NSA Can Spy On Data From Smart Phones, Including Blackberry 298
An anonymous reader writes with a report from Spiegel Online that the U.S. government "has the capability of tapping user data from the iPhone, [and] devices using Android as well as BlackBerry, a system previously believed to be highly secure.
The United States' National Security Agency intelligence-gathering operation is capable of accessing user data from smart phones from all leading manufacturers. ... The documents state that it is possible for the NSA to tap most sensitive data held on these smart phones, including contact lists, SMS traffic, notes and location information about where a user has been." As a bonus, the same reader points out a Washington Post report according to which "The Obama administration secretly won permission from a surveillance court in 2011 to reverse restrictions on the National Security Agency's use of intercepted phone calls and e-mails, permitting the agency to search deliberately for Americans' communications in its massive databases ... In addition, the court extended the length of time that the NSA is allowed to retain intercepted U.S. communications from five years to six years — and more under special circumstances, according to the documents, which include a recently released 2011 opinion by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates, then chief judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court."
Secret oversight (Score:5, Insightful)
Secret oversight can't be trusted, and anyone who thought it could be trusted was a moron.
And the saga continues.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Yet again, the extent of government overreaching continues. Lie about what really is really being done, and with a subtle move along, nothing to see here... "Ohh, look over there,Kim Kardashian."
Simply amazing that what is being assured is not being done, is in reality being done.
Re:Open Source Android (Score:4, Insightful)
The exploits and backdoors on Android devices are put in there by the manufacturers themselves, usually for monetary compensation and / or risk of harm from the agencies doing the threatening. There's no way around them.
Re:And the saga continues.... (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Happy now? (Score:2, Insightful)
Hey Obanaistas, ready to admit your guy is even worse than Bushitler?
No, we'll just accuse you of being a racist. Hope you understand.
Re:Happy now? (Score:4, Insightful)
NOPE but I'm willing to admit I'll probably never vote Democrat or Republican again.
Re:Secret oversight (Score:5, Insightful)
The Nazi hunters had to dig thru millions of paper documents. I think it would be the right thing to do to start keeping track of all the people who have thrown our country away. A centralized site where people can upload pictures of the agents and any information they may have on them.
Whether it is federal agents 'only doing their job' or federal judges making it possible all the way down to the DHS agents at airports acting as thugs.
We need a single place where all this information can be consolidated for the future so they can all be held accountable for the damage they contributed to.
Re:Happy now? (Score:2, Insightful)
In fact, I don't. How about explaining it to me?
It's all we have left.
Thank you Edward Snowden (Score:5, Insightful)
I cannot thank you enough for making all this information public, and for giving up your normal life to inform us. I hope that one time you will be recognized by the UN, EU and most hopefully for you the US, so you can return to your own country without being prosecuted.
Re:And the saga continues.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Please tell me what you think I should do to stop it. As an average citizen, I have no power over anything this government does. I am just a victim.
Protest. [wikipedia.org]
Not protesting means you agree with what happens. You can't be neutral on a moving train. [imdb.com]
Re:And the saga continues.... (Score:5, Insightful)
The authorities' response would be:
A. "Smithers, release the drones!"
B. Abundant supply of tasers and riot gear for law enforcement agents
C. Look! Another sport event on cable!
D. Market yet another manufactured crisis, giving politicians yet another opportunity to divide public opinion
E. All of the above
Re:Secret oversight (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:And the saga continues.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes you do. Keep spreading the word that Government can't be trusted and that you and your fellow citizens should NOT cooperate with agents of government. They ask for info tell them to get a warrant. You see something, say NOTHING. They want to "contribute" to your project attend your conference etc, you respond get lost FED. Start excluding people who work for three letters from social events, etc.
If all of us citizens stand up and just say no; it will make these programs way less effective. If we treat these Constitution shredding collaborators like the criminals they are and black ball them; it will be increasingly hard for government to find people to do this stuff.
We can change this thing but voting in the horse race won't do it. Its gotta be done from the ground. Make working for the NSA something to be embarrassed about.
As long as these methods the military/security complex are working right or wrong the power hungry will use and abuse them. We need to make them no longer work. Make the price tag of this type of signals intelligence the loss of all good human intelligence and being subject to disdainful stairs and "we don't serve your kind here" everytime a badge comes out; things would start to change.
Re:Let me guess, BIS (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Secret oversight (Score:5, Insightful)
The worst part of the no trust is that they can't even know if the data they are collecting from is being misused [medium.com]. Not just they are lowering on pourpose your security (weakening crypto, planting backdoors, etc), and syphoning everyone's private information, but is already proved (to the public, with Snowden) that they don't know who access their information and how is or will be using it.
So if tomorrow your bank account shows a pretty rounded zero because the backdoors NSA planted on you was used by one of the employees of one of the companies the NSA hires (he just sold in the black market that backdoor information and someone else did it), don't be sad, the country must be defended from the terrorists.
FISA court should be impeached (Score:5, Insightful)
That is so obviously unconstitutional that the FISA court is clearly in violation of its oath to uphold the constitution.
Re:And the saga continues.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Secret oversight (Score:2, Insightful)
Would you lose the idiotic term "sheeple"? It's smug and condescending, and is the sort of expression used by conspiracy nutjobs to distinguish themselves from the unwashed masses who don't understand the Truth as revealed on some guy's blog. In short, it makes you sound like a complete twat.
Re:Secret oversight (Score:4, Insightful)
I think it would be the right thing to do to start keeping track of all the people who have thrown our country away.
You mean a list of all voters and nonvoters too?
Re:And the saga continues.... (Score:4, Insightful)
The only possible outcome of your strategy is to ensure that any remaining well-adjusted people working in government will leave and that there will be new laws making your countermeasures illegal. Both of those outcomes are horrible and directly opposite of what you want. Other than, obviously, voting for third parties, what you need to do is to make genuine connections with people in government and influence them to change their ways - which is the opposite of what you are advocating.
Yelling at people generally doesn't make them see things your way. In fact, I imagine that it is precisely people with your personality in government that are making these horrible decisions - they are looking for a fight and taking whatever measures they feel is necessary to help them win that fight. Did that kind of behavior from them make you more or less likely to work with them in peace? That works the other way too.
Re:And the saga continues.... (Score:0, Insightful)
George W. Bush, who damn near destroyed us with his tax cuts for the wealthy
Not even Obama is repeating this anymore. When those tax cuts were about to expire, what happened? He did his best to extend them for the middle class because it would have devistated the economy even worse.
I think you are the last idiot who thinks that statement is true. Everyone else had to finally admit it was a lie a few years ago.
Re: Happy now? (Score:2, Insightful)
How has voting for the major parties worked out for you would be a better question.
Re:Secret oversight (Score:4, Insightful)