CIA Pays AT&T Millions To Voluntarily Provide Call Data 107
First time accepted submitter binarstu writes "The New York Times reports that 'The C.I.A. is paying AT&T more than $10 million a year to assist with overseas counterterrorism investigations by exploiting the company's vast database of phone records, which includes Americans' international calls, according to government officials. The cooperation is conducted under a voluntary contract, not under subpoenas or court orders compelling the company to participate, according to the officials.'"
What does AT&T get in return? (Score:5, Interesting)
Contracts with the government to supply telecommunications without needing to worry about competition?
Free date nights with top rung escorts when they're in town for meetings?
Free big-data analytics?
$10 million for the bottom line of a company like AT&T is chicken feed. What's really going on here?
Re: Wow... (Score:2, Interesting)
CIA != NSA
Nah different names, same scum.
Re:ATT (Score:5, Interesting)
And yet some people I've spoken to would rather trust AT&T than a company like Google when it comes to their choice of Internet Service Provider. I'm always amused by these guys.
"Google is evil! How can you even think of taking Internet service from them? AT&T? Oh sure! Sign me up!"
Apparently they believe that just because Google is an ad company they'll sell your personal information for cash. Well, no they won't because that's not how it works and they'd be pretty stupid to do that since their entire business model is based on trust. And second...well apparently AT&T is straight up selling data for money. Surprise surprise!
Re:ATT (Score:5, Interesting)
And all along I'd been thinking they were doing it all for free.
Glad to see my tax dollars are supporting it!
Re:What does AT&T get in return? (Score:4, Interesting)
Their executive's stocks don't get scrutinized for insider trading, as happened to a certain Qwest executive...
Re:this is what happens when (Score:4, Interesting)
there is no accountability for the government, the US Govt and its three letter bureaucracies degenerate in to gangs of criminals, you can bet they milked that information for all its worth, i bet valuable data went to their criminal friends on wallstreet, the US Govt has degenerated in to a kleptocratic gang of fascists that are liars, thieves and murderers. and they know they can get away with it because there is no accountability
This is one more step in the breakdown of our society. When the average person sees that powerful people are not subject to the law, they start to wonder why they themselves should be subject to the law. When they see people lying, cheating and stealing to get ahead, and it working, they conclude that only chumps play by the rules. When they perceive that there is one set of rules for the rich and powerful, and another for everyone else, they lose respect for the system.
These attitudes are a cancer on our society. When trust and respect break down, all that is left to order society is force. When people can't trust the authorities, they become an adversary. This won't end well.