And this is news how?   Even cell phones calls are monitored.


Big Brother is watching.

I'm not surprised at all by this. For quite a while I sensed that this was happening.


Gennee

Unfortunately I am not surprised by this.  Since America has strayed away from the vision that the founding fathers had when they created the United States it has been heading in this direction.  I do my bit whenever I can, but the machine is established and too many others seem so lethargic that it continues unabated.  So I am gambling that I am old enough that when it gets bad here I will be long dead.

Have a great day.

Don't put anything on the internet that you want kept private, that's just common sense.

It does go deeper than that though.  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/spyfactory/

Quote from: Princess of Cups on May 06, 2011, 05:22:36 PM

and know they have your IP and your GPS coordinates

I don't have a Facebook/Tweeter account, nor do I have an account with any other similar website.    The reason for this is NOT because I am afraid of giving US intelligence agencies my details, but because I don't do anything that is worth reporting on any social network.   I think that people should remember that very little of what they do, and say each day is worth recording in any form.  We have become an infantilised people who seem to be convinced that scratching our head or washing our hair, or any similar petty activity is worthy of reporting to a worldwide audience.   Most of my thoughts, and yours,are banal and pedestrian, this is something to bear in mind the next time you are tempted to update your Facebook page or post some inane comment or observation on Tweeter.

I know that the very idea that US Intelligence agencies are reading your Facebook page seems ridiculous, but given what I know about various intelligence agencies and their practices, the idea of them collating a database from Facebook/Twitter, or Google/Yahoo really doesn't seem at all bizarre.

Quote from: kate durcal on May 07, 2011, 07:02:25 PM
and know they have your IP and your GPS coordinates

Jen I agree with you.   I have never and will never post my image on teh interwebs, not because of what intelligence agencies might do with my image per se, but because when you post your picture on the Internet you lose complete control of it.   I am sure we have all seen those 'funny' Photoshop images of that fat Chinese boy?

If you don't want the government to be able to spy on you, you better stop making phone calls and sending emails too.  Smart phones are the ultimate spying device, where the simple act of carrying one with you, even if you don't use it, is like opening a portal between you and law enforcement, especially post-Patriot Act.

At a certain point though, being paranoid about all that becomes debilitating.

Regarding social networking, pointless fun is still fun isn't it?  Plus, I actually do care to know if my friend is having a good day or not, even if that isn't the most groundbreaking info ever to hit the web .

I am going to say something utterly shocking to Americans.    Governments create 'Rooskies', Commie-pinko-->-bleeped-<--subversives, Narco-terrorists, global drug dealers, Islamic terrorists etc to create fear within their domestic populations.    The men in power are terrified of you because they do NOT want you to realise that they(the government, ruling class) are tiny, insignificant and their power is largely illusionary.   They understand only too well that if the people ever woke up then they would be in very serious trouble indeed.    They have to put you to sleep with gossip, mindless political/sport and showbiz prattle and keep you all chanting 'USA, USA, USA'.   Wake up and realise that you have the power, you are strong and they are weak.

Considering social media is a rapidly growing way for fringe and extremist groups to organise their... exploits, this is hardly surprising news. However, to play devil's advocate for a moment, suppose such intelligence gathering provided the means to prevent another mass death from an unhinged individual or group of individuals, perhaps by being able to trace and apprehend them before they had the opportunity to carry out their plans, then would such an act be as comprehensively scorned?

What price do you pay for freedom? That's the question. If you insist that this is thoroughly underhanded and that privacy is sacrasanct, then this would have to apply for everyone, and not everyone uses the internet for entirely wholesome pursuits. And supposing some atrocity does occur, the same people admonishing intelligence gathering services for infringing on their privacy may well be the same ones saying "why did they do nothing to stop this?"

Just a thought.

'How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think.'


I think that quote is by Adolf Hitler.

'They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.'
Benjamin Franklin

Do you know that almost all digital pictures have embedded information with the date, gps coordinates, etc. Given your paranoia level you better learn how to remove that information from the pictures you posed. Also, it is easy to track the site you rip-off your avatar picture, and then get the time and your IP.

Kate D

  Private sector just as bad.  If you rented a computer from Aaron's, don't pose or dress in front of it.  They will catch it even when you are not online!  Possibly other rental places as well.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/04/aarons-inc-spy-webcam_n_857317.html
  Joelene.