Saturday, September 28, 2013

"N.S.A. Gathers Data on Social Connections of U.S. Citizens"

From The New York Times:

By JAMES RISEN and LAURA POITRAS - Published: September 28, 2013 

"WASHINGTON — Since 2010, the National Security Agency has been exploiting its huge collections of data to create sophisticated graphs of some Americans’ social connections that can identify their associates, their locations at certain times, their traveling companions and other personal information, according to newly disclosed documents and interviews with officials. 

"The spy agency began allowing the analysis of phone call and e-mail logs in November 2010 to examine Americans’ networks of associations for foreign intelligence purposes after N.S.A. officials lifted restrictions on the practice, according to documents provided by Edward J. Snowden, the former N.S.A. contractor."

Read more:  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/us/nsa-examines-social-networks-of-us-citizens.html?pagewanted=all


We can trust them, right?  They're a security agency.  They must be good guys.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

This story is right down my lane.

How fitting one would post this shortly after your George Orwell video. Our government is now a monster that regularly violates the U.S. constitution and the laws of the land. Our government has the largest stockpiles of chemical and biological warfare supplies in the world. We are now a land of government hypocrites, liars and murderers. Our government is now of allegiances to the party, not to country. There are only two irregulars I know of fighting to positively change the course of our wayward government. Join them, together you can make a difference.

OrbsCorbs said...

I keep telling everyone that Facebook is the devil's handiwork, but, "Nooooo!"

kkdither said...

Do you think the government is tracking the Irregulars? We are such a threat!

Much of the information out there is provided by our own hand. I had been very careful by using online personnas for my recreational activity. Now when I login to my work email, kkdither's avatar shows up as an alternate option. Google has linked the two.

There is no privacy, anymore. We need to be careful and we need to be vigilant.

Toad said...

Do any of you people remember TBV, the blogger from the JT. Her (handlebar) means Trust But Verify. VERY relevant, but she really didn't abide by It, she was just a very strict conservative, but I alway's like the meaning Of TBV.

Anonymous said...

Toad, you bring up a good point about the cold war era. TBV was often used in strategic arms talks, but is now more so relevant in today's world of blatant corruption in all branches of government. You can hold government officials accountable. It takes more than blogging and whining about it to make it happen.

KK- irregulars have the power to change society and government for the better. IRREGULARS, FLEX YOUR POWER FOR THE GREATER GOOD, BE A POSITIVE SOCIAL FORCE!

legal stranger said...

It takes sacrifices of effort, time, money,and a little luck to to force changes in government, but the rewards of accomplishment are priceless.

OrbsCorbs said...

Google linked two of my accounts this weekend, and claims that one joined Google+. I have no idea what's going on.

I think it's impossible to avoid "detection" one way or another. Even if you don't go online, there's banking records and tax records and city records. You'd have to live in the wilderness like the Unabomber to be truly anonymous.