US Intelligence Mining Your Social Network Data 240
bs0d3 writes "U.S. Intelligence has hired social scientists to mine the vast resources of the Internet — Web searches and Twitter messages, Facebook and blog posts, the digital location trails generated by billions of cellphones. They intend to use this info to track sociological laws of human behavior — enabling them to predict political crises, revolutions and other forms of social and economic instability. Privacy advocates are deeply skeptical of the project, saying it reminds them of Total Information Awareness, a 9/11 Pentagon program that proposed hunting for potential attackers by identifying patterns in vast collections of public and private data: telephone calling records, e-mail, travel data, visa and passport information, and credit card transactions. In a recent budget proposal, the defense agency argues that its analysis can expose terrorist cells and other groups by tracking their meetings, rehearsals and sharing of material and money transfers."
Re:LOL (Score:4, Insightful)
Not shocked, too busy laughing. (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm too busy laughing hysterically at the very aspect that anyone thought this was "new" news in any way. What exactly do you think our intelligence agencies have been doing for a very long time now. I find it rather pathetic they had to hire "social scientists" to do this though...you would think they've had enough practice at data mining by now.
OK, now I'm laughing at the concept of a few million being handed to this group of "social scientists" who are busy right now watching YouTube videos on how to extract information from Facebook accounts...Oh, look! I think one of them just found the UK privacy law "loophole"...shortcut!
Re:Shocking! (Score:5, Insightful)
Wow, just wow. YOu have fallen for the 'everything is "Obama's fault, especially stuff that isn't" hook line and sinker
Almost everything he does, even stuff the republicans wanted, is castrated by the republicans the pubs are holding up the government, and everyone blames Obama.
This mess was not creted by him, and is not continuying becasue of him. IN fact, the little he ahs managed to get passed the pub wall has helped.
Look at hoistoric trends of unemployment. Notice that in contrast to all increase in unemployment, This round it capped and leveled instead of peaked at a hirer value. It was cut short. This also jives with similar situation in other countries.
But, no. That gets buried and ignored.
The fact that it is known what do do to best help the economy. Seen historically and in other countries, doesn't happen isn't because of Obama, it's because the pubs are just a bunch of Zealots trying to get a radical religious extremist to be president.
But idiots like you keep repeating what the heard like a stupid boring little parrot. You don't look at data, you don't read world economists. You are a clueless sap trained to think everything is wrong.
Hey, the pubs got us into this mess, thwarted every opportunity to fix it, so lets put them back in office.
I am NOT Obama's biggest fan. What he is trying to do is the right thing, and any failure regarding the economy or wall street lies squarely on the pubs shoulders.
I wish I could be ignorant and wrap myself in a warm blanket of stupid like you.
Re:Shocking! (Score:3, Insightful)
Wow, just wow. YOu have fallen for the 'everything is "Obama's fault, especially stuff that isn't" hook line and sinker
Obama is the chief and as a very famous former chief said, the buck stops here, Its not his fault but he has done very little to change things.
Almost everything he does, even stuff the republicans wanted, is castrated by the republicans the pubs are holding up the government, and everyone blames Obama.
Who is falling for political myths here? I mean its not like his party did not have a majority in BOTH houses of Congress for the better part of his presidency to date. He has also made plenty of executive moves that the Republicans have had not ability to block. He did a troop surge, he has not closed the secret interrogation centers, has had HIS justice department argue in support of all kinds of surveillance measures, and plenty more.
Look at historic trends of unemployment. Notice that in contrast to all increase in unemployment, This round it capped and leveled instead of peaked at a hirer value. It was cut short. This also jives with similar situation in other countries.
That one is tough to argue either way. Its not as if there is really very much data, handfuls of historical events, that hardly amount to a pattern, and non of these policies has ever been tried with any type of control group, so real scientists would say we don't know. Partisans and economists looking to get published would say different.
The fact that it is known what do do to best help the economy. Seen historically and in other countries, doesn't happen isn't because of Obama, it's because the pubs are just a bunch of Zealots trying to get a radical religious extremist to be president.
That would make all kinds of sense except that the Tea Party, currently a major part of the GOP support is NOT largely made up of social conservatives just fiscal. The current lead candidate in the GOP primary race is a Mormon, not even recognized as a Christian by the traditional Moral Majority Zelots.
I am NOT Obama's biggest fan. What he is trying to do is the right thing, and any failure regarding the economy or wall street lies squarely on the pubs shoulders.
Right...Because non of economic problems can be traced to policy decisions made by people like Barny Frank or Chris Dodd, and Bill Clinton, with is lunatic FED appointee Greenspan.
Sorry pal it looks like you are just as delusional as anyone who may be found supporting the other side of aisle.