FBI Pursuing Real-Time Gmail Spying Powers as "Top Priority" for 2013

FBI Pursuing Real-Time Gmail Spying Powers as "Top Priority" for 2013

www.slate.com

Despite the pervasiveness of law enforcement surveillance of digital communication, the FBI still has a difficult time monitoring Gmail, Google Voice, and Dropbox in real time. But that may change soon, because the bureau says it has made gaining more powers to wiretap all forms of Internet conversation and cloud storage a “top priority” this year.

(visit the link for the full news article)

**Note-Mods, if this is in the wrong forum, please move it to the correct one***

It seems the FBI isn't content with being able to access the communications of US citizens after the fact, they now want to monitor it as it's being done. Privacy is becoming a relic of the past, if it isn't already.

In the article, Google spokesman Chris Gaither basically said that it is already possible for the company to monitor some pf google's services in real-time "under the right circumstances..."

At the end of the article, they point out that counsel for the FBI Andrew Weissmann at least said that there needed to be "public discussion" about the subject. Right after he said that he couldn't talk publicly about what exactly it is they wanted. Maybe to do what Bloomberg just did, tell the citizens to just get used to the fact they would be under constant surveillance?

www.slate.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I'm surprised people thought the internet was safe in the first place. For all we know agencies could have been monitoring our conversations for a long while. My soviet father sure seems to be convinced, since that was a known practice in Russia at least.

Good thing I don't have my Gmail account anymore.

Of course they will still watch and listen. My trusty tin foil hat will protect me!

-SAP-

So their "Predator" all-email-collection system isn't enough?

I really couldn't care less if they spy on my account,,.
there is nothing of secrecy in there to begin with.
If some spying freak wants to read about the kinky sextalk
that my woman and I have or my band schedules and dates then go for it
Besides, I don't really trust the internet for privacy anyway..

reply to post by SloAnPainful


I would love to ditch my gmail account, but unfortunately it's my contact for most of my family members. And helping them add my email to their contacts list was hard enough the first time (most of them are not what you'd call internet savvy...several of them were around when the telephone lines were still party lines.)

(BTW, love the avatar. Is that Lady Sylvanas? I just followed your sig link and put in my request and am anxiously awaiting seeing what you guys come up with...)

reply to post by RooskiZombi


There WAS a time when it was safe. I was there. I've been on the internet since before it WAS the internet. I've also been on some of the teams that fought early on to keep it that way, before we knew it was a hopeless fight. The question is, is it possible to reacquire the protections and anonymity that it was supposed to have, or is all that's left posting the latest updates about what they admit they're doing and rehashing that we're screwed?

reply to post by sprtpilot


"Carnivore, Enhanced Carnivore, TIA, Oasis, Fluent and Matrix". - all modern analogs of Echelon in various stages of deployment.

The FBI is currently behind the NSA in real time analytics capabilities and I suppose they've got a case of data envy over it.

Overview

reply to post by Hefficide


Yeah, I remember Carnivore. The ISP I worked at joined up with a few others in the area to fight against it, using the legal premise that we couldn't be forced to install extra software and hardware at our expense to comply. Didn't even make it to court before they dropped it and came up with whatever the next generation of it was called.

My boss used to wear a shirt that said "The internet interprets any form of censorship as damage and reroutes to correct the problem." To bad the same can't be said of surveillance.

ETA: Just read your link. We were told Carnivore had been shut down and they had picked up another project that wouldn't require us upgrading hardware and software. I guess they kept the name and just changed the requirements.

reply to post by QuantumCypher


Carnivore evolved. The metaphor would be that they stopped trying to read things at the tap and realized that it was much easier to control information flow from the main.

I don't have the latest numbers memorized regarding how much data they can filter and store - but the amount is absolutely mind blowing. I've got links somewhere that describe how many petaflops they can effectively monitor in real time. I'll try to find them if time allows. It truly is a mind numbing amount of data... and we're talking what they admit to publicly, Odds are that the reality is several years ahead of what they are willing to disclose.

reply to post by QuantumCypher


I try not to put anything in my mail they would care about, but could they at least do something about all the junk mail.

If you outlaw cryptography only outlaws will have 4%7&$85926aHx!;'.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

~ Benjamin Franklin

ETA - that quote is for all those posters who take the "I don't care if they read my email" stance. Will you care when they start installing surveillance cameras inside your home?

This is an interesting turn of events -

Exclusive: Darpa Director Bolts Pentagon for Google

Darpa director Regina Dugan will soon be stepping down from her position atop the Pentagon’s premiere research shop to take a job with Google. Dugan, whose controversial tenure at the agency lasted just under three years, was “offered and accepted at senior executive position” with the internet giant, according to Darpa spokesman Eric Mazzacone. She felt she couldn’t say no to such an “innovative company,” he adds.

Dugan’s emphasis on cybersecurity and next-generation manufacturing earned her strong support from the White House, winning her praise from the President and maintaining the agency’s budget even during a period of relative austerity at the Pentagon. Her push into crowdsourcing and outreach to the hacker community were eye-openers in the often-closed world of military R&D. Dugan also won over some military commanders by diverting some of her research cash from long-term, blue-sky projects to immediate battlefield concerns.

Even though the contents of my email are completely innocuous, I do have a problem with them reading it. I have the right to privacy, plain and simple. I don't have to prove to anyone that I'm not a criminal; that's not how our justice system is supposed to work.

Forgot to add yesterday that if they attempt to pass this, IT WILL BE CHALLENGED. The question is whether the Supreme Court is strong enough to fight for the people....

[size=4]The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized

Fourth amendment of the Constitution and part of the Bill of Rights....for those who forgot. There ARE protections out there, but they are useless if you don't fight for them. A blanket "Right" to monitor communications is not "probable cause"

A great link that discusses various Privacy laws and their proposed changes - securityaffairs.co...

reply to post by sprtpilot


Gmail still has it.

reply to post by QuantumCypher


They're welcome to read all the spam I get that they want.

I rarely use GMail or any email. I don't Tweet or use FaceBook either. I've always preferred face to face or at least voice to voice contact.

Email is useful, but as a means of communication, I really don’t like it. To many misunderstandings and obviously, not very secure.

I'll give them all of my email usernames and passwords if they ask, only one condition... They must delete all of the spam and junkmail while they are there.