Report: Verizon providing all call records to U.S. under court order

reply to post by GoalPoster


Itsn't this the same crap that Nixon pull during his time as president that cost him his term? oops I forgot is now legal to do what he did.

Originally posted by Alxandro
Geez almighty, is there no end to what Obama continues to do?
When will his peeps and followers finally realize what they have done?
Have we passed the point of no return?

If you read the article, you will see that it's a continuation of a law passed in 2006 under George W. Bush. So they've actually been doing this for 7 years.

It's not new.

reply to post by Byrd


Yes it was started under Bush, but under Obama the boundaries of the Bush administration laws has been pushed to the limit.

Sadly I remember when I posted onces many years ago, that the laws, acts (specially the patriot act) and bills that one president passes during their administration geared to erode citizens rights and constitutional rights will open the door for more corruption under the presidents that will come after now I will add, and as more laws, bills and acts are passed we the American citizens will end up under nothing but a tyrannical system of govenrment.

This is exactly what is going on now.

You do realize there is NO way they can actually analyze all this data right? They feed it through dedicated software programs that look for patterns and keywords, and specific geographical areas. "Hits" then get sent to human analysts. So very little is actually "read" by anyone.

Of course, most of this isn't really going to help track down anyone, as I'd imagine anyone nefarious is using "burner" phones. All they can really hope to do is be alerted to any possible action and then corroborate that with other intel.

reply to post by Gazrok


That is true, if the government or perhaps private companies has not come out with a new way under secrecy as per Secret court orders and under national security mandates, in wish they now have the capabilities classifying data by specifically targeting searches for key words or sentences, like the president name, cities of interest, subject matter or locations of interest.

We will find out eventually, secret technology has gone, I hope .

It's no surprise that some of our resident anti American Nazis in office like Dianne Feinstein and Lindsey Graham fully support this. At least Rand Paul stood up for the constitution although as usual no one listened.

'Critical tool'? Top lawmakers defend NSA snooping on Verizon phone records

“This program has been lawful, it’s been approved,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein said. “It began in 2009 – what appeared in the Guardian today, as I understand it, is simply a court reauthorization of a program. The court is required to look at it every three months.” And while Republican Senator Rand Paul called the surveillance of Verizon phone records described in the report “an astounding assault on the constitution,” other GOP lawmakers including Senator Lindsey Graham disagreed. “I have no problem. I am a Verizon customer. You can have my phone number, and put it in a database,” Graham said. “If they get a hit between me and some guy from Waziristan,” officials should investigate, he said.

May Bush, Obama and all these other SOB's burn in hell for what they have done to this country.

reply to post by Gazrok

True...but ancillary to the salient point that this is a blatant over-reach by the Obama administration...clearly in violation or the Fourth Amendment (How many has this administration trampled this far?...I've lost count.).

Also telling...that it was a British paper (The Guardian?) that uncovered this story...and not American Obama-loving media outlet.

Amateurs -- the private sector beat them to it - they get everything all the government got was lousy metadata

reply to post by IAMTAT


I am glad you bring the "guardian into this" because I remember before the 2008 market crash "Rense' were foretelling the downfall of the banking system and how they will be taken care by the tax payers.

But as usual this news were sweep under the carpet because their "news" sources are not "reliable" and during that time "quoting" them was laughable.

Look at the them now.

We even have threads talking about how Rense knew even before the market crashed and when the public was in uproar against the bailouts they knew that it was already a done deal.

So I do not dismiss any longer what the Guardian or Rense have to say this days, perhaps this how "whistle" blowers tells their stories.

Even the IRS scandal was on Rense before it even became an issue after the Obama got into the White house in 2008.

The following is a transcript of my chat with a Verizon "online chat agent" regarding this situation. Pretty dissatisfied with the conversation, to say the least.

//

General Info
Chat start time Jun 6, 2013 1:22:11 PM EST
Chat end time Jun 6, 2013 1:35:19 PM EST
Duration (actual chatting time) 00:13:07
Operator Kelly E


Chat Transcript
info: Please hold for a Verizon Wireless sales representative, we appreciate your patience.
Your current estimated wait time is 1 min 39 secs.
info: Add a tablet to the Share Everything plan for only $10/mo – no contract commitment - data only plans starting at $30 monthly access! Ask me how.

Your RealTime session ID is RT9681383853.
You are now chatting with 'Kelly E'

You: I've heard that Verizon Wireless is providing my recorded phone calls between myself and private parties to the United States Government. What is Verizon's official word on this scandal, and can you assure me that I have made the correct decision in choosing Verizon? It distresses me know that Verizon Wireless is working with the US Government to provide private information when I have done nothing wrong and am on ZERO watch lists. Please advise immediately so that I can decide whether to continue with Verizon or choose a new wireless provider. Thank you so much, Timothy Threet [address] [phone number]

Kelly E: Hello. Thank you for visiting Verizon Wireless, my name is Kelly. I'm here to assist you with upgrading you existing phone or new service while taking advantage of our accessories promotion today. May I have your name please?

You: Timothy Threet

You: I've heard that Verizon Wireless is providing my recorded phone calls between myself and private parties to the United States Government. What is Verizon's official word on this scandal, and can you assure me that I have made the correct decision in choosing Verizon? It distresses me know that Verizon Wireless is working with the US Government to provide private information when I have done nothing wrong and am on ZERO watch lists. Please advise immediately so that I can decide whether to continue with Verizon or choose a new wireless provider. Thank you so much, Timothy Threet [address] [phone number]

Kelly E: Hello Timothy!

You: Hello - and the answer to my question?

Kelly E: Verizon continually takes steps to safeguard its customers? privacy. Nevertheless, the law authorizes the federal courts to order a company to provide information in certain circumstances, and if Verizon were to receive such an order, we would be required to comply.

