PRISM - Who else is disgusted by this?

[ewitte]

I'm glad the first stages are underway but there is 100's of times this information about to come out.  Wait until people find out things like they were given cancer because it was profitable!

[Kinetic915]

It seems I'm one of the few that realizes PRISM, in all its shapes and forms, is nothing new..and as a result, I'm not shocked by it in the least.

"Modern" spying..whether on domestic or foreign persons..has been around for a number of decades (perhaps much longer), though obviously not on this scale. As technology got more advanced, it became easier and easier for "acronym agencies" to collect and analyze data. It was only a matter of time before something of this magnitude was uncovered.

I think most people probably suspected something along these lines.  Still its not everyday something this large is leaked.

[craslovell]

It seems I'm one of the few that realizes PRISM, in all its shapes and forms, is nothing new..and as a result, I'm not shocked by it in the least.

"Modern" spying..whether on domestic or foreign persons..has been around for a number of decades (perhaps much longer), though obviously not on this scale. As technology got more advanced, it became easier and easier for "acronym agencies" to collect and analyze data. It was only a matter of time before something of this magnitude was uncovered.

I think most people probably suspected something along these lines.  Still its not everyday something this large is leaked.

I agree, the size of this project is on a never before seen level. You have literally close to 0% privacy doing anything digitally unless you are really taking measures to avoid being watched. I don't believe I am doing anything wrong, so I don't try to hide anything. That's beside the point though. Just because you aren't doing anything wrong to tickle the government's balls and catch their attention, doesn't make this widespread of a privacy violation right.

And of course, I understand the amount of data they are collecting could be in the exabyte range which is ridiculously vast. You could argue "even if they can see all that you do, what are the chances they will find your stuff". Well, you don't build something that large without an excellent process to index and categorize the information you are collecting in a thousand different ways/views.

[gollum]

It seems I'm one of the few that realizes PRISM, in all its shapes and forms, is nothing new..and as a result, I'm not shocked by it in the least.

"Modern" spying..whether on domestic or foreign persons..has been around for a number of decades (perhaps much longer), though obviously not on this scale. As technology got more advanced, it became easier and easier for "acronym agencies" to collect and analyze data. It was only a matter of time before something of this magnitude was uncovered.

I think most people probably suspected something along these lines.  Still its not everyday something this large is leaked.

I agree, the size of this project is on a never before seen level. You have literally close to 0% privacy doing anything digitally unless you are really taking measures to avoid being watched. I don't believe I am doing anything wrong, so I don't try to hide anything. That's beside the point though. Just because you aren't doing anything wrong to tickle the government's balls and catch their attention, doesn't make this widespread of a privacy violation right.

And of course, I understand the amount of data they are collecting could be in the exabyte range which is ridiculously vast. You could argue "even if they can see all that you do, what are the chances they will find your stuff". Well, you don't build something that large without an excellent process to index and categorize the information you are collecting in a thousand different ways/views.

More than 99% of internet users are noobs or people like you saying "I got nothing to hide so I dont care".
The result: the 1% (probably more like 0.01%) that are very careful with their privacy and encryption is a so small population that they easier can be monitored manually.
Even if they are careful most of times its enough to make mistake a few times and you get identified.
Maybe I sound too paranoid, but you got to think just like your opponent to win the game of privacy.

[Spendulus]

....you don't build something that large without an excellent process to index and categorize the information you are collecting in a thousand different ways/views.

SO...they know exactly what you bought with Bitcoins last week...

No, wait...they don't....

As for that "excellent process to index and categorize"?

You are kidding, right? 

For three years the IRS persecuted me with threat letters saying that I had two kids, not three, and so I was not allowed the third deduction for a dependent.  No number of letters to them made any difference, the threats kept coming.  "Notices of intent to seize", etc.

Man, they sure had some excellent processes to index and categorize, didn't they?

Every bureaucratic system regresses to the mean of simple, plain stupidity.

[Kinetic915]

It seems I'm one of the few that realizes PRISM, in all its shapes and forms, is nothing new..and as a result, I'm not shocked by it in the least.

"Modern" spying..whether on domestic or foreign persons..has been around for a number of decades (perhaps much longer), though obviously not on this scale. As technology got more advanced, it became easier and easier for "acronym agencies" to collect and analyze data. It was only a matter of time before something of this magnitude was uncovered.

I think most people probably suspected something along these lines.  Still its not everyday something this large is leaked.

I agree, the size of this project is on a never before seen level. You have literally close to 0% privacy doing anything digitally unless you are really taking measures to avoid being watched. I don't believe I am doing anything wrong, so I don't try to hide anything. That's beside the point though. Just because you aren't doing anything wrong to tickle the government's balls and catch their attention, doesn't make this widespread of a privacy violation right.

And of course, I understand the amount of data they are collecting could be in the exabyte range which is ridiculously vast. You could argue "even if they can see all that you do, what are the chances they will find your stuff". Well, you don't build something that large without an excellent process to index and categorize the information you are collecting in a thousand different ways/views.

More than 99% of internet users are noobs or people like you saying "I got nothing to hide so I dont care".
The result: the 1% (probably more like 0.01%) that are very careful with their privacy and encryption is a so small population that they easier can be monitored manually.
Even if they are careful most of times its enough to make mistake a few times and you get identified.
Maybe I sound too paranoid, but you got to think just like your opponent to win the game of privacy.

It blows my mind people are seriously ignorant enough to not give a shit.

