Why Metadata Matters, Librarian Whistle Blower from the 80’s.

Development of Counterintelligence among Librarians

Is a program from the 80's that every American should know about. During the 1980’s the Federal Bureau of Investigation ran a program called DECAL or The Library Awareness Program. The purpose of the program being to gather Counter intelligence using Guess what?


METADATA

“Metadata have been used in various forms as a means of cataloging archived information. The Dewey Decimal System employed by libraries for the classification of library materials is an early example of metadata usage. Library catalogues used 3x5 inch cards to display a book's title, author, subject matter, and a brief plot synopsis along with an abbreviatedalpha-numeric identification system which indicated the physical location of the book within the library's shelves. Such data help classify, aggregate, identify, and locate a particular book. Another form of older metadata collection is the use by US Census Bureau of what is known as the "Long Form." The Long Form asks questions that are used to create demographic data to find patterns of distribution.[7]”

Why does this matter? Because, the FBI was using metadata (data about data) meaning what library books people where renting, which by definition is metadata.

So often I see the response to the NSA spying as “its only Metadata”, well free thinking Americans have known for some time that Metadata matters, as the Outrage from the 80’s shows.

Enter librarian Paula Kaufman

Article relates to Digital media and question about kindle, because again, the same issue, Reading history (data about data, or "meta data") Is dangerous if allowed to be spied upon. From the article on that issue.

“She refused to cooperate with the bureau's "library awareness" program and her defiance helped spark a nationwide backlash against government snooping into Americans' reading habits. Even knowing the government might be watching, people realized, could change what you choose to read—and in turn alter what you think. As a result of similar incidents that occurred over the years, 48 states now have laws on the books protecting library records”

Columbia University professor Paula Kaufman, was the “snowden” for this case, she quickly understood what the FBI’s request meant for personal liberties.

Like Snowden she did something, Unlike Snowden, her actions sparked national outrage AGAINST the fbi. Congressional hearings were held, LAWS were enacted to protect this type of “METADATA” being used as the FBI was because, as the article states.

“her defiance helped spark a nationwide backlash against government snooping into Americans' reading habits. Even knowing the government might be watching, people realized, could change what you choose to read—and in turn alter what you think.”

KNOWING you are being watched, even if its just the “Metadata”, WILL alter your actions, it is an Un-American practice we stood against it in the 80’s over our reading history.

Why would we not in 2014 over the very same thing…

reply to post by benrl

Thank you for posting this. I had never heard of it before.

Today the librarian would be classified as a traitor by our government, I suppose.

butcherguy
reply to post by benrl

 

Thank you for posting this. I had never heard of it before.

Today the librarian would be classified as a traitor by our government, I suppose.

To me it is a frightening thought how pliant the american people have become to issues like this.

In the 80's outrage, 30 years later, muted outcry.

And the man who brought it to our attention called a traitor by those we elected to protect our interest.

How Orwellian have we become as a nation...

reply to post by benrl


I believe sometime in the next 10 years or so, one or more corporations, which have been granted rights as citizens, will argue and win in the SCOTUS, that individual citizens do not inherently "own" the rights to their own privacy if they choose to be on-line and/or leave their residence.

The premise is that the medium of data exchange is pervasive and since citizens know this and don't do anything, they have given up privacy rights by adverse possession. I believe the government/corporate complex will not settle for less.

InverseLookingGlass
reply to post by benrl

 

I believe sometime in the next 10 years or so, one or more corporations, which have been granted rights as citizens, will argue and win in the SCOTUS, that individual citizens do not inherently "own" the rights to their own privacy if they choose to be on-line and/or leave their residence.

The premise is that the medium of data exchange is pervasive and since citizens know this and don't do anything, they have given up privacy rights by adverse possession. I believe the government/corporate complex will not settle for less.

We are already seceding the 4th through that process (thanks TSA)

Which is why it is vital, that as Americans we ensure we never shrink from exercising our rights.

