NSA taps in to internet giants' systems to mine user data, secret files reveal

[alexvdl]

NSA taps in to internet giants' systems to mine user data, secret files reveal

• Top secret PRISM program claims direct access to servers of firms including Google, Facebook and Apple
• Companies deny any knowledge of program in operation since 2007

The National Security Agency has obtained direct access to the systems of Google, Facebook, Apple and

Comments

[gambitia]

It's probably a bad thing that I'm too jaded to care that the government is doing this. Corporations do creepy monitoring and datamining; is it really surprising the government would get in on it? TBH I always assumed this was going on. Disappointed that Obama re-upped the program, but not at all surprised.

Obligatory "if you sacrifice your freedom for your security you deserve neither" quote.

[alexvdl]

Well the PRISM program appears to be for non-US citizens. However, with the internet, you're talking to non-US citizens all the time so...

[aviv_b]

Good thing I only do so on LJ. Cause I know the Russians would never engage in such shenanigans, LOL.

[alexvdl]

*laugh*

[zinnia_rose]

OP, can you add a cut?

[alexvdl]

Shit. There was a cut. What happened? Whatever. I'll fix it.

EDIT: Fixed. I think.

[zinnia_rose]

Thanks! :)

[crossfire]

Okay.

Larry Page just posted Google's official response to this on the Google blog:

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/what.html

I'm a senior engineer at Google. I have unfettered access to our entire codebase, and have a broad understanding of the architecture of our systems. We are not architected to provide the kind of access that "Prism" would require. Quite the opposite: everything is designed to protect information. Google as a corporation, and we engineers in particular, take information security VERY seriously

[alexvdl]

You know if the second leak is the NSA fuckin' with everyone, I really wouldn't be surprised. I mean, the NSA has a history of spreading FUD and utilizing plants and false information and what better way to discredit the person who leaked the Verizon data.

Of course when I start heading down that road, I immediately get disgusted because that's the same sorta playground that truthers, birthers, and other conspiracy wackos play in.

And, frankly, knowing some of the history of the NSA, I would not be surprised if they had technology that Google didn't, or moles in most major technology corporations. No Such Agency has its hands in a LOT of pies, and they have a lot more people on the payroll than people realize.

[crossfire]

My thoughts went along exactly the same lines as yours.

Hypothetically speaking, if I were a Big Government Security Agency looking to gain access to information about everyone's activities on the net no matter where they were or what they were doing, I wouldn't go after specific service providers, I'd go after the two things that are ubiquitous across the entire network, from sites to applications: advertising and infrastructure. Apple? Facebook? Google? pshaw. I'd be talking to the oh-so-cooperative telcom companies and the big advertisers.

Hypothetically speaking, of course.

[dissident]

I hope the NSA enjoys all the slash fic in my browser history.

[londonsquare]

right? my friend and i were talking about this today and i said, 'well they better get used to seeing a shit ton of porn on people's browser history.'

your icon is perfecto btw

[alexvdl]

Considering that part of what they found when they took down OBL was gigs and gigs of porn, something tells me that's a common occurence.

[dissident]

I like to think that if they ever had to raid my computer or track my internet activity for any reason, it makes some fandom converts out of the more open minded FBI agents.