NSA Harvests Facebook, Google, Apple User Data, Secret Files Claim

Karloff

New member
Oct 19, 2009
6,474
0
0
NSA Harvests Facebook, Google, Apple User Data, Secret Files Claim



Senior execs at the affected companies deny all knowledge of the PRISM program.

According to a Guardian newspaper reveal, the US National Security Agency (NSA) has been collecting user data directly from the servers of internet giants such as Google, Facebook and Apple via its PRISM program. PRISM apparently allows the NSA to collect material such as search histories, email contents, file transfers and live chats. So far, though all the allegedly affected companies have said they would comply with government requests according to the law, none of them have said that they were aware of PRISM or allowed that level of access. Google's statement says it "does not have a back door for the government to access private user data," and Apple says it has "never heard" of PRISM. According to the Guardian document, the NSA intends to add other providers - Dropbox is specifically mentioned - and "expand collection services from existing providers."

The reveal comes from a classified NOFORN top secret power point document, intended for training purposes. The document states, among other things, that PRISM - "one of the most valuable, unique and productive accesses for NSA" - is heavily reliant on the participation of US internet firms, and "100% dependent on ISP provisioning." PRISM began as a Bush administration program, since renewed by the Obama administration. The NSA is a branch of the US Department of Defense, which means that - if true - the US military has effectively been granted unprecedented access to civilian communications.

A senior administration official has since stated that PRISM "is subject to oversight by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the Executive Branch, and Congress. It involves extensive procedures, specifically approved by the court, to ensure that only non-US persons outside the US are targeted, and that minimize the acquisition, retention and dissemination of incidentally acquired information about US persons." However, it would seem that the NSA needs only reasonable suspicion that one of the parties in the targeted communication is outside the US at the time the records are collected as per the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), amended, renewed in December 2012. Currently, the PRISM program has been cited as an information source in 77,000 intelligence reports.

At the affected companies, senior executives claimed to be confused by the NSA power point document. All of them said that they did as required by law, and received requests for information every day. They were used to that, but not to PRISM. Some, like Microsoft, said that information was only provided when a legally binding court order or subpoena was provided. "If the government has a broader voluntary national security program to gather customer data," said Microsoft, "we don't participate in it."

Source: Guardian [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data]


Permalink
 

CriticalMiss

New member
Jan 18, 2013
2,024
0
0
It involves extensive procedures, specifically approved by the court, to ensure that only non-US persons outside the US are targeted
Oh good, so they aren't spying on USAires... just everyone else. I guess they know about my insatiable appetite for puppy gifs.
 

Smooth Operator

New member
Oct 5, 2010
8,162
0
0
Why are you blaming Facebook, Google and Apple when it clearly said they are dependent on ISP's... in case the general US public doesn't know your biggest telecommunication firms have blanket surveillance permissions (for terrorist hunts obviously), which means they are allowed to scan all the data you are sending or receiving.

Yes they gather the most from social net sites but not on their end, they do it when you are passing the data along and they have permission to do so.
 

Longstreet

New member
Jun 16, 2012
705
0
0
They are gonna see some real fucked up shit if they look through my history.

My BS detector did make a small spike when it said "top secret power-point presentation" I can't imagine anything top secret being giving with a bloody power point.

On the other hand, the US spying on people (or any other country spying on its or foreign people for that matter) isn't really a surprise.

They say stuff like "approved by court" to make you feel a little less raped, but at the end of the day the court is going to do what the government tells them.
 

rodneyy

humm odd
Sep 10, 2008
175
0
0
and people are being accused of being paranoid about the kinect. microsoft were the first to climb into bed with this project, you really think there is not something that can overide any personal settings you have and turn the thing back on. its one thing to worry about hackers finding a loop hole its another having governments having the velvet rope pulled back for them.
 

eltonborges

New member
Apr 25, 2008
55
0
0
Ok, so, if this thing is real, it's a bigger problem only to people outside the US of A. I can't say I'm surprised or even afraid: If companies are providing "free service", it's because you are the product, no the client. This is how Facebook, Google and many other companies work. I know they have my data, I know they do with it whatever they want. What I really love about this kind of news is how they want to look protective: They will never confirm, even when they already did!
 

Vegosiux

New member
May 18, 2011
4,381
0
0
Wait, did US intelligence agencies go openly on record saying they're spying on foreign citizens in foreign countries? Now, to quote my favorite scumbag of all times:

"Do the words 'political shitstorm' mean anything to you?"

I mean, show your hand in espionage buisness? Why in blue blazes would you do that?
 

commasplice

New member
Dec 24, 2009
469
0
0
CriticalMiss said:
Oh good, so they aren't spying on USAires... just everyone else.
eltonborges said:
Ok, so, if this thing is real, it's a bigger problem only to people outside the US of A.
Well, I wouldn't necessarily say THAT. I mean, just look at the whole current debacle with the IRS. Just because they SAY they're only gonna use it on non-MURRICANS doesn't mean they WON'T use it on people within the country. Either way, the whole thing strikes me as kinda gross, y'know?
 

Robetid

New member
Feb 1, 2013
76
0
0
Then at the top of the list is a company who is releasing an "all in one entertainment system" with a mandatory always connected monitoring device set up in my living room... There is no way I am letting that machine into my house.
 

KillaBC

New member
Feb 18, 2013
51
0
0
Oh joy only non US citizens so that means all its NATO allies have been spied on as well. A treacherous act to say the least. A direct violation of a countries sovereign rights through the back door.
 

LordMonty

Badgerlord
Jul 2, 2008
570
0
0
Joy. I do think at times like these someone just got shot in a back room. Well this is offensive lets see how the rest of the world takes this. Oh and i'm sure what they totally ignored everything inside the USA because they said so and are such truthful and honest people... yea they spied on everyone even there own... expect those mask wearing hackers to go nuts anytime soon.