Best Buy 'Geek Squad' worker helped FBI conduct warrantless searches

Thanks for your input. I think I will use multiple sources too. I definitely don't want to lost 2T again. But actually, I did have some of it backed up so all was not lost.

 

"FBI Used Best Buy's Geek Squad To Increase Secret Public Surveillance

Recently unsealed records reveal a much more extensive secret relationship than previously known between the FBI and Best Buy's Geek Squad, including evidence the agency trained company technicians on law-enforcement operational tactics, shared lists of targeted citizens and, to covertly increase surveillance of the public, encouraged searches of computers even when unrelated to a customer's request for repairs..."

http://www.ocweekly.com/news/fbi-us...o-increase-secret-public-surveillance-7950030

 

Good thing none of us here need to use Geek Squad

 

Many of us were fearful of this exposure during repairs. This went even further than our fears though! As a privacy hobbyist I decided long ago that it would be necessary to learn repairs, recovery, etc.... in order to have any semblance of keeping my activities private.

 

Further Info:

"Records show deep ties between FBI and Best Buy computer technicians looking for child porn

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...p_rhp-more-top-stories_no-name:homepage/story

 

It's funny how the FBI didn't think through the legal implications of effectively deputizing Geek Squad employees. But of course, this is about child porn, and who would ever defend such scum? But of course, there's the camel's nose and tent thing

 

Best figure out how to repair a computer yourself rather than letting relatively untrustworthy third-parties (like the Geek Squad) do it for you.

 

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/05/18/geek_squad_computer_searches/

 

Justice Department Sued Over Reputed FBI-Trained Best Buy Geek Squad Spies

The Justice Department was sued Wednesday by a privacy group seeking information on the FBI’s alleged recruitment of Best Buy employees to search consumer computers for child pornography during repairs.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Trump administration’s Justice Department, demanding access to records about any FBI training and payment to Geek Squad workers to search customer computers without a court warrant.

EFF is concerned that the FBI may be violating the constitutional requirement that law enforcement agencies obtain judge-approved search warrants, based on evidence there is probable cause of a crime, to search computers.

https://www.eff.org/document/eff-v-doj-best-buy-foia

"Why We're Suing the FBI for Records About Best Buy Geek Squad Informants..."

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/...urth-Amendment-Safeguards-by-using-Geek-Squad

 

I suspect child porn will increasingly be used as a fear mongering tactic by the government to control citizens through increasingly draconian laws and privacy-invasive surveillance. After all using such a scapegoat is a perfect excuse for setting up a totalitarian police state 1984, Big Brother style.

 

New documents reveal FBI paid Geek Squad repair staff as informants

http://www.zdnet.com/article/new-documents-reveal-fbi-paid-geek-squad-repair-staff-as-informants/

 

I very much doubt this kind of activity is limited to Best Buy's geek squad. Every PC vendor out there has a similar tech support service.

 

"Iowa Man Takes Gravy-Stained Laptop to Best Buy, Gets Arrested for Child Porn

An Iowa man has been charged with 10 counts of child porn possession after taking his laptop to Best Buy to salvage files after spilling gravy on it. Geek Squad employees reportedly spotted the child porn when they were transferring files from the “gravy covered computer” onto a new laptop..."

https://www.thedailybeast.com/iowa-...ptop-to-best-buy-gets-arrested-for-child-porn

 

That's quite the epic fail