Could Google catch would-be terrorists?

Could Google catch would-be terrorists?

www.stuff.co.nz

With all the data Google collects about us and our search histories, could the company use its technical prowess to help catch terrorists and mass murderers before they commit crimes?

Norweigan daily Dagbladet reported that terrorist Anders Breivik spent 200 days searching Google for terms such as "how to make a bomb" before he went on his rampage.

Already Google uses data from searches to improve its targeted advertising and search rankings - and even to track the spread of the flu - leading academic ideas site The Conversation to ask the question "Why didn't Google catch the Norw

(visit the link for the full news article)

I'm guessing becuse they are not actually a law enforcement agency??

I see lots of people getting rather upset over the idea that Google, the well known protector of privacy (), might be used to check up on their activites - whether legal or not.

Personally I have no great problem with vast amounts of surveillance that is used for protecting eth social fabric........but I do have a serious problem with any sort of state investigative or enforcement function being carried out by private industry for profit!

I accede to allowing the state to exercise force on my behalf & for my protection (police, prisons, military, etc) - but i'm beggered if anyone should be making money out of it beyond the necessary wages & salaries!

www.stuff.co.nz
(visit the link for the full news article)

this is a gooogle trend "how to make a bomb"


tell me where you see the norway guy ...



www.google.com...


lol

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


Just another way to control the people. Thought-crimes. The question is really irrelevant isn't it? Shouldn't the real question be "Should we allow Google to spy on our every move?" I think it can be sufficiently argued that Google, along with ad optimization are already doing just that. I mean, I believe it's just a matter of time before they make legal what is already being done.

reply to post by seedofchucky


the 2nd most common language is Norwegian??!!

Given the original article is from the Sydney Morning Herald, the prevalence of Austalian and New Zealand queries might be explainable.........otherwise they'd all better watch out!!

I'm sure they could do much tighter analysis tho - right down to the IP and beyond!

Of course they can. Uncle Janet wants all WalMart shoppers to turn in terrorists too.

Now that we have a white "right-wing" terrorist threat, it's the beginning of the end. I've been preaching this for awhile - just the fact that you are posting here pretty much makes you a "terrorist".

"The police state isn't coming,

it's already here"

All google could do by searching this way is make many innocent people miserable in issues they shouldn't have been caught up in. By just participating in ATS and several other similar web sites, I am constantly off in another window running this or that to check details in a post or reply. I would hate to think what someone would think of ME after looking at a year of my search histories, keeping the above in mind.

Has anyone considered that this guy had no apparent fear and why would he? He freely strolled right on out and meekly surrendered to police, nice as you please. Deterence is about making the consequence so much worse than any benefit from the act that to do it represents insanity. I don't see their 21yr law as much deterence. I do see China's very fast and efficient death penalty system as being effective, if a little TOO broadly applied.

Somewhere in the middle, Norway has to find something to deter the next guy who figures a few decades in a pretty comfy prison (compared to most of the world) is well worth being known for all time as one of the most prolific murderers in world history.

Perhaps Norway and others who can't stomach the ugly side of a justice system that punishes can lease their prisoners out to Monaco or Tunisia. I hear time spent in those prisons is far from the Camp Snoopy lockups in Norway.

What is a "would-be terrorist"? Is that someone that has committed no crime?

Sure, why not? We can keep everyone safe if we just arrest and incarcerate anyone that could commit a crime. That's it! And if it can be proven that you thought about committing a crime, lock you up forever.

What will we call this new prison? The United States of America?? Almost there already, just take away passports and restrict travel. Good as done.

Its not like Google infringing on the rights of the populace is anything new.

The second that Google gets pressure from a government, they collapse. Look at China or Japan. Its most prevalent on YouTube, but imagine if they US Government requested this. Google would give up all its information freely and a new aspect of the privacy debate would come alive.

Its a matter of time before the US Government completely ignores Prior Restraint.

Simple solution, don't use Google. Hit them where it hurts, the wallet.

Originally posted by Finalized
Simple solution, don't use Google. Hit them where it hurts, the wallet.

Oh it won't just be google - it'll be every search engine, every social site, and even every ISP sooner or later - I'm sure al you Americans are aware of the ISP searches that went on over the last 10 yrs.

and it will extend to your phones too - if you want to avoid it best you stop being connected at all!!

Give me safety and security.

What a joke.

There never has been a defense from a psychopath and never will be a defense except a well armed first contact. The problem is not with the crazies, they have been with us since Cain. The problem is US, we have allowed our Governments to take on the responsibility of our personal protection. A job that they could never do. It has gotten so out of control that even if the citizen does protect himself, he now becomes the criminal.

There is nothing more reassuring than walking into a room filled with well armed citizens. In no way could a would be psychopath be able to harm more than a couple of people before the citizens turned him into Swiss Cheese.

This is the problem with the Norway tragedy. This psychopath KNEW that he would not be hindered in anyway by the citizens present from going about his deadly rampage. Kill at will, without any fear that he could be stopped.

This is what becomes of citizens who allow themselves to become disarmed.

reply to post by brokedown


Given the state of human beings in general, if everybody was armed half would be dead from the crossfire in the case of a psychopath incident. I think if concealed-carry became the norm we would have other problems as well, along with more psychopaths than we realized.

Originally posted by Aloysius the Gaul

Oh it won't just be google - it'll be every search engine, every social site, and even every ISP sooner or later - I'm sure al you Americans are aware of the ISP searches that went on over the last 10 yrs.

and it will extend to your phones too - if you want to avoid it best you stop being connected at all!!

Better yet, why not just make "them" an authorized user on your phone account?

And make sure you give them your passwords too, your email, and all.

Have all of your communications routed through them.

Make them the beneficiary of your bank accounts.

Oh.........wait....

Google can't even produce maps of Earth, the Moon or Mars without blocking some of the images, PLUS they even block certain sites and allow countries with active consent from Google to block them so what makes them think they can be productive in catching would-be terrorists?
And surely if they start to catalogue searches then it would set a precident to other crimes such as talking about dissent against the government.
Sorry Google bit of an own goal there methinks, we ALL want the current governments to fail and to be eliminated so that makes us ALL potential terrorists doesn't it?

Google is already being used to invade online privacy. It's done with subpoenas.

www.eff.org...