You: I'm specifically concerned with the following statement for a current issue of The Guardian:

You: The National Security Agency appears to be collecting the telephone records of tens of millions of American customers of Verizon, one of the nation’s largest phone companies, under a top-secret court order issued in April.

You: Am I included in the tens of millions of customers whose private information has been compromised?

You: Please advise

Kelly E: That is something the federal government has required Verizon Wireless to comply with. They have to do it.

You: That seems unacceptable to me. I pay a large sum of money per month to Verizon, a private company, to utilize the mobile phone technology they provide - is there a "term or condition" within the contract that obligates me to allow my personal and private telephone conversations to be recorded and distributed en masse to the US Government?

Kelly E: My records are being handed over as well.

Kelly E: Legally Verizon Wireless has to comply with the government.

You: You haven't answered my question - is there some term within my contract that allows the US Government to record and listen to my private conversations?

Kelly E: That is not something Verizon Wireless as a company can control. If the government says that the records have to be handed over, they have to be handed over. Everyone, including myself has to comply with it.

You: I appreciate your honesty and will begin my search for a cell phone company that respects me as a free citizen of the USA and protects my information as a US Citizen. Thank you for your time.

Kelly E: Thank you for chatting with Verizon Wireless. Have a great afternoon!

You: Goodbye!

//

Distressing, no?

reply to post by spyder550


So if the US spend 2 billions a year on third party data collectors that their job is to do just that, I wonder how much is the billions that goes to private data collectors working directly under the Secret courts runs by the administration, where their actions, secret warrants and corruption can not be challenged in constitutional courts of laws.

Is this scary? yes, is this how a Democracy and a government for the people and by the people is supposed to behave? no.

Is our free nation govenrment running like a tyrannic government? yes.

Massive class action suit against Verizon, anyone?

Originally posted by Cypress
reply to post by Zcustosmorum

 

unfortunately, its not that simple. From the article the government got a court order. Verizon had to comply and it could have been any company in the US that was targeted. Looks like they were using the "we're looking for terrorists" angle to go after leaks.

From the Washington Post article:

A senior Obama administration official said Thursday that the purported order “does not allow the government to listen in on anyone’s telephone calls” but relates only to “metadata, such as a telephone number or the length of a call.” The official said such information “has been a critical tool in protecting the nation from terrorist threats to the United States.”

I just don't see how "MetaData" would be of use tracking terrorists - perhaps funds transfers - but specific plots and potential terrorists - don't see how.

It also state that it is a Verizon subsidiary - remember verizon has land lines as well as wireless. Interent and TV too.

Also - this 'Total Information Awareness' wet dream takes a huge amount of electricity to run and maintan.

Some notes on TIA from wikipedia for quickness:

The IAO began funding research and development of the Total Information Awareness (TIA) Program in February 2003 but renamed the program the Terrorism Information Awareness Program in May that year after an adverse media reaction to the program's implications for public surveillance.

On January 16, 2003, Senator Russ Feingold introduced legislation to suspend the activity of the IAO and the Total Information Awareness program pending a Congressional review of privacy issues involved.[6] A similar measure introduced by Senator Ron Wyden would have prohibited the IAO from operating within the United States unless specifically authorized to do so by Congress, and would have shut the IAO down entirely 60 days after passage unless either the Pentagon prepared a report to Congress assessing the impact of IAO activities on individual privacy and civil liberties or the President certified the program's research as vital to national security interests. In February 2003, Congress passed legislation suspending activities of the IAO pending a Congressional report of the office's activities (Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003, No.108–7, Division M, §111(b) [signed Feb. 20, 2003]).
In response to this legislation, DARPA provided Congress on May 20, 2003 with a report on its activities.[7] In this report, IAO changed the name of the program to the Terrorism Information Awareness Program and emphasized that the program was not designed to compile dossiers on US citizens, but rather to research and develop the tools that would allow authorized agencies to gather information on terrorist networks. Despite the name change and these assurances, the critics continued to see the system as prone to potential misuse or abuse.

reply to post by tim3t


That is some interesting chat there, my husband and I are also Verizon patrons and we are thinking about changing the way we use our cell phone.

Is interesting how the govenrment is abusing powers to get information on common citizens no just terrorist but I do not believe this data gathering have anything to do with terrorist at all.

reply to post by IAMTAT


I am on it and will like this to happen, I already posted that it needs to be done, just to get back at Verizon and slap the government with our 4th amendments rights.

Originally posted by Gazrok
You do realize there is NO way they can actually analyze all this data right? They feed it through dedicated software programs that look for patterns and keywords, and specific geographical areas. "Hits" then get sent to human analysts. So very little is actually "read" by anyone.

You are not being clear here. Is it about "reading" or getting a pattern?

As I posted on the previous pages, you can do quite a bit of analysis with modern tools.

reply to post by FyreByrd


Sadly know terrorist and professional in this issue will never be so stupid as to give access to governmenton how they are going to do their terrorist acts and how money is to be used.

So that is a lie.

This about Americans in America soil, the governmentis looking at people of interest to make a case for more domestic terrorism laws as more and more people are getting dissatisfy with our political system and their scandals of corruption.

reply to post by buster2010

Good post.
Rand Paul is one in Washington that I distrust the least. Ron Wyden seems to get it too.

Trend tracking is a way to predetermine outcomes based on movement/key words/telephone*internet traffic leading up to an event.

THe government can then anticipate certain actions/reactions to key events based upon metadata analysis.

Once it is able to predetermine, it can anticipate certain outcomes and have advertising, analysis on tv to further manipulate the behaviour that it desires.

Orwellian just doesn't describe it.

(beezzer now watches the population dance as American government pulls the strings!)

*hey! What's that lifting my right ar-. . . . .