Big Brother spyware 'predicts future crime'

Big Brother spyware 'predicts future crime'

metro.co.uk

Criminals who pose a threat to national security could be caught before they have even committed an offence with software used to track their online behaviour, it is claimed.

Their future movements can be predicted by ‘mining’ vast amounts of information from social media websites including Facebook and Twitter.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
m.itproportal.com - same story here
www.dailymail.co.uk - same story here
www.raytheon.co.uk - company responsible for the spyware

So, this is my first thread and I hope I posted it correctly., I searched ATS using various keywords and didn't find anything about this yet.

This is from an article dated Sunday 10/02/13 which appeared in print on the front page of today's 'Metro' (a free paper provided on public transport here in the uk). The story is about a piece of software known as RIOT that is able to predict 'future crime'.


metro.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)


So, future crime... Sound familiar?

This article raises a number of issues that I found somewhat disturbing.

Firstly; proof, if it were needed, that the government is using (or intends to use) social media as a way to spy on, and monitor innocent people. There is no mention of this software targeting only suspected criminals. In fact, it mentions analysing 'trillions of entities' from cyberspace, implying that it will be applied broadly and will be monitoring everyone, regardless of whether or not a person is actually suspected of doing anything wrong.

Secondly; the concept of 'future crime' raises some serious ethical questions. Many of which are explored in the film 'minority report'.

Personally, I think this is potentially a huge threat to people's privacy. It's hugely intrusive and I believe, unethical. There are huge issues with this system... Not least, is there a possibility that errors would occur and people could be wrongly suspected? What action could be taken if someone is deemed to be a high risk of committing a crime? Could they be arrested on the basis of being a future criminal? Does this system usurp the current legal position of 'innocent until proven guilty'?

There are many questions and implications and I would like to hear other peoples thoughts on this matter.

I hope you find this article interesting and that it stimulates constructive debate.

Thanks, Milkflavour...

Raytheon's RIOT was covered yesterday.

LINK

Originally posted by Milkflavour

So, this is my first thread and I hope I posted it correctly., I searched ATS using various keywords and didn't find anything about this yet.

What keywords did you use?

I used "riot software" and this thread topped the search results:

Raytheon's Riot: Software that tracks people on social media created by defence firm

Thanks for trying to search. A common mistake is using too many search terms. Note I only used 2 words.

Originally posted by threewisemonkeys
Raytheon's RIOT was covered yesterday.

LINK

Since you didn't have the link I looked it up, but I see you edited your post to provide it!

Well, I searched Riot and spyware and future crime...

My apologies, perhaps a mod can delete this thread as its somewhat pointless... How can I get that sorted? Sorry for the cluelessness...

Originally posted by Milkflavour
Well, I searched Riot and spyware and future crime...

My apologies, perhaps a mod can delete this thread as its somewhat pointless... How can I get that sorted? Sorry for the cluelessness...

Edit:
Wait, I just noticed the other thread is not in breaking alternative news, sorry I thought it was. There is no need to delete this thread, they allow a breaking alternative news thread and one other as long as it's not also in breaking alternative news.

From the Story:

‘People have been sharing large information about themselves on social networks without knowing the consequences of it. Now companies are looking at how to join the dots.

I've always thought this was true. A lot of people don't seem to realize the implications of the social networking sites.

And if someone is planning a terrorist act and has half a brain, they wouldn't be discussing it on twitter or facebook, so I don't think this will do much for security but it could do a lot to damage privacy.

Originally posted by Milkflavour

Big Brother spyware 'predicts future crime'

metro.co.uk

Criminals who pose a threat to national security could be caught before they have even committed an offence with software used to track their online behaviour, it is claimed.

Their future movements can be predicted by ‘mining’ vast amounts of information from social media websites including Facebook and Twitter.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
m.itproportal.com - same story here
www.dailymail.co.uk - same story here
www.raytheon.co.uk - company responsible for the spyware

edit on 11-2-2013 by Milkflavour because: Additional links

Ummm.....so your not saying that they can tell wether I'm going to be speeding in the near future or not?......Hmmmm...? Cause I can't wait until spring so I can get that pure adrenalin rush from my rice-rocket....KWIM?

YouSir

reply to post by YouSir

They will watch your twitter account, and when you send a tweet to your mom and say "hi mom, it's me, just thought I'd let you know I'm on the way to plant the bomb now", they will read that and know you are about to plant the bomb before you even do it.

Originally posted by Arbitrageur
I've always thought this was true. A lot of people don't seem to realize the implications of the social networking sites. And if someone is planning a terrorist act and has half a brain, they wouldn't be discussing it on twitter or facebook, so I don't think this will do much for security but it could do a lot to damage privacy.

It's not that people do not realize the implications, they simply do not care. The benefits, as they see them, outweigh the negative consequences, as persons like yourself see them. I would agree with you however. No terrorist worth their salt would discuss such things on an open forum, it is ludicrous to suggest otherwise. There are very simple ways to do that, an encrypted IRC chartroom for one, and most Anusbook users wouldn't even know what IRC is anyway. There's a quote by Franklin about giving up privacy for security. It's quite apt in this case. The people deserve neither.

Those computer systems FAILED when they were turned on in America in the early 2000's.


