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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

#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 something that is a future requirement for the country, but it is not right now.”

And for all this, I'm not going to lie--that'd be a fun dataset to hack on.

And that, folks, is why we as engineers and hackers have a moral duty to be very selective in the types of work we take on and for whom.

Re: NSA tracking cellphone locations worldwide, Snowden documents show

#6

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.

Re: NSA tracking cellphone locations worldwide, Snowden documents show

#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 have made this deal, but I'm not aware of ever being consciously offered the choice. Can I change my mind now?

Re: NSA tracking cellphone locations worldwide, Snowden documents show

#8
post #6

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 that Google isn't limited by the Constitution in the ways that the Federal government supposedly is.

Re: NSA tracking cellphone locations worldwide, Snowden documents show

#9

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…

Yes, just stop using the internet and phones.
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