The 1st, is sacred, and the thought that Government is watching me will not inhibit me from Speaking my dissent when ever an issue arises I do not agree with.

It is also why I practice my 2nd amendment rights as often as economically able to.

Isnt it pretty much obvious that Technology trumped the Constitution a while back?
The Bill of Rights has been effectively circumvented six ways from sunday already....(patriot 1) (Patriot 2) (The NDAA,) ad nauseum....
Terrorism is a mere construct of deliberately calculated and implemented policies aimed at wresting total control of the American people, and indeed, the "free"world.
Corporate hedgemony over most major "democratic" governments is pretty much a no brainer...............

reply to post by benrl


Flouride in the water perhaps? Or just the mind numbing daily barrage of violence, fear and hatred from our media.

reply to post by benrl



Wasn't this concept used by the police in the movie "Seven"?

It's something like if you borrow a book such as 'mein kampf' or 'the satanic bible' then you're tagged.

reply to post by justreleased


Yes, that was a plot device in "Seven"... a fine flick! "Fight Club," too (as far as a fine flick from the same director, but not about metadata per se)... but back to the metadata.

Yeah, it's amazing how little people squeak about these infringements. We had these constitutional protections for specific reasons... dealing with people's tendency to over-use power... and it's in these people's best interests, too, to protect our collective privacy rights, but they forget that and fall into an elitist mind-frame, forgetting that the next ones in power could be nasty and evil and we'd be powerless to do a thing about it, now.

I look up and read twisted, weird things, sometimes, on the web and by my web browsing history, I'd seem dangerous... but the reality is more dull and innocuous, as it is 99.99999999 % of the time.

Dunno how ,or if, we can wrest our republic back from the corporatist... or put the techno genie back in the bottle, but it's the most important issue today... along with cleaner energy and general environmental awareness, that is.

reply to post by benrl


Thanks for posting this, benri. When the whole metadata thing came up, it reminded me of this library story but I couldn't for the life of me remember the time period that it took place in. I mistakenly thought it was the 60's and 70's because my mother has very strong opinions about libraries in terms of both privacy and censorship (she's also on a library board so she's acting on her convictions). Anyways, thanks--it's been driving me nuts.

It is the same story all over again. I think that part of the reason why people are perhaps more silent about speaking out about it is because, well, it's covering so much that there isn't a single one of us that doesn't have a file now really. It's like all the other past instances of surveillance abuses times a few million and yep, it dampens speech in a major way.

WhiteAlice
reply to post by benrl

 

Thanks for posting this, benri. When the whole metadata thing came up, it reminded me of this library story but I couldn't for the life of me remember the time period that it took place in. I mistakenly thought it was the 60's and 70's because my mother has very strong opinions about libraries in terms of both privacy and censorship (she's also on a library board so she's acting on her convictions). Anyways, thanks--it's been driving me nuts.

It is the same story all over again. I think that part of the reason why people are perhaps more silent about speaking out about it is because, well, it's covering so much that there isn't a single one of us that doesn't have a file now really. It's like all the other past instances of surveillance abuses times a few million and yep, it dampens speech in a major way.

The price of liberty, is dealing with people who are irresponsible with theirs.

No matter what people do with their liberty we can not take these infringements to ours lightly for the sake of "safety".

KNOWING we are being watched could very well prevent some member on here from commenting in a thread like this.

The thought that we live in a society where that is taking place is an affront to the standards this nation was founded on.

In the 80's states where so angry over 40 states passed laws trying to prevent this kind of "defacto" censorship.

The fear of being watched is akin to banning knowledge and free speech, it could very well be stopping political activism, right now there could be people holding their tongue when they shouldn't.

And worst of all, the anger of the american populous is mute, almost to prove a very sad point.

Dont mater to me, and it wouldnt have back then either. I still would have borrowed my UFO books, archaeology books and my fictions

HomerinNC
Dont mater to me, and it wouldnt have back then either. I still would have borrowed my UFO books, archaeology books and my fictions

Clearly it doesn't to me as well, I will always speak my mind as it is my right.

