NSA has direct access to tech giants' systems for user data, secret files reveal

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/27/nsa-gchq-smartphone-app-angry-birds-personal-data

 

Angry Birds, the ultimate stress relief game for terrorists? Someone didn't understand 'When pigs can fly' very well.

Or they just feed/test their algorithms with everything, just as "Alexander the Granddad" ordered.

 

By Richard Esposito, Matthew Cole and Mark Schone, with Glenn Greenwald, Special Contributor

http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_...british-spies-snooped-on-youtube-and-facebook

 

US looks at ways to prevent spying on NSA spying.

-- Tom

 

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/28/angry-birds-rovio-respond-nsa-spying-revelations

 

With mobile it's nearly a lost cause anyway. It's strange to point out Rovio when practically every single ad-supported mobile game has the same flaw.

 

I wouldn't say that it's a lost cause. But it does need lots of work. For now, it's prudent to assume that everything done there is public.

 

NSA gains a civil liberties and privacy officer: reports
http://www.zdnet.com/nsa-gains-a-civil-liberties-and-privacy-officer-reports-7000025713/

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/29/us-norway-nobel-snowden-idUSBREA0S0SR20140129

 

NSA Collects 'Word for Word' Every Domestic Communication, Says Former Analyst (August 1, 2013)

(old news; apologies if posted already)

 

Clapper calls on Snowden to return NSA documents.

-- Tom

 

Riiiigght

 

It needs more than a lot. Remember how governments and police used to use the term "Wild West" for the internet and its users? That's about how mobile is now for governments and police. They can do anything they want, and you're under their satellite beam at all times. App permissions control needs to finally exist without users risking screwing things up by rooting, the NSA needs to bug the hell off, advertisers need to be kept on a tight leash..there is a ton of stuff needing done Mirimir. Until all that happens, yeah, it really is a lost cause.

I know you're a highly geeky guy and know your way around encryption and all these special tools. But, my argument is that there should be no need for having to go through all that just to access the internet and pass data between businesses, friends and loved ones. How about we stop complaining that users aren't being secure enough, and start complaining that the likes of the NSA, Google and many others aren't leaving us alone?

 

I wish him luck with that. Though I do admit Snowden may be running out of welcome in Russia since Putin publicly came out in support of the NSA surveillance programs (mostly because he likes his own, but hey) and said if Snowden caused anymore issues with the U.S, he'd be thrown out.

 

Hi Dave0291,

I recently read somewhere that Russia's amnesty is not necessarily set to expire at the one-year mark. Wish I could remember where I read that, but it hinted that it would continue after the one-year mark.

-- Tom

 

Here is where I got the information on Putin and his comments that Snowden would lose his refuge: http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/19/...ce-is-necessary-to-fight-terrorism-says-putin

So, according to Putin, Snowden has to shut up about everything that he hasn't already leaked. It's pretty obvious that Putin is protecting his own programs with these comments.

 

Putin will say whatever he has to, in order to max out ticket sales to Sochi. We'll see what happens when the ski slopes become hiking trails in the summer. Putin gained a lot of good PR (warranted or not, I don't think anyone believes Russia is now the land of rainbows and marshmallows, but he did do what privacy advocates wanted - took in Snowden) by granting asylum...kicking him out would lose all that ground gained. Putin likes looking strong - cow towing to what Obama wants, doesn't fit that roll. I think the only thing that could endanger Snowden, is if the US gives Russia something more valuable than Ed... like a pipeline somewhere, or a country. If you see the US do a flip-flop on Assad, then Ed may want to catch a slow boat to Venezuela.

 

In reaction to that news, some russian officials already have made statements, like;

Such an official won't say anything that isn't according to Kremlin doctrine-du-jour. link and link

OT, an interesting article on the NewYorkTimes Opinion Pages by Peter Ludlow, "professor of philosophy at Northwestern University, writes frequently on digital culture, hacktivism and the surveillance state"
'50 states of fear' link (might require NYT account mind you)

 

I don't advocate complaining, but rather doing what it takes for security and privacy. Those of us who know (at least a little bit) how need to help the rest.

It's very clear that TLAs can't be trusted. They are military entities, and (window dressing aside) they operate outside civil institutions, laws, etc. To the extent that they're bound by any laws and regulations, those are all secret.

There's a better chance of regulating Google etc.

 

Peter Ludlow writes:

As I vaguely recall, the late Osama at one point declared victory against the US.

 

Actually, that is a quote from Bruce Schneier inside a Peter Ludlow article

 

ECHR Fast-tracks Court Case on PRISM and TEMPORA (and VERYANGRYBIRDS?).

-- Tom

 

NSA spied against UN climate negotiations link

The NSA, in it's effort to protect the homeland from terrorists, spied on the 2009 UN Climate summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Danish paper Information reports.

The summit was a total failure, only resulting in a worthless non-binding watered down 'declaration' after intense negotiations by a certain US president.
That guy begins to look more and more like a completely different guy I once pictured. Now we all know his effort at the summit was a total joke, an absolute farce. A play for a nihilist.
How does this guy explain this stuff to his daughters? "Yeah, we totally f....-up that summit so the climate is going to s... even faster, and guaranteed!".
You know girls, "Bye-bye mr Northpole, Hello mr Methane hydrate" and all that stuff.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cse...travellers-edward-snowden-documents-1.2517881

 

NSA reportedly helped Canada spy on airport passengers using free Wi-Fi

http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/31/5...y-reportedly-tracked-airport-passengers-wi-fi

CSEC used airport Wi-Fi to track Canadian travellers: Edward Snowden documents

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cse...travellers-edward-snowden-documents-1.2517881