"Certegy" a check verification software company and credit card verification company that can deny people access to their money if the Computer System deems them a "threat"......

When they turned it on, it flagged a good portion of the US Military and actually STOPPED US Military movement. Seems GI's buy lots of fuel, rent hotels, and buy ammo with their plastic credit cards and were flagged by the system as they were PCS'ing from one Base to another.

Certegy stopped allowing them to use their checks, stopped their plastic debit / credit cards from working.....even denied them the ability to use their US Government Travel Cards (credit cards).

It resulted in many GI's getting stranded all over America and unable to complete moving from Base A to Base B.Resulting in ALOT of them unable to get to their duty stations by the dates on their military orders.


Big Brother Computer systems......failed.

To keep the GI's from informing CONGRESS Certegy started mailing those GI's letter saying sorry and they would be upgraded to "Gold Status".....which didn't mean squat.

Ummm.....so your not saying that they can tell wether I'm going to be speeding in the near future or not?......Hmmmm...? Cause I can't wait until spring so I can get that pure adrenalin rush from my rice-rocket....KWIM?

YouSir

edit on 11-2-2013 by YouSir because: I had a case of too many L's...and you know that was an untennable situation that just had to be rectified...right?

Ha, well, you jest but, perhaps if you're posting stuff like this on Facebook saying "was out speeding today" or words to that effect, you might find you get a knock on the door...

My concern in regards to the 'future crime' angle is this... How much 'evidence' (data mined from your Internet usage, not just Facebook etc either, the article sites those as examples but implies they will be monitoring all traffic for certain trends) is enough to accuse you of a future crime?

Is you saying/implying on here that you intend to speed evidence enough of a future crime? Who decides when there is sufficient evidence? Who is monitoring those who are doing the monitoring? This system is wide open to abuse and it gravely concerns me that there has been a gradual erosion of people's rights via technology like this and the way the Internet is being policed.

There have been a number of cases of people being arrested for saying things on twitter and/or facebook... A good example was the Tom Daley incident during the Olympics; a twitter user said that Tom's deceased father would have been disappointed in him, and he was ARRESTED BY THE POLICE... Whilst the comment was a bit heartless the twitter user should be free to say whatever he likes, and I am free to disagree with him, or call him a dick...

It concerns me that those in power seem to be seeking to exploit the fact that the Internet is largely unregulated and there aren't the same well established and comprehensive laws and controls as in other areas... The Internet and the way it is being used continues to adapt and change at a fantastic rate yet the laws to protect people from this kind of abuse of people's rights does not....

reply to post by Milkflavour


Two Words: Minority Report

The movie the shows all the flaws and problems with trying to predict crime.

reply to post by Milkflavour


They watch a picture, and say, he, or she, is criminal, send him, or her, to private jail, to be a slave? That?

please run this program on Obama!
then we will know what hes up to.

reply to post by Arbitrageur


And by "Planting the bomb" he MEANS getting married to the
woman his mother hates and yada yada yada...
But wtf, if you can stop ONE real bomb being
planted by fuxxing up another persons life.
Its AAAAAAL worth it......right....

The police were at it before christmas just using a slightly less technical method

www.independent.co.uk...

Criminals are to get Christmas cards from a police force warning them to be on their best behaviour during the festive period. West Midlands Police is sending the cards to career criminals including burglars, robbers and car thieves living in the region, in the hope that it will prick their consciences. In the past, other police forces have posted cards in an attempt to bring down the number of thefts which happen at this time of year. The cards will be mailed in the coming days, and vary depending on whether the criminals are single, or have their own family. For those with a family, the card's cover features the face of a sad young child gazing out. It reads: 'All I want for Christmas is for you to be there'.

This is what comes to mind for me...



I doubt they have anything this extreme though..

reply to post by Milkflavour




its happening....

Originally posted by Milkflavour

Ummm.....so your not saying that they can tell wether I'm going to be speeding in the near future or not?......Hmmmm...? Cause I can't wait until spring so I can get that pure adrenalin rush from my rice-rocket....KWIM?

YouSir

edit on 11-2-2013 by YouSir because: I had a case of too many L's...and you know that was an untennable situation that just had to be rectified...right?

Ha, well, you jest but, perhaps if you're posting stuff like this on Facebook saying "was out speeding today" or words to that effect, you might find you get a knock on the door...

My concern in regards to the 'future crime' angle is this... How much 'evidence' (data mined from your Internet usage, not just Facebook etc either, the article sites those as examples but implies they will be monitoring all traffic for certain trends) is enough to accuse you of a future crime?

Ummm.....I do get what your saying.......no...really I do. I'm just not into the social networking thing. I leave tweeting to the birds and haven't a single use for facebook...I suppose I just dont "get" it. Somehow I thought it was probably a bad idea to leave all of that personal information all over the net...But then again I abhor texting as well.....I must be an anachronism, just one that loves his i-Phone and i-Mac.......I am kindof addicted to ATS though...

As far as pre-crime, I guess if I was dumb enough to blab about possible miscreant desires then maybe a vacation in the hooscow would seem like...well...a vacation.

I always thought that ATS was a data mine port anyway...but it is kinda fun to outlet my paranoia...

YouSir