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NSA tracking cellphone locations worldwide, Snowden documents show

washingtonpost.com

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Re: NSA tracking cellphone locations worldwide, Snowden documents show

#11

Post by sitkack »

DanielBMarkham wrote: post #7

So the deal modern man was presented with was this: we'll give you instant global communication for pennies, but in return governments and corporations will closely monitor everyone on the planet: where they are, who they call, how long the call is, their texts, messages, and other communications -- basically their thoughts. We'll record this forever to use as we choose. Trust us. As a global population, we seem to h…

You can at great personal and social cost. The new Don Quixote will be tilting at communication towers everywhere.

Re: NSA tracking cellphone locations worldwide, Snowden documents show

#12

Post by lukev »

DanielBMarkham wrote: post #7

So the deal modern man was presented with was this: we'll give you instant global communication for pennies, but in return governments and corporations will closely monitor everyone on the planet: where they are, who they call, how long the call is, their texts, messages, and other communications -- basically their thoughts. We'll record this forever to use as we choose. Trust us. As a global population, we seem to h…

Sure you can! Join the 60% of the world's population that _don't use the internet at all_.

Or the 20% of the population of the _US_ that don't use the internet.

You can even still use a cell phone, if you want - just buy a prepaid mobile with cash.

And aside from awkwardness with your friends, you might even find such a life quite livable. You'll experience no material hardship.

Re: NSA tracking cellphone locations worldwide, Snowden documents show

#14

Post by joering2 »

DanielBMarkham wrote: post #7

So the deal modern man was presented with was this: we'll give you instant global communication for pennies, but in return governments and corporations will closely monitor everyone on the planet: where they are, who they call, how long the call is, their texts, messages, and other communications -- basically their thoughts. We'll record this forever to use as we choose. Trust us. As a global population, we seem to h…

You were offered this choice virtually through the official representative you or majority had chosen.

You changing your mind is irrelevant to global agenda and the way things will be executed. Most people "change" their mind by stopping to vote for one party (D) and changing to another (R). Example of spying on its citizens is a great example when your change of choice does not make a dent; it is President Bush (R) who signed Patroit Act/NSA spying into law, its is then President Obama (D) who said he will stop this only to continue and expand while elected. And people have short memory so now they will vote again on R. Nothing will change at the end and you can be sure those who come in place with continue or extend the abuse up to the point when system entirely collapse.

Re: NSA tracking cellphone locations worldwide, Snowden documents show

#15

Post by tokipin »

DanielBMarkham wrote: post #7

So the deal modern man was presented with was this: we'll give you instant global communication for pennies, but in return governments and corporations will closely monitor everyone on the planet: where they are, who they call, how long the call is, their texts, messages, and other communications -- basically their thoughts. We'll record this forever to use as we choose. Trust us. As a global population, we seem to h…

i think if this kind of thing is inevitable, then it should be the case that this kind of information should be completely public to all, not just to governments. similar to what David Brin argues (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Transparent_Society)

Re: NSA tracking cellphone locations worldwide, Snowden documents show

#16

Post by rallison »

judk wrote: post #6
angersock wrote: post #3

From the article: NSA Director Keith Alexander disclosed in Senate testimony in October that the NSA had run a pilot project in 2010 and 2011 to collect “samples” of U.S. cellphone location data. The data collected were never available for intelligence analysis purposes, and the project was discontinued because it had no “operational value,” he said. Alexander allowed that a broader collection of such data “may be so…

Google Maps does this. The only difference is that Google informs you before you turn on location services.

And therein lies the the big difference. I can opt out of Google's tracking in a number of ways. Secret tracking from the NSA? I will likely not even know it is happening, and if I do, opting out is likely to be slightly more difficult. This, of course, does not even touch upon what that tracking data may then be used for.

Re: NSA tracking cellphone locations worldwide, Snowden documents show

#18

Post by contingencies »

angersock wrote: post #3

From the article: NSA Director Keith Alexander disclosed in Senate testimony in October that the NSA had run a pilot project in 2010 and 2011 to collect “samples” of U.S. cellphone location data. The data collected were never available for intelligence analysis purposes, and the project was discontinued because it had no “operational value,” he said. Alexander allowed that a broader collection of such data “may be so…

Did anyone else read that and think of that scene in Enemy of the State? It's eerily equivalent.

"Treadstone! Ahh yes, Treadstone. Treadstone was a pilot project to . It's all but decomissioned at this point."

Re: NSA tracking cellphone locations worldwide, Snowden documents show

#19

Post by tomschlick »

lukev wrote: post #12
DanielBMarkham wrote: post #7

So the deal modern man was presented with was this: we'll give you instant global communication for pennies, but in return governments and corporations will closely monitor everyone on the planet: where they are, who they call, how long the call is, their texts, messages, and other communications -- basically their thoughts. We'll record this forever to use as we choose. Trust us. As a global population, we seem to h…

Sure you can! Join the 60% of the world's population that _don't use the internet at all_. Or the 20% of the population of the _US_ that don't use the internet. You can even still use a cell phone, if you want - just buy a prepaid mobile with cash. And aside from awkwardness with your friends, you might even find such a life quite livable. You'll experience no material hardship.

> You can even still use a cell phone, if you want - just buy a prepaid mobile with cash.

Actually this is exactly the kind of thing this data would sniff out. It would capture whichever cell towers you interact with (home, work, etc) and paired with data from your friends & their call logs could easily pinpoint who you are. Kind of amazing from an analytical standpoint but pretty scary for privacy.

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