Report: Verizon Has Been Turning Over Call Logs for All of their Customers to the NSA

[Dalvik_Cache]

I fly at least two times a week, three weeks out of the month and I have never been stripped searched. The bank activity, thats true... The govt. also data mines Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, 4chan, reddit, and every other social media outlet on earth. Every message anyone has ever publicly posted is archived with the good old USG. Public video cameras regularly run facial detection software. If one thinks that mobile carriers turning over meta-data is as bad as it gets, they're sadly mistaken.

I doubt this country of ours will ever turn communist but I would not rule out the possibility of it turning fascist. We already get stripped searched in airports, our bank account activity is monitored, and now this.

 

[TheOldFart]

I fly at least two times a week, three weeks out of the month and I have never been stripped searched. The bank activity, thats true... The govt. also data mines Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, 4chan, reddit, and every other social media outlet on earth. Every message anyone has ever publicly posted is archived with the good old USG. Public video cameras regularly run facial detection software. If one thinks that mobile carriers turning over meta-data is as bad as it gets, they're sadly mistaken.

Remember that some of this intrusive data is what allowed the FBI, Boston police, etc to capture the Boston bombers so quickly. If it were not for some of this intrusive data, they might not have been caught, at least not before they had the chance to set off another bomb in Times Square. I believe that some of this data also led investigators to others who might have been involved in this.

 

[devdeuce]

Remember that some of this intrusive data is what allowed the FBI, Boston police, etc to capture the Boston bombers so quickly. If it were not for some of this intrusive data, they might not have been caught, at least not before they had the chance to set off another bomb in Times Square. I believe that some of this data also led investigators to others who might have been involved in this.

The Boston bombers were caught because they jacked a car and the subsequent car chase, not because of spying. If these things worked, they would have identified them before or shortly after without needing a lucky break. Granted, they had pictures because of surveillance cameras and peoples cameras but were only identified when caught while committing another crime.

 

[TheOldFart]

Well here we go....

WASHINGTON—On the heels of reports that the National Security Agency has secretly been amassing the private telephone records of Verizon’s more than 120 million customers, President Barack Obama announced Thursday that his administration is releasing the entire country’s phone records to the public in an effort to handle the situation with complete transparency. “Honesty and openness have always been the hallmarks of my presidency, which is why I believe that everybody should have free access to this essential information,” the president said at a press conference, encouraging the public to visit a newly created online database containing the time, duration, and location of every wireless and landline phone call made by all 315 million Americans. “We—all of us—are laying our cards on the table here. Now, everyone in the country will know who’s calling whom, and when, and how often, and for how long. My administration doesn’t have any secrets, and from now on, neither will you.” Obama noted that, for the sake of national security, personal emails, consumer reports, and medical histories will remain the exclusive property of the federal government.

Source: WSJ

This is really troubling, as is the other story linked to on that page: "Curiosity Rover To Explore Massive Martian Synagogue". I'm not sure that I buy that second story, as I read in Area 51, the documentary by Bob Mayer, that it was the Arilia who built on Mars. Of course, they do seem to have photos of the synagogue, so who knows which report is correct. Perhaps the Arlia and Israel have worked together in the past.

 

[vannDROID]

I fly at least two times a week, three weeks out of the month and I have never been stripped searched. The bank activity, thats true... The govt. also data mines Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, 4chan, reddit, and every other social media outlet on earth. Every message anyone has ever publicly posted is archived with the good old USG. Public video cameras regularly run facial detection software. If one thinks that mobile carriers turning over meta-data is as bad as it gets, they're sadly mistaken.

The strip search remark was meant to be facetious. My point is that government will becoming more intrusive on our liberties but whether or not its an effective anti-terrorism measure remains to be seen.

 

[Dalvik_Cache]

The strip search remark was meant to be facetious. My point is that government will becoming more intrusive on our liberties but whether or not its an effective anti-terrorism measure remains to be seen.

Aside from recent there hasn't been a successful, signifigent terror attack on US soil in 10 years, plus. How are they not successful? You think terrorists just haven't tried for 10 years?

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2

 

[kodiak799]

The strip search remark was meant to be facetious. My point is that government will becoming more intrusive on our liberties but whether or not its an effective anti-terrorism measure remains to be seen.

I suspect it's at least fairly effective. Less than 100% success does not imply the program is ineffective.

That said, the problem is the lack of accountability. When higher-ups are all claiming they "didn't know" about these scandals that's a huge issue. Even if true, that's an unacceptable defense. I'm not calling this a scandal, but when the system is unable to monitor or prevent abuse that becomes scary.

