FBI ask Wikipedia to remove their seal

Source: www.bbc.co.uk...

I was under the impression that those seals belonged to the public, as Americans taxpayers paid for it. I think this is a non issue.

Originally posted by gagol
I was under the impression that those seals belonged to the public, as Americans taxpayers paid for it. I think this is a non issue.

I would tend to agree. Someone at the FBI Legal department got bored or something. I hope it isn't something bigger. The thing is that this seal has been there forever and there are lots of other places you can find a nice high quality image of the seal. This is a battle they cannot win (the FBI, that is).

reply to post by rogerstigers


If the FBI is so bored, it means they have way too much budget. If they fear someone could use that logo to impersonate them, those people are more likely to get the material from someone else anyway.

reply to post by gagol


Exactly. Just type in FBI seal on google images.

The FBI are just picking on wikipedia.

Originally posted by gagol
I was under the impression that those seals belonged to the public, as Americans taxpayers paid for it.

i never looked at it that way, but i think you're right

Seems like harassment to me. And a way to let Wikipedia know they've got their eye on them.

Then again it could be a real concern in case someone wants to forge identification or stationary, I suppose. Like that crazy guy who had a CIA mosaic in his hotel room.

But there again, someone who wanted it could always find it on fbi.gov. Although now that I look at it? It seems they're shrunken it to an almost unusable, very low res and poor quality graphic. Hmmm....

[edit on 8/3/2010 by ~Lucidity]

I like to know why he would have to follow "US Laws"? He doesn't!

Call me silly if you'd like, but I feel there is something a little more clandestine about this matter.

I think the FBI is alerting the general "in-the-know public" and Wikipedia itself, that the FBI is removing some of their "services", or pursuing agendas contrary to Wikipedia's benefit or goals, with online operations that will be detrimental to Wikipedia's online sovereignty, if you will. Becoming a standard tool or collateral in the government's campaign on snuffing out widespread critical thought.

I see no other reason for it, personally. The FBI isn't that damned incompetent to overlook the fact that any image at all can be found anywhere on the internet. Unless of course they're just trying to set a precedent with Wikipedia.

Either way, it's ridiculous.

It is a bit strange...

It is not yet know why the FBI has singled out Wikipedia, when the FBI seal is published on numerous other websites.

from the link.

Yet in the very article the BBC puts the image up there? - I can't imagine that the BBC didn't run that one past the lawyers first, so why wikipedia?

Originally posted by SyphonX
Call me silly if you'd like, but I feel there is something a little more clandestine about this matter.

I think the FBI is alerting the general "in-the-know public" and Wikipedia itself, that the FBI is removing some of their "services", or pursuing agendas contrary to Wikipedia's benefit or goals, with online operations that will be detrimental to Wikipedia's online sovereignty, if you will. Becoming a standard tool or collateral in the government's campaign on snuffing out widespread critical thought.

I see no other reason for it, personally. The FBI isn't that damned incompetent to overlook the fact that any image at all can be found anywhere on the internet. Unless of course they're just trying to set a precedent with Wikipedia.

Either way, it's ridiculous.

Good point. I was jus considering that after reading about Project Vigilant. Perhaps this is the start of a new Internet War (ala the Browser Wars, but more sinister).

Only those websites which have content that can be controlled and manipulated by the FBI shall be allowed to use the FBI seal.

how stupid.

Guess it's time to start creating some artwork with the almighty "seal" in it.

Maybe the FBI confounded Wikipedia with Wikileaks... or they are just crusading against freedom of press and speech online.

Originally posted by gagol
Maybe the FBI confounded Wikipedia with Wikileaks... or they are just crusading against freedom of press and speech online.

Well, they are pretty stupid.
Wouldnt surprise me.... "go after anything with the name "wiki" in it, We will show them!".

or

"we cant do anything to wikileaks, so this is the next best thing!"

[edit on 3-8-2010 by Ahmose]