I need to read more about this before I can comment too much but, if the report is accurate, it is, sadly, not surprising.

Control the information and you control the population. Ask anyone who has ever had their identity stolen or been the unfortunate victim of a bureaucratic mix-up. Access to information or information retrieval is an ever-growing source of power in this digital world. Especially one driven by marketing, polls and statistics.

i think it would be foolish to think that this hasnt been going on atleast in smaller ways for quite a while. imean atleast when you buy certain magazines or make certain inquiries on the internet. it could have gone on for quite a while and noone would know.

This has nothing with the Bush Administration and everything to do with the would-be-dictators who want to control the world.

I say somebody with the means to do so just blows the source of this project to smithereens. If something of that nature and magnitude is actually built, the time for debate, legislation, and trials has passed. And no, this isn't suggesting illegal activity - it's suggesting that somebody put a stop to one.

"LifeLog aims to compile a massive electronic database of every activity and relationship a person engages in. This is to include credit card purchases, web sites visited, the content of telephone calls and e-mails sent and received, scans of faxes and postal mail sent and received, instant messages sent and received, books and magazines read, television and radio selections, physical location recorded via wearable GPS sensors, biomedical data captured through wearable sensors, The high level goal of this data logging is to identify "preferences, plans, goals, and other markers of intentionality." [1] The DARPA program was cancelled in 2004 after criticism from civil libertarians concerning the privacy implications of the system.

Emphasis mine.

Although the program has been canceled, they are probably still working on something similar.

[edit on 12/13/2007 by Alien42]

and other markers of intentionality.

... you're looking at it right there, the future of your country. Arrests based on the fact that you happened to like the same magazine, or website that a known criminal likes.

Intentionality.

I know the project was scrapped in 2004, but the fact that they pushed hard enough for it that it made the news tells you they still eagerly want to do this.


Todays monitoring systems only begin recording if you are already under suspicion, or speak certain flagged words. Basically it's too hard for humans to look through every citizens information... however, an automated system like the one mentioned is feasable.

I make it a point every time I call a friend to say quite clearly "Infidel", "Bomb" and "Al-Qaeda" in random places, just so I can force the automatic recorders to start, and have some poor headphone jockey have to waste his time and listen to the whole recording on the basis that it might be something worthwhile.

I've always been partial to: "Hi Jack! How are you? I'm feeling rather plain today myself," and the ever-hilarious, "Our President is the bomb!"

I think you can forget about the "foreigner" idea. In germany recently around 30 citizens were being target of covert surveillance, bugs.. cams.. possibly even IT surveillance. Gladly the Supreme Court declared those actions illegit since setting a couple of cars on fire during a protest cannot be seen as a terroristic, but only a "criminal" act. They were suspected of belonging to a terroristical organization because some cars on a demonstration were set on fire. All of the suspects were released without charges. There was no proof whatsoever.

And the laws for preventive data-mining has already passed a while ago, despite all of the criticism from citizens, politicians and data-right experts.
All phonecalls, E-Mails, Electronic Info is being "preventively" saved for a timespan of several months or more. Meanwhile journalists even have to meet with whistleblowers in a café, because any other form of contact would bring them in great danger.

This shows once again how the loose definition of "terrorism" serves only as a purpose for control. And if you look at the other side, where terrorism or vital parts could really be secured; A german TV show prooved how they could get into cargo and closed areas of a major german airport easily.. by copying cheap access cards.

But I guess as long as one is not criminal he has nothing to fear.. and total surveillance is ok. If terrorism isnt really prosecuted either and there are no real facts and efforts behind the political argumentation.. aw well.. who cares, doesn't matter either. (sarcasm)