That these programs are, or claimed to be, operating outside the oversight of elected officials is a serious threat to our liberties. It's these career staffers that the citizens are unable to hold accountable that have the real power, power which increasingly looks to be unchecked and unrestrained.

 

[devdeuce]

I suspect it's at least fairly effective. Less than 100% success does not imply the program is ineffective.

That said, the problem is the lack of accountability. When higher-ups are all claiming they "didn't know" about these scandals that's a huge issue. Even if true, that's an unacceptable defense. I'm not calling this a scandal, but when the system is unable to monitor or prevent abuse that becomes scary.

That these programs are, or claimed to be, operating outside the oversight of elected officials is a serious threat to our liberties. It's these career staffers that the citizens are unable to hold accountable that are of concern.

I agree. Checks and balances don't work if people lie to congress and there are no consequences.

 

[FunN4Lo]

Let me first start by saying I am not taking sides on this issue, I simply want to shed some light on facts surrounding it.


Currently the NSA is collecting call meta-data. Meta-data include the originating phone number ESN (serial number), date/time, GPS coordinates when the call was placed, the duration, and the call and the destination phone number. Meta-data does NOT include personally identifiable information. In fact, The Supreme Court has ruled in the past that meta-data is not personally identifiable, and therefore a warrant/subpoena is not required. If the NSA wants personal information they must submit a warrant to the carrier, which still requires probable cause.


Now then, lets talk about how this data is currently used. Lets day, hypothetically, that a bad person was planning committing an attack on US soil, and they are arrested. While being arrested the govt. finds that they have a cell phone on them. They take that device and cross reference the MDN and/or ESN with the list and determine that they talk to two other daily, and that they spoke to them as little as 10 minutes before the attack was planned. The govt. could then take the meta-data in conjunction with a warrant and determine who the suspect talks to regularly, and who they network with.

It should be noted that this has been happening for years, and with all major carriers. The carrier must comply with the order.

Perspective: Most everyone here voluntarily gives up tons more information to Bing/Google voluntarily than the govt. could ever collect. Specifically, Google know what your favorite foods are, what kind of movies you like, your physical location, what kind of browser you use, what your hobbies are, even what kind of porn you fancy. Google, for example sets a cookie that typically doesn't expire for at least 2 years (I have seen upwards of 12 years). This cookie also has a traceable GUID that is used to trace you online.


Hope this helps!

Hope this helps.
If the government has their sites on a prospective terrorist, they can get all of the info they need on who they talked to 10 minutes before the attack without spying on the entire populous.

Google may have tons more info on me than the government is collecting, but there is a HUGE HUGE difference. First, I agreed to give Google that info. They require for that right each an every app I use, but I have to give that permission. The government has NEVER asked me if they can collect info. Second, and most importantly, the biggest thing Google can do to me with all that info, is send me ads I don't want to see. The government can literally reek havoc on my life with that info. They can shut down my business, harass my associations and I could go on and on. And this current government have proven they are willing to do so. Or have you not been following the IRS targeting or conservatives? Conservative or not, there is an ebb and flow to politics. At some point conservatives will be in power. I would rather the libs follow the constitution and stop their illegal info grab, than say revenge will be sweet when conservatives are back in power.

 

[Narsil]

"This Administration puts forward a false choice between the liberties we cherish and the security we demand... No more illegal wire-tapping of American citizens. No more... spying on citizens who are not suspected of a crime. No more tracking citizens who do nothing more than protest... No more ignoring the law when it is inconvenient. That is not who we are. And it is not what is necessary to defeat the terrorists. Our Constitution works. [We should] set an example for the world that the law is not subject to the whims of stubborn rulers, and that justice is not arbitrary. This Administration acts like violating civil liberties is the way to enhance our security. It is not!"

Barack Obama, 2007

The hair of the dog that bit you, I suppose.

 

[cobravnm13]

sad thing is is that people will happily give up their freedoms in the name of "feeling safer" American's are clueless.

Yeah, I'm good with using my own shotgun (and hopefully a larger collection of weapons in the near future) to keep me safe. I don't need anyone's help with that.

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2

 

[jseah]

Yeah, I'm good with using my own shotgun (and hopefully a larger collection of weapons in the near future) to keep me safe. I don't need anyone's help with that.

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2

The government wants to take that away from you too.

 

[Briankbl]

The government wants to take that away from you too.

No they don't...

Sent from my Droid DNA using Tapatalk 2!

 

[cobravnm13]

The government wants to take that away from you too.

They can try. I'll just be considered a criminal when all I want to do is protect myself and my family. It's bad when a government treats its own people as criminals for that.

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2

 

[jseah]

No they don't...

Sent from my Droid DNA using Tapatalk 2!

Then what is all this talk (at the federal level) and action (at the state level) to ban assault weapons?