is the first step towards sending Wall Street fraudsters to prison.

[bannination]

I seriously doubt they'll ever investigate investment fraudsters, at least not the big ones,

There is a sign that they might:

CBC: U.S. inmates can pay for jail upgrade

Those who can afford it can stay in much safer, NON-overcrowded prisons. They get sleeping quarters separate from all the other inmates. Better access to day rooms, showers and phones. And increased visiting hours.

And the state / company makes a profit. You can be sure that this will expanded to longer and more serious sentences (for those who can afford it.)

"Fremont's is not the only pay-to-stay program in California. The state's southern half has about a dozen of these types of programs, ranging in nightly fees from $85 to $255."




The creation of a two-tier prison system that benefits wealthy offenders is the first step towards sending Wall Street fraudsters to prison.

/facepalm

[O Really]

So the Russians let Snowden stay for a (theoretical) year. Shocked! If a Russian spy defected to the US, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't get sent back either. Somebody needs to get off their high horse and quit being so sanctimonious (that would be you, Mr. President, along with anybody else whining about "detrimental effect on Russian relations.) Kinda makes you wish "Bourne", "Covert Affairs", and "Burn Notice" were real.

[rstrong]

If a Russian spy defected to the US

Snowden claims that his actions were to inform the American people, not another country. Where the government has rebutted his claims, insisting that only those Americans communicating with foreigners (which you are doing right now) are being spied on, and even then only with strict court oversight, they keep being shown to by lying.

The correct word is not "spy", but "dissident."

[O Really]

If a Russian spy defected to the US

Snowden claims that his actions were to inform the American people, not another country. Where the government has rebutted his claims, insisting that only those Americans communicating with foreigners (which you are doing right now) are being spied on, and even then only with strict court oversight, they keep being shown to by lying.

The correct word is not "spy", but "dissident."

OKfine. "Dissident." But the US still wouldn't have turned over a Russian "dissident," and should stop being so "surprised" that Russians would take advantage of the opportunity to learn something useful.

[bannination]

If a Russian spy defected to the US

Snowden claims that his actions were to inform the American people, not another country. Where the government has rebutted his claims, insisting that only those Americans communicating with foreigners (which you are doing right now) are being spied on, and even then only with strict court oversight, they keep being shown to by lying.

The correct word is not "spy", but "dissident."

OKfine. "Dissident." But the US still wouldn't have turned over a Russian "dissident," and should stop being so "surprised" that Russians would take advantage of the opportunity to learn something useful.

In this case I seriously doubt Russia is learning anything it didn't already know. I really don't think Putin is very happy about offering asylm, there is a lot to lose with nothing to gain, hence the "shutup and quit leaking."

[O Really]

In this case I seriously doubt Russia is learning anything it didn't already know. I really don't think Putin is very happy about offering asylm, there is a lot to lose with nothing to gain, hence the "shutup and quit leaking."

I doubt he's happy about it, but he did it nonetheless, and the "shutup and quit leaking" part doesn't seem to be working very well. Without doubt, the Russians are adept intelligence gatherers themselves. But they kept Snowden for something. I'm pretty sure it isn't just altruism or a sudden urge to do something to further worldwide human rights.

[neoplacebo]

Yeah, neither the US or Russia is very likely to re-patriate someone from either direction; generally when one is caught "spying" in the other's country, if there's diplomatic cover, the person is just kicked out of the country. If the spy is truly a dark operator, they will be imprisoned and possibly "traded" at some future date for an equally tarnished gem from the other side. Snowden doesn't really fit either of those categories, though. I was in the navy in Japan when a Soviet pilot defected with his MIG jet fighter. This was about 1975 or 76, I believe. Anyway, the Soviets were furious over it and demanded that the plane be returned. The US returned the plane; only it was in crates and boxes after they took it apart and examined it. The pilot was not in any of the boxes that were returned.

[O Really]

So proper semantics would only use "spy" if a person sought out information, or used information s/he had, for the specific purpose of advising foreign (possibly enemy) countries about information that they had interest in. Or something like that. And that might be different from a "dissident" who bails from his/her country, taking whatever information they might happen to have. Those general definitions leave Snowden a bit in the wind, as he intentionally collected and disclosed information he knew to be classified, but didn't necessarily intend it for use by foreign (possibly enemy) countries. Snowden apparently wasn't hired by any foreign (possibly enemy) country to bring them US information. On the other hand, he set off on his fine adventure to (a) China, and (b) Russia - not exactly actual "enemies" but not exactly UK or Canada, either. Funny the only countries he thought would "protect" him instead of sending him back were countries who were, at best, "frenemies."

[Wneglia]

DEA Disinformation

[O Really]

DEA Disinformation

First paragraph from article [emphasis added]: "A secretive U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration unit is funneling information from intelligence intercepts, wiretaps, informants and a massive database of telephone records to authorities across the nation to help them launch criminal investigations of Americans.

Arrrrgh! That's ridiculous - everybody knows there are no American criminals! And why should it be "secretive"? Just tell the non-criminals all about it and tell them not to mention it to the criminals. That should work.

[bannination]

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/ ... llanc.html

Other agencies are already asking to use the NSA data:

Agencies working to curb drug trafficking, cyberattacks, money laundering, counterfeiting and even copyright infringement complain that their attempts to exploit the security agency’s vast resources have often been turned down because their own investigations are not considered a high enough priority, current and former government officials say.

[bannination]

YAY!! I'm now a terrorist.

Former NSA Boss Calls Snowden's Supporters Internet Shut-ins; Equates Transparency Activists With Al-Qaeda