270°

FBI pressures Internet providers to install surveillance software

C Net: The U.S. government is quietly pressuring telecommunications providers to install eavesdropping technology deep inside companies' internal networks to facilitate surveillance efforts.
FBI officials have been sparring with carriers, a process that has on occasion included threats of contempt of court, in a bid to deploy government-provided software capable of intercepting and analyzing entire communications streams. The FBI's legal position during these discussions is that the software's real-time interception of metadata is authorized under the Patriot Act.

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lastofgen3918d ago

If it serves to really prevent us from acts of terrorism and danger, then I'm all for it, but I can see how this will anger the public.

blackmanone3917d ago (Edited 3917d ago )

Wow, just wow. You do realize you're more likely to die from a cow than a terrorist attack, don't you? I don't see you willing to throw away your rights to prevent cow's on American soil.

Unfortunately lastofgen isn't alone in this thought. Most people don't want freedom. They want safety. And some, like lastofgen, are happy with throwing rights out the window for "supposed" safety.

Shad0wRunner3917d ago

I dont care if some terrorist annihilates the entire US population, YOU DO NOT CIRCUMVENT THE US CONSTITUTION AND TAKE PEOPLE'S FREEDOM'S AND LIBERTIES AWAY, IN THE NAME OF PREVENTING TERRORISM!

My God...what is wrong with people in this country?! o_O

KingPin3917d ago

right...because terrorists are using american ISPs for their internet. SMH

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3917d ago
Reborn3918d ago

"If it serves to really prevent us from acts of terrorism and danger"

I understand the scares that come with the word 'terrorism". However, its been used to manipulate that exact fear too many times. If they want something done, they simply throw the word terrorism in there, and they automatically have global acceptance for whatever they'll do.

It's wrong. The downside is that it will eventually piss off so many people, and when their is a genuine reason, it will get shot down instantly.

lastofgen3918d ago

I do understand what you're saying, but what if something bad does happen and we could have prevented the event by permitting this surveillance?

That's just a scenario I'm afraid of. Then, of course, the public would be more open and comfortable with the idea of surveillance. I suppose it's a tricky situation either way.

PFirefly3917d ago

Its not a tricky situation at all. Even if 100k people died in the US from "terrorism" over the next 10 years, that's no reason to take away the constitutional rights of the other 99% still alive.

MidnytRain3917d ago

PFirefly

At the same time, if 100k people DID die, would you say, "Oh well, least the government didn't read my last email. That would have been embarrassing!"?

lastofgen3917d ago

@pfirefly

So, you're willing to potentially sacrifice an unspecified number of lives for privacy concerns?
I mean, unless you're a terrorist yourself, you really shouldn't have anything to worry about, right?

But if it's strictly rights you're talking about, then, well...I can understand, but I still believe that saving lives is more important than personal issues with privacy.

Anyways, let the disagrees come.

blackmanone3917d ago

I don't like to say people's opinions are wrong, but I weep for the small minds that believe this shovel-ware the government feeds them.

fei-hung3917d ago

There is a huge flaw with your logic and most gullible people have this:

Terrorists wont use email or the net then in traditional ways. they will use it from disposable phones, internet cafes etc

The only people being tracked and monitored will be the average citizens living their day to day lives.

This is typical Big Brother state mentality. Scare the shit out of people, take their rights away, watch over everything they do, simply because you cant monitor your enemy, and you don't understand what you are dealing with.

Furthermore, if you are concerned with safety, understand this, when Big Brother states are imposed on people, regular people will always fight back in some way shape or form. What if tomorrow a group of people get sick of being treated like puppets and start up a rebel up rising against their government? What about safety then?

If the FBI was really concerned with security for their country and you really valued the lives of human beings, you would first be asking them to discontinue the drone war program immediately. Every time an innocent family or community is killed in Afghanistan or any other "stan," someone is vowing revenge for having their family taken away. i.e. the very government concerned with your security is putting you at risk for their own stupidity.

PFirefly3917d ago

Would I sacrifice an unspecified number of people for freedom? Let me put it to you this way: I would willingly choose to die in a terrorist attack that these measures might have prevented. I would die happy knowing that the family and friends who survive me are not living in a police state.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 3917d ago
dilawer3918d ago

There go all my Perv searches on Google xD

Lord_Sloth3917d ago

I don't think the feds will mind you searching porn unless it's like...kiddy porn or somethin.

dilawer3917d ago

phew! thanks for sharing that. I'm not into Kiddy porn gladly. :D

kingPoS3917d ago (Edited 3917d ago )

I'm loosing count of the number of things we've lost under the guise of 'terrorism'

Remember fifteen years ago when airport screenings were a simple thing. Now take a look at today's Airports. Such through personal searches are so common place no one so much as blinks an eye at the obvious overtness present today.

I'd rather not have the things I things I enjoy whittled away by a self serving corporation, political party or government body

blackmanone3917d ago

Agreed. My biggest fear is this next generation. They are growing up without half the freedoms the generation before had. Once their rights start to become stripped away, what's going to be left? People like lastofgen are going to have their head in the sand and wonder what happened.

SnakeCQC3917d ago

I have a friend who refuses to travel to america because he is asian and fears being illegally renditioned by some idiot working. I kind of share his fear when 70 percent of the guantanamo inmates have been released without charge and most of the remainder looks like they will be free too.

RE_L_MAYER3917d ago

Terrorists you better stop that terrorism stuff otherwise it a big brother united states edition

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90°

Twitter Blue problems? How to sign up for verification despite error messages

Signing up for the new Twitter Blue has caused problems for some folks. The Shortcut details the roadblocks you may hit trying to sign up and how to get around them.

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EvilCackle499d ago (Edited 499d ago )

Good thing I signed up at launch so people know I'm the real evilcackle

CurrentDigital499d ago

Huge loss for those who don't know where else to spend their surplus $8 a month

SwiderMan497d ago

Still haven't been approved for Twitter Blue :/

gatewayinternational495d ago

study abroad is the chance to find yourself while acquiring a comprehension of an alternate culture. Being in another spot without help from anyone else can overpower on occasion.

290d ago
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70°

Thousands of top websites collect your data in real-time as you type

Websites are harvesting our data even before we

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knowtechie.com
80°

The days of remaining anonymous on the internet are coming to an end

Regulations are beginning to require users to verify their identification online.

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