NSA Broke Privacy Rules "Thousands" Of Times

[iamadev]

One huge thing that I don't think anyone has pointed out is that if this 2700 instances were mistakes of just one, Washington, branch, how many intentional wire tapping instances were there. If this was a small percentage lets say it is 5%, and that is probably far higher than it actually is that means 54k instances of wire tapping of this kind.

Multiply that, very low-balled estimate of, 54k by how many branches they have and you are likely looking at a million or more wire tapping instances between 2011 and 2012.

With all evidence pointing to the fact that the number of times this is being used is increasing dramatically year on year I think the people "scare-mongering" about potential abuse of this system are ignoring the fact that it is currently being abused and has been for a very long time.

Anyone that thinks this is not going to be used to maintain the political status quo are just incredibly ignorant. If that weren't the main purpose of this whole setup it wouldn't have been hidden away for so long.

 

[Pailin]

If the Gov is to invasive they will simply lose control of the data (information is power right?) as people start building secure ways of conducting their daily online lives and business - TOR and more to come...?

In this modern world I can see the possibility that Government(s) could get sidelined eventually depending on how the future unfolds.

Despite what this playground bully thinks, there is enough space to ignore it if it continues to make too big an arse of itself.
- When ignored by enough, it will only have itself to play with as more and more ties are cut from it until it loses all relevance in our worlds.

 

[catswold]

@flamethrower. Despots depend on there being clueless, gullible "useful idiots" for the success of their efforts to seize control.

Knowing how clueless, uninformed, and arrogant you are, I know you won't read it, but Peggy Noonan lays out what you have to lose when you give up your privacy pretty well in the Wall Street Journal:

http/online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323639704579015101857760922.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_opinion

You might want to take a look and open your eyes to reality . . . or you can just leave your head in the sand, make snarky, insulting comments, and feel as though you're superior (trust me, you're not).

 

[Gulli]

@flamethrower

Industrial espionage and influencing of elections are a recurring and well documented theme in US policy. There is also proof the NSA shares information with the DEA and other law enforcement agencies which means that at least part of the many thousands of strong-armed informants in the US (a failed system of its own, with deadly consequences for a lot of innocents) were strong armed via information that was obtained through illegal psying, and that's still not counting the strong-armed informants of US intelligence agencies around the globe.

 

[nevilence]

haha all on the watch list now, thats the government at the door btw =P

 

[f-14]

it would be nice to see what information the NSA obtained during the 2008 & 2010 & 2012 on political campaigns and where their campaign ontributions came from, esp the foriegn campaign contributions, like china 'the peoples democratic republic of america'.

 

[ddpruitt]

And in all those years the credible terror plots that were actually thwarted (so not counting mere communication with other terrorists or plots that failed for technical reasons) can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Oh, and it's not like the NSA operates for free...

Not that I'm saying what they're doing is right but you have to remember the CIA/NSA and related organizations have a unique problem.

If someone successfully attacks they've failed
If they've thwarted an attack and we know they've failed

They're only successful if they've succeeded and we don't know. Reminds of the line in Argo at the end "Involved in what?".

 

[techguy911]

They don't just spy on the US they also spy on Canadians i use to work for an ISP in Canada when we first setup 2 guys from FBI with local Court Order to attach a black box (TCPIP deep packet inspection device) to our feed this was back in 2000.

 

[COLGeek]

Interesting comments. So, who has a better idea of how to protect the Nation and her allies, while balancing the rights of our citizens?

A modern world requires modern tools to combat those who would do us (and our friends) harm.

BTW, doing nothing is not an option. So, who has a smarter way to skin this cat?

 

[Gulli]

@ddpruitt

It would make sense for the intelligence agencies to flaunt most of their accomplishments, at least a few years later, they've flaunted a couple of times but there wasn't much spectacular among those plots.

Also I believe the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" theory is a myth perpetuated by popular culture. Just like people don't really panic when there is a natural disaster, unlike in the movies, most people are susceptible to a respectful, intelligent dialogue where it is explained not every attack can be stopped without turning a country into a police state. The people who still bitch after that are a minority, a vocal minority, but still a minority, usually fueled by politicians who want to score points or are looking for a stick to beat the administration with, and they go silent soon enough after the event. I realize Americans may be more easily scared than people in other countries but that's no reason for those people in other countries to have to put up with American spying on their citizens.

@COLGeek

The evidence at hand seems to show these surveillance programs do not contribute significantly to security and the fact that the laws are different for Americans than they are for non-Americans suggests the need for these programs isn't that high.

 

[gggplaya]

So when the police "accidentally" barge into someone's house, they can claim human error??? Sorry but no, they get crap sued out of them, typo or not. NSA should be held to the same accountability, so if you were one of the ones who had your 4th amendment rights violated, you're entitled to compensation. Unfortunately suing them or firing people is the only thing going to keep them in line. Right now, they are the family bull dog running around the neighborhood with no leash.

 

[Cazalan]

Give an inch they'll take a mile.

Constitutionalists are now considered terrorists.

<censored by NSA>

 

[Gulli]

@gggplaya

Just the phrase "claiming human error" alone is a fine example of newspeak. Since when is everything OK as long as it's "human error"? Should it not matter how avoidable that error was?

 

[Cazalan]

How would suing the NSA do anything? The NSA is tax payer funded. You just end up paying for 2+ lawyers to take yet more money out of your pocket.

 

[oczdude8]

I understand the need to "spy" on certain people and organizations; Unfortunately it is the ONLY way we can prevent things like another 9-11 incident or even stop drug trafficking, by keeping an eye on suscipicous people and organizations. However, it is downright stupid to spy on people due to errors or mistakes. privacy concerns aside, this COSTS ALOT OF MONEY!!! why do you think the US is in so much debt? they do something first, then ask questions, and often end up redoing it 10 times to get it right, all the while causing huge controversy.

 

[larrym]

With this post it is "Thousands" Of Times +1..oh wait, this is a public post..-1

 

[jemm]

Glenn Greenwald's partner detained at Heathrow airport for nine hours -- David Miranda, partner of Guardian interviewer of whistleblower Edward Snowden, questioned under Terrorism Act

http/www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/18/glenn-greenwald-guardian-partner-detained-heathrow