Feds Admit: Telephone Company Is Arm of Government

Well, on one level this is yet more hard evidence of the slow-frog-boil progression towards the intertwining of government survalience and communications. On the other hand, I'm happy to see the courts finally standing up to the feds, at least on some level. The courts have been strangely silent as the feds assume more and more control; It sometimes seems to me that the nation's entire legal system had been alseep at the wheel for years.

The Department of Justice has finally admitted it in court papers: The nation’s telecom companies are an arm of the government — at least when it comes to secret spying.

Fortunately, a judge says that relationship isn’t enough to squash a rights group’s open records request for communications between the nation’s telecoms and the feds.

More at source:
www.wired.com...

And isn't it handy that people are getting all of their latest "technology" through their phones?

I mean, most people do everything through their mobile.
I for one didn't need much persuading to not carry a cell. They cause cancer, first and foremost.

Secondly, I don't like being a slave to people's curiosity.

I mean sure, if I go hiking or something and I'm going to be out of touch, I'll carry a cell in case I need to get a CALL out to people in case of trouble.
And I know the arguments, "but my cellphone gives me access to people at all times."

Great, but just who is it that you are giving access to?
Yeah, your loved ones, sure. But also, as this story relates, big brother. But we've all known that.

And in truth, most people use the thing to update their facebook and further dissolve the art of social interation by even neglecting to pick up the damned phone at all to have an actual conversation with someone and instead use it to "text message" people.

Text messaging is the biggest sham of a thing I have ever seen.

Sure, once you learn to manipulate the keypad like a keyboard, it is handy, I suppose. But what are you doing in the meanwhile?
I have friends who have been dear to me for years who I have stopped keeping in touch with all together because the ONLY way they communicate with other people is through facebook and text.

Ridiculous.

Sure, this may be the way of the future, but count me out. I still like to SPEAK to people.

And I choose not to do so with a mobile tracking device, if I can help it.
Call me paranoid...

I call it privacy.

S&F

I'm bumping the thread.
I think this will be something people will be interested in... Or else I'll be made to look like a fool because it has already been covered at length on these boards.

Either way, I hate it when a thread gets absolutely no resolution.

I have never agreed so much with a post, JayinAR! A pretty star for you.

also... this has been a long time known, but I suppose we ought to treat is as some sort of novelty that the government finally had the cajones to make it public... or as you say, slow-frog-boil us into awakening ourselves and stop being puppets to the ever-complicated tech of nowadays.

Originally posted by JayinAR
Text messaging is the biggest sham of a thing I have ever seen.

Just depends on how you use it.

It's just as useful as the telephone itself, it can convey a message just as perfectly.

A telephone, the internet, a web-camera, and a variety of other gadgets and technologies can be used either for useful purposes by useful people, or useless purposes by useless people, or something in between.

But regardless, don't blame technology for society's ills.

The internet is the greatest invention probably so far known to man, and text messaging is exactly like an e-mail. Or a website forum PM inbox. It's a message leaving service basically. As handy and useful as you make it.

reply to post by BaronVonGodzilla


I understand this. But what is the cost?

I mean honestly, we just saw a story on these boards, or was that in MSM, where a couple of girls fell into a well and updated their facebook page instead of calling the police.

What I'm getting at is that, yeah, mobile internet / social interaction via the internet, is fascinating, it is also removing a basical social construct.

Speaking to someone.

I mean honestly, you fall down a well and HOPE that people will read your facebook in time to get the word out that you are in trouble instead of actually calling the people who are paid by your tax-payer dollars to handle just this sort of thing?'


I understand the potential pros, but with a society of idiots, it is compounding idiocy.