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

Even if you are "innocent" , innocent is defined by the very people who have granted themselves this power.  They can move that line wherever they want as there is zero oversight.  Like Snowden says, they've recorded everything about your life, anytime they want they can go back and use the simplest of things against you and no one is there to stop them.  Bitcoin for example......  

Also, the Director of National Intelligence LIED under oath to CONGRESS.  Don't people normally go to jail for that?

It seems the general debate about prism is already being pushed under the rug.  Its difficult already to find the story on major news networks.  If anyone still cares sign some petitions!

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/pardon-edward-snowden/Dp03vGYD

[runam0k]

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

Define "essential".

[mprep]

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

Define "essential".

I think B. Franklin meant that liberty is needed no matter the situation.

[Kinetic915]

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

Define "essential".

I think B. Franklin meant that liberty is needed no matter the situation.

+1

In this context the right to privacy.  I think the Patriot Act in general affected our Fourth Amendment rights.

[LeTanque]

VPN, Bitcoin, Tor, PGP. 

This is the world we live in and those are the tools you have to fight back.

Don't forget Ghostery http://www.ghostery.com/download to stop cookies from tracking.

Maybe we should have a separate thread with all the ways to protect oneself and how they work.

That's a good idea.  Do it!

[ewitte]

The people that helped found this country were not stupid they knew exactly what would happen

“I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. . . . corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.”
—U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864
(letter to Col. William F. Elkins)

[No 1]

This may need its own topic


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nvXn2w_FvY

[Spendulus]

That's a good idea.  Do it!

Did it.

[craslovell]

....you don't build something that large without an excellent process to index and categorize the information you are collecting in a thousand different ways/views.

SO...they know exactly what you bought with Bitcoins last week...

No, wait...they don't....

As for that "excellent process to index and categorize"?

You are kidding, right? 

For three years the IRS persecuted me with threat letters saying that I had two kids, not three, and so I was not allowed the third deduction for a dependent.  No number of letters to them made any difference, the threats kept coming.  "Notices of intent to seize", etc.

Man, they sure had some excellent processes to index and categorize, didn't they?

Every bureaucratic system regresses to the mean of simple, plain stupidity.

They are completely separate and bloated pieces of the government who probably don't interact much with each other. I highly doubt the IRS has any kind of access to PRISM information

[craslovell]

It seems I'm one of the few that realizes PRISM, in all its shapes and forms, is nothing new..and as a result, I'm not shocked by it in the least.

"Modern" spying..whether on domestic or foreign persons..has been around for a number of decades (perhaps much longer), though obviously not on this scale. As technology got more advanced, it became easier and easier for "acronym agencies" to collect and analyze data. It was only a matter of time before something of this magnitude was uncovered.

I think most people probably suspected something along these lines.  Still its not everyday something this large is leaked.

I agree, the size of this project is on a never before seen level. You have literally close to 0% privacy doing anything digitally unless you are really taking measures to avoid being watched. I don't believe I am doing anything wrong, so I don't try to hide anything. That's beside the point though. Just because you aren't doing anything wrong to tickle the government's balls and catch their attention, doesn't make this widespread of a privacy violation right.

And of course, I understand the amount of data they are collecting could be in the exabyte range which is ridiculously vast. You could argue "even if they can see all that you do, what are the chances they will find your stuff". Well, you don't build something that large without an excellent process to index and categorize the information you are collecting in a thousand different ways/views.

More than 99% of internet users are noobs or people like you saying "I got nothing to hide so I dont care".
The result: the 1% (probably more like 0.01%) that are very careful with their privacy and encryption is a so small population that they easier can be monitored manually.
Even if they are careful most of times its enough to make mistake a few times and you get identified.
Maybe I sound too paranoid, but you got to think just like your opponent to win the game of privacy.

It blows my mind people are seriously ignorant enough to not give a shit.

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

Even if you are "innocent" , innocent is defined by the very people who have granted themselves this power.  They can move that line wherever they want as there is zero oversight.  Like Snowden says, they've recorded everything about your life, anytime they want they can go back and use the simplest of things against you and no one is there to stop them.  Bitcoin for example......  

Also, the Director of National Intelligence LIED under oath to CONGRESS.  Don't people normally go to jail for that?

It seems the general debate about prism is already being pushed under the rug.  Its difficult already to find the story on major news networks.  If anyone still cares sign some petitions!

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/pardon-edward-snowden/Dp03vGYD

When you sit atop the steaming pile of shit that is the government, the rules don't apply to you. If you want to be strict about breaking laws, there are quite a few current administration members that should be rotting in jail right now

[TECSHARE]

Where were all you chuckleheads over a decade ago when people were screaming about this? Probably busy marginalizing those people as "conspiracy theorists", because after all the patriot act is only for brown people right?

[Mike Christ]

Where were all you chuckleheads over a decade ago when people were screaming about this? Probably busy marginalizing those people as "conspiracy theorists", because after all the patriot act is only for brown people right?

I was in 6th grade at the time, I think

[TomUnderSea]

Where were all you chuckleheads over a decade ago when people were screaming about this? Probably busy marginalizing those people as "conspiracy theorists", because after all the patriot act is only for brown people right?

In Iraq fixing IED hunting robots.

[craslovell]

Where were all you chuckleheads over a decade ago when people were screaming about this? Probably busy marginalizing those people as "conspiracy theorists", because after all the patriot act is only for brown people right?

I was too young to understand? When you don't know, you just don't know.

[craslovell]

Where were all you chuckleheads over a decade ago when people were screaming about this? Probably busy marginalizing those people as "conspiracy theorists", because after all the patriot act is only for brown people right?

I was in 6th grade at the time, I think

Same here, too young to know what the hell was going on