Sad fact is many of the citizens of our nation would rather have their 4th amendment violated than the risk of others being irresponsible with their freedoms.

Yet more Americans have died on us soil at the hand of police since 9/11 than by terrorist.

We are worried about the wrong problems.

The thing is, it's not just the FBI. It's every local PD that finds library books in a perps car, or who wants to know what a given perp has checked out: "Anarchist's Cookbook," anyone? That's why librarians have insisted that in their automation systems, one trait is that once an item is returned, the "link between the item and the borrower is irretrievably broken," a phrase that is an item in every library automation RFP I have ever read or written myself. In other words, a record of what you have checked out is NOT preserved. Plus, accessing a patron record without a bona fide business reason for doing so subjects the employee to termination, and yes, I've seen that happen.

Of course, there are exceptions:

1. Backups. Can I tell what you had checked out last week? You bet! Last month? Maybe. Three months ago? Unlikely. Six months ago: Impossible. Backups peter out over time, but "best practices" means you had better keep sufficient backups in case of a systems failure.

2. Outreach patrons are those who are disabled and cannot readily access the library, so the library comes to them with a "selection of books." These are mostly elderly people. A reading history is kept for these people to prevent bringing them the same books over and over again. The librarians know what they have checked out anyway because ethey are the ones who selected the books.

Only meta data?

The reality is that meta data (man that's a tongue twister) is a requirement for finding people who do something like violate a law or have a certain view efficiently- without meta data, the sheer volume of information intercepted by the N.S.A. on a daily basis would make it impossible to do anything useful with it.

However, it still violates the Fourth Amendment - and even more so - because the contents of our e-mails and such, I would presume count as "papers" and "effects."

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.[1]

Wikipedia: Fourth Amendment

See, the N.S.A. meta data is the same thing as the police searching everyone's house in the U.S. for things that fall in to a "suspicious" category -

Anything from certain posters that could indicate criminal activity, to certain artifacts that could indicate a certain religious or political or even racial affiliation (whatever is "inappropriate" at the time), and then use that to get an official search warrant to search the rest of the house in more detail.

I guess you could have one case where the police are searching the house based on signs of "criminal" activity, which is still a violation of Civil Rights, and the worse case where the police are searching the house for anything to try and discredit someone based on religion, politicals or race.

reply to post by benrl


Also... I remember that, I think it was what you are talking about - a big stink about the government knowing what books people check out -

Yet now they know the keywords people use in their private or even corporate e-mails and what they buy at the grocery store and such through deals with corporations.

What is the difference?

It seems like there is still outrage, even corporate outrage and political outrage from foreign countries (because this time the government is keeping meta data on their citizens, too) but the difference is the current government doesn't think it has to be held accountable or do anything about it.

reply to post by benrl


lang lebe die Meister!!

reply to post by benrl


TPTB do have 'permanent records' on ALL of us.

When the Agents did my TS clearance, they KNEW EVERYTHING about my school days in the 1980's AND went to my hometown and visited neighbors and my high school!

AND they asked why I had a license plate "RATM 99".. they even knew it was for Rage Against The Machine!

That's how it is at the library I work at. Once an item is returned/the fine has been paid, the "record" is off your record. Of course there's ways around this like what was mentioned above, but for the average employee and person, its gone. It seems like someone comes in at least once a week asking if we can look up what they've checked out in the past, because they can't remember the name of a book they really liked. Some get why we don't save the record for privacy reasons, others are really annoyed.

schuyler
Plus, accessing a patron record without a bona fide business reason for doing so subjects the employee to termination, and yes, I've seen that happen.

You did mean to say legitamate law enforcement reason, not 'business reason' didn't you.

Granted Amazon knows everything you've bought from them since the dark ages and will sell the information to whoever will pay for it, kinda like Google that way.) You'd think with all that info they'd be able to make decent recommendations for me, but they stink. They were better before 2005 and just went down the toilet since then.)