Big Brother is Watching You

[rstrong]

This probably also legalizes and legitimizes things like Carrier IQ, a root kit that carriers added to a ton of mobile phones a few years back.

In theory it was used to help mobile operators get data and information to help out when users are having problem, like the ability to highlight when and how users have dropped calls. Except that oddly, it could track user actions down to the keystroke and it was being used by the FBI.

[rstrong]

Techdirt: Trump's Internet Brigades Shocked To Realize The Government Just Sold Them Out On Privacy

"I'm am Jack's utter lack of surprise."

[rstrong]

Techdirt: How A Little Metadata Made It Possible To Find FBI Director James Comey's Secret Twitter Account

For a few years now, our intelligence overseers have been insisting that we shouldn't be too concerned about surveillance programs that collect "just metadata" because that doesn't really reveal too much. But, of course, we've shown how "just metadata" can ruin a career diplomat's life, and former NSA/CIA boss Michael Hayden has admitted that the US kills people based on metadata.

[Boatrocker]

As much as all this pisses me off, it is some small, cold comfort to occasionally watch the reality chickens come home to roost in the RW fucktard coop. Kinda like when they began to understand that ACA and Obammercare are the same thing.

[Vrede too]

This Politician Gave Away Your Data. Now Buy Hers.
Marsha Blackburn—who got nearly $700K from the telecom industry—voted to make selling private browsing data easier. The guy who raised over $100K to buy hers says he isn't bluffing.

[Mr.B]

Some people are unaware of Big Brother at work ...

[Mr.B]

A Biblical Prediction? ... Cyborgs at work: employees getting implanted with microchips

I've heard bits and pieces of this occurring in the last few months. This is the first article I found that addresses the subject. If you read the short story, also check out the comments ... most comments are more interesting than the story.

Example ...

"It does remind me of the verse in Revelations which mentioned not being able to buy or sell unless they had the mark of the beast in the palm of the hand and the forehead."

"I don't believe in the Bible but it is interesting. The (Biblical) mark is 666. The barcode system is made up of 3 main numbers which is 6,6,6. The first 2 little lines represent a number which is the 6 and the middle two little lines represent another 6 and the last two little lines represent the 3rd 6. Our barcode system would not work without it! So it is interesting! (There's) a hidden 666 in our barcode systems. Now (if) you are implanting chips into people and they have a barcode in them, you are taking the mark of 666 in a way!"

"Once you get people comfortable with the idea of having chips of any kind in your own body, no matter how benign they are now, it makes it easier when similar chips that are more advanced or upgraded to do even more things in the name of convenience to be offered or even forced on people later. You've already had a chip implanted once, how about a better one that adds even more features and conveniences, just don't mind that GPS tracker we put on it too. Yeah, they might not do this or that now, but it's a slippery slope of what chips like this can do or access when you start introducing technology like this and actually give someone else, especially your employer, control over it."

[billy.pilgrim]

This Politician Gave Away Your Data. Now Buy Hers.
Marsha Blackburn—who got nearly $700K from the telecom industry—voted to make selling private browsing data easier. The guy who raised over $100K to buy hers says he isn't bluffing.

the woman is racist trash. I hope all her personal info get properly distributed.

[O Really]

More on that issue... http://bgr.com/2017/04/04/internet-priv ... explainer/

[Vrede too]

There are more nefarious possible uses than ad targeting. The author has never been an activist, dissident or potentially subject to personal or professional disparagement. Otherwise, it would have occurred to him.

[O Really]

There are more nefarious possible uses than ad targeting. The author has never been an activist, dissident or potentially subject to personal or professional disparagement. Otherwise, it would have occurred to him.

To quote a former President, "There you go again, Jimmy..." Looking at what could theoretically be done for nefarious purposes instead of what is being done. I don't know if this author knows beans about the subject, I just thought it was an interesting perspective. However, in this case we don't have to hypothesize about "what if" too much. The rules that Trump "repealed" were not in effect and wouldn't have been until next year. So it's not a matter of change, it's a matter of not changing. So if the ISP's haven't sent the gendarmes to your door yet, they aren't likely to start just because the potential rules were rescinded. Of course, if we want to assume that Trump wants to keep the same rules because he'd discovered nefarious uses to target activists and dissidents, then you might have a point. Of course, we'd also have to assume the Twitter-in-Chief is smart enough to consider that.

[Vrede too]

It's "a matter of not changing" in the wake of revelations about massive spying and decades of dirty tricks, the gendarmes have been to plenty of doors and Trump is already trying to gain greater control over the snoops. But, it's not just the government. What might happen, for example, if a detailed and documented accounting of a conservative Christian's obsession with gay sex and years of searching for gay pics was delivered to his church? He might try and lamely defend himself by saying that he was just trolling "libruls", but many either wouldn't buy it or would think that his defense is just as weird or that it's ugly and infantile.

