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Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

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11–20 of 191 posts

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#11
post #10

As a European, this is something that could very well make my government resign because it would be illegal. Like, crazy illegal. Is this legal in the US or is the current US administration in hot water?

The current administration “in hot water”? The current administration has been in hot water since before it took office. This is just the Nth example of the levels of crazy executive power unchecked by oversight can rise to.

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#12
post #2

Is anyone surprised by these leaks? I think most people assume this is happening.

I'm not surprised to see somebody here protesting their lack of surprise. Hacker news is not a thriller. If the sensation of surprise is what you seek, then go watch a shitty horror movie with jump scares.

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#13
post #10

As a European, this is something that could very well make my government resign because it would be illegal. Like, crazy illegal. Is this legal in the US or is the current US administration in hot water?

> Is this legal in the US or is the current US administration in hot water?

Probably not, and no.

God bless the United States of America. /s

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#14
post #8

Not only tracking them, but putting flags on their passports and interrogating them at the border: “They asked about the new caravan and if word had gotten out about how difficult it is to seek asylum in the U.S.,” Drehsler said. “Then before I left, the female agent asked if I rented or owned my home.” This sounds much more like a political intimidation operation than serving a national security purpose.

this is normal. journalists are hot targets to either spoof or buy to snoop around as they often have more access than regular civilians to high profile targets.... counter-intelligence and counter-espionage. people should realise that forgein powers demotivate them against their own government, and now these demotivated people are the ones complaining about this kind of shit, preventing their own government from functioning normally.

so yes. keep complaining about your governments hard work to keep you safe, i'm sure the opposing forces will thank you later.

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#15

>Documents obtained by NBC 7 Investigates show the U.S. government created a secret database of activists, journalists, and social media influencers tied to the migrant caravan and in some cases, placed alerts on their passports. It sounds like only people and journalists who are covering "the caravan" are being tracked. Not that it makes it any better. It also seems to have been started very recently, probably under…

Child, read something older than last night's tweets.

nihil novi sub sole.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/30/opinion/sunday/if-donald-...

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#16
post #8

Not only tracking them, but putting flags on their passports and interrogating them at the border: “They asked about the new caravan and if word had gotten out about how difficult it is to seek asylum in the U.S.,” Drehsler said. “Then before I left, the female agent asked if I rented or owned my home.” This sounds much more like a political intimidation operation than serving a national security purpose.

this is normal. journalists are hot targets to either spoof or buy to snoop around as they often have more access than regular civilians to high profile targets.... counter-intelligence and counter-espionage. people should realise that forgein powers demotivate them against their own government, and now these demotivated people are the ones complaining about this kind of shit, preventing their own government from fun…

>so yes. keep complaining about your governments hard work to keep you safe, i'm sure the opposing forces will thank you later.

Are you suggesting blind fealty? If so, relevant.mp4: https://youtu.be/2HYIJahQKaI?t=189

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#18
post #8

Not only tracking them, but putting flags on their passports and interrogating them at the border: “They asked about the new caravan and if word had gotten out about how difficult it is to seek asylum in the U.S.,” Drehsler said. “Then before I left, the female agent asked if I rented or owned my home.” This sounds much more like a political intimidation operation than serving a national security purpose.

this is normal. journalists are hot targets to either spoof or buy to snoop around as they often have more access than regular civilians to high profile targets.... counter-intelligence and counter-espionage. people should realise that forgein powers demotivate them against their own government, and now these demotivated people are the ones complaining about this kind of shit, preventing their own government from fun…

How is preventing Americans from reporting on the migrant caravan keeping us safe?

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#19
post #10

As a European, this is something that could very well make my government resign because it would be illegal. Like, crazy illegal. Is this legal in the US or is the current US administration in hot water?

Caravans of thousands of people don't generally just organically form and find themselves able to transit thousands of miles. Even if you set aside the extensive funding required, there are some very serious logistical issues involved in this sort of thing.

The caravan had already successfully and illegally overrun the border between Mexico and Guatemala. [1] It's reasonable to believe they aimed to attempt to do the same thing at the US border. It's not easy to stop thousands of people when they keep moving forward. But if so this would be a very severe crime. Aiding a signal unlawful entry into the US is a significant felony subject to up to 10 years in prison. [2] Conspiring and facilitating the unlawful entry of thousands?

It'd be remiss of the government to not carry out an investigation and determine how the caravan formed, who it was comprised of, who was funding it, who was assisting it, who was directing it, and so forth. And in this regard on-the-ground reports from journalists offer a great deal of insight.

As for the journalists themselves, I think the most important point is one of investigation vs intimidation. Declaring yourself a journalist does not then grant immunity to investigation of your actions. If so, that would exploited by subversive interests. So the question becomes were the journalists simply being investigated or were they being intimidated?

[1] - https://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-mexico-m...

[2] - https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1327

Re: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Tracking Journalists Through a Secret Database

#20
post #2

Is anyone surprised by these leaks? I think most people assume this is happening.

The Bush and Obama Administrations were extraordinarily aggressive in expanding US espionage action domestically. Obama was infamously aggressive in targeting the press. The notion that they'd do all of that and not begin tracking journalists in a comprehensive fashion was an improbable scenario. The first leaks by Snowden should have prompted the press to assume it. It's why so many of the major media outlets have g…

Is there evidence this specific tracking started under a previous administration?

Or must we first ensure that we deflect blame from the current administration, notably characterised by ongoing violent rhetoric about journalists, including a surprising effort to ignore the government sanctioned murder of a journalist by an "ally".

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