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Hidden Microphones Part of Government Surveillance Program in the Bay Area

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221–230 of 293 posts

Re: Hidden Microphones Part of Government Surveillance Program in the Bay Area

#221
post #78

godgod, your comments are being hidden and I am not able to upvote or reply to it ...

Click the timestamp of the comment. Click [vouch]. I think you only do that if the comment deserves to be unhidden. I'm not sure whether you're supposed to look through that person's post history.

Re: Hidden Microphones Part of Government Surveillance Program in the Bay Area

#222
Being "the good guys" has become part of the national American identity since WWII. Not all of that reputation is undeserved. America has done a lot of good in the world. But the American government has also done a lot of shady stuff (including some seriously no-grey-area bad stuff) that they have kept hidden from their citizens. Unfortunately, even though some of that is now out in the open, there are some Americans who won't acknowledge it is true (or try to defend it as necessary) because it is difficult to reconcile that information with the good guy image they've had all their lives. It is important to do so, though. If there's one good thing that can come from the wrong that has been done, it is to learn never to repeat it.

Re: Hidden Microphones Part of Government Surveillance Program in the Bay Area

#223
post #220

Whoa, whoa, whoa. This is a very misleading headline. The article contains no evidence of a government-operated network of listening microphones in the Bay area. It deals with one incident using a specific piece of surveillance gear. What we actually know is this: An FBI agent was attempting to bust two individuals suspected of a bid-fixing scheme. This FBI agent then placed two recording devices in a light fixture a…

No, it's far more than two devices, and it went on for 10 months. They placed surveillance all around the 2 courthouses: light fixtures, a bus stop, bushes, poles, the steps, and inside several vehicles. And there's another similar case from last year with >200 hours of recordings in San Mateo.

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/SevenDays/archives/2016/05/11/...

Re: Hidden Microphones Part of Government Surveillance Program in the Bay Area

#224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many journalists, lawyers, political activists, and civil rights advocates would disagree with your characterization. Just because you personally aren't aware of abuses doesn't mean that they don't occur. Bush-era antiwar groups, Occupy Wall Street, leftist political groups, security researchers, environmental activists, whistleblowers, lawyers representing "sensitive" clients, and MLK himself... all have faced some…

Yeah, but wouldn't you agree that each time the government does overstep it's authority there is a backlash and they stop? Society seems to keep the government in check. Things like the MLK scenario are a lot less likely now-a-days. If you're say prodrug legalization, it's very very unlikely you'll be blackmailed for your extramarital affairs by a government official (in fact that seems kinda absurd). Yes bad things…

Yeah, but wouldn't you agree that each time the government does overstep it's authority there is a backlash and they stop?

Most definitely NOT. Even discounting things like the PATRIOT act, which wasn't even hidden, the government only gets backlash when it's actually CAUGHT, and then only when it's particularly provable.

Re: Hidden Microphones Part of Government Surveillance Program in the Bay Area

#225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because it will make hit and runs easier to get away with. It won't make liability insurance worse, but it will make coverage that pays for damages in those cases much more expensive.

Austin police do not follow up on hit and runs unless there is a crime - vehicular assault or manslaughter. Even if you have the plate number and video footage.

Leaving the scene when there is property damage IS a crime in and of itself.

Re: Hidden Microphones Part of Government Surveillance Program in the Bay Area

#226

Hmm I wonder how this would work considering its all things openly available to be recorded. Follow a federal agent home from work and film them and their house. Film their children going to school and post pictures locations and times online, also taking photos of other relatives, friends etc and where they live and their phone numbers and post it all online. Have your friends join in and keep posting every detail a…

>Does anyone know of any USA law that stands against such activity?

Harassment.

Re: Hidden Microphones Part of Government Surveillance Program in the Bay Area

#227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you saying the government does not do "vigorous enforcement of drug laws, long punishments for criminals"? These are topics that are the source of perennial complaints on HN. I think rayiner's point is that outside the HN echo chamber, there is a lot of implicit support for all kinds of empowerment of government and law enforcement agencies to "keep people in line". These same people may possibly even condone sur…

The original point was that people should fear corporations more than the government, because the government is the instrument of the people, whereas corporations have other less savory motives. But its not true - the government is not to be trusted. It has a monopoly on military / police force, which it abuses incessantly. Moreover, it is effectively controlled by a private duopoly (Democrats + Republicans), with th…

And if we view the government as a type of corporation? The populace ("founders"?) theoretically are still on the board of directors (if they ever were, really, but for the sake of argument...) but the "venture capitalists" using their usual bag o' tricks have watered down the shares and kicked most of the directors off the board.

America needs a down round, perhaps... or how does one kick VCs off the board? Dissolve the company and start another one?

Re: Hidden Microphones Part of Government Surveillance Program in the Bay Area

#229
post #220

Whoa, whoa, whoa. This is a very misleading headline. The article contains no evidence of a government-operated network of listening microphones in the Bay area. It deals with one incident using a specific piece of surveillance gear. What we actually know is this: An FBI agent was attempting to bust two individuals suspected of a bid-fixing scheme. This FBI agent then placed two recording devices in a light fixture a…

No, it's far more than two devices, and it went on for 10 months. They placed surveillance all around the 2 courthouses: light fixtures, a bus stop, bushes, poles, the steps, and inside several vehicles. And there's another similar case from last year with >200 hours of recordings in San Mateo. http://www.eastbayexpress.com/SevenDays/archives/2016/05/11/...

Wonder what the RoI on all this is, and how they allocate resources to each ongoing investigation.

Seems like it would cost a heck of a lot. I mean, you would need trained people sitting around listening to all those recordings.

Re: Hidden Microphones Part of Government Surveillance Program in the Bay Area

#230
post #220

Whoa, whoa, whoa. This is a very misleading headline. The article contains no evidence of a government-operated network of listening microphones in the Bay area. It deals with one incident using a specific piece of surveillance gear. What we actually know is this: An FBI agent was attempting to bust two individuals suspected of a bid-fixing scheme. This FBI agent then placed two recording devices in a light fixture a…

Everything you can think of, including infiltration of forums like hacker news, they are doing. Joining the security services will be the definition of freedom in the future.
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