New Anti-Protesting Legislation: A Deeper Look

It's not just Republicans:

Anti-Boycott Bills Are Part of Wider Crackdown on Protest

A number of commentators have noted two different trends. First, across the nation Republican lawmakers are pushing for bills criminalizing protests. Second, a number of state legislatures have passed or considered, often at the impetus of Democratic lawmakers, bills aimed at silencing the movement for Palestinian human rights by targeting boycotts of Israel.

These trends should not be viewed separately from one another. It is important to understand that the more general anti-protest bills and those aimed specifically at the Palestinian human rights movement are motivated by the same factors. The bills aimed at silencing supporters for Palestinian human rights are anti-protest bills. All of these anti-protest bills are not arising exclusively out of a general disdain for public participation, but out of a disdain for the public participation of particular social movements that the bills’ sponsors fear will be successful. Together, the two trends amount to a bi-partisan attack on the First Amendment.

Right to Boycott Under Attack

Bills aimed at silencing Palestinian human rights advocacy have explicitly attacked the right to boycott. Sixteen states have passed anti-boycott bills in the last three years and many more have considered or are currently considering such measures....

Trump Cites Fake FBI Terror Plots to Justify Muslim Ban or, How State-Sponsored Islamophobia Breeds More State-Sponsored Islamophobia

Stop Racial and Religious Profiling (petition)

Say NO to Encryption Backdoors for Government Agents (petition)

[bannination]

Microsoft releases some information about what Windows 10 phone homes about to help alleviate privacy concerns.

Just increased my concerns. That's a lot more data collection than I thought.

[Vrede too]

There are more nefarious possible uses than ad targeting. The author has never been an activist, dissident or potentially subject to personal or professional disparagement. Otherwise, it would have occurred to him.

It's "a matter of not changing" in the wake of revelations about massive spying and decades of dirty tricks, the gendarmes have been to plenty of doors and Trump is already trying to gain greater control over the snoops....

Twitter Refuses U.S. Order to Reveal the Identity Behind Anti-Trump Account

Most Unwilling to Give Up Privacy to Thwart Attacks, New Poll Finds

[Vrede too]

Circa: US Spy Agencies Intercept and Unmask Congressional Figures as Often as Once a Month

... Often though, the affected lawmakers or congressional aides aren’t told about the unmasking, unless it involves a security or hacking threat. So some affected lawmakers may not know about their appearance in unredacted executive branch intelligence reports, according to intelligence community sources, who spoke only on condition of anonymity.

The notifications are just one of many growing signs that what once was considered a rare event inside the intelligence community -- the unmasking of a conversation involving Americans captured overseas by the National Security Agency or the FBI under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act -- is now becoming more widespread after President Obama lowered the thresholds and privacy protections for such sharing starting in 2011.

... over the last decade, spy agencies have gotten more latitude to unmask and share American identities.

The Bill of Rights at the Border: Fourth Amendment Limits on Searching Your Data and Devices

Border Search Bill Would Rein in CBP
Border Searches of U.S. Persons’ Digital Devices Would Require a Warrant

Demand Border Agents Get a Warrant Before Digital Searches

[Vrede too]

The government might stop searching your phone at the border, but things could still get worse

[Mr.B]

The Internet Gluttony Continues to Grow

TV May Actually Die Soon – Stay Tuned
by Shelly Palmer -- CEO at The Palmer Group

"There are four data sets that help define each of us: attention, consumption, passion, and intention. While traditional broadcast TV tries to measure or attribute some of these to TV viewership, FANG has actionable data that drives Key Performance Indicators."

Facebook knows what you are paying attention to. You post and share the things you care about, and your Facebook profile makes your attention actionable.

Amazon knows what you consume and what you’re thinking about consuming.
If you’ve bought it or are planning to buy it, Amazon knows it and can act on that data.

Netflix knows your passions. You demonstrate how you can be reached on an emotional level every time you watch a video.
Netflix knows more about the kind of entertainment that ignites your passions than you do. It continually acts on that data.

Google/YouTube knows your intentions. You never intend to go to Google and stay there; you search for what you intend to do.
Your Google profile indicates, with a very high degree of accuracy, what you are likely to do in the near-term future.
This is some of the clearest, most actionable data in the world.

I keep getting offers from AVG to block their spying on me ... seriously considering!

[Vrede too]

The border should not be a "Fourth Amendment free zone!"

Tell Congress to pass the pass ‘Protecting Data at the Border Act,' which protects US persons' electronic devices from unreasonable searches.

Fill in the page and click "Take Action". You'll still have a chance to review and edit the message before deciding whether to send the petition.

[bannination]

Good video on windows 10 privacy. Totally mirrors my concerns.

[Mr.B]

You want us to watch a 14+ minute video of some knucklehead touting himself on YouTube?