New FBI unit can spy on your Skype convos

Cnet is reporting today that the FBI is in the process of creating a new unit that will be able to spy on your conversations that take place using wireless communications, like Skype.

The new unit will be called the "Domestic Communications Assistance Center."

Reads the source: "DCAC's mandate is broad, covering everything from trying to intercept and decode Skype conversations to building custom wiretap hardware or analyzing the gigabytes of data that a wireless provider or social network might turn over in response to a court order. It's also designed to serve as a kind of surveillance help desk for state, local, and other federal police."

Talks for the new unit have been around for over four years, and will be "the technological component of the bureau's 'Going Dark' Internet wiretapping push, which was allocated $54 million by a Senate committee last month."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 24 May 2012 21:10

nbfreak2

More internet freedom lost...

25.5.2012 07:06 #1

Mez

Originally posted by nbfreak2: More internet freedom lost... You don't even know the difference between privacy and freedom?
If you think you have ANY privacy on the internet you are a JACK FOOL! ALL your email is scanned by NSA if you use a US based mail box. It is kept for 10 years before your emails are destroyed. All cell phones are monitored. Encrypted one are monitored more closely than none encrypted ones. Granted, they are looking for terrorists but they have to scan all transmissions to find the ones they are looking for. All the internet 'back bones' were built and maintained by government. This isn't because they are 'nice guys'. The US was first, but all the other governments figured that one out. Anyone thinking they have any privacy on the internet needs to grow up!

25.5.2012 08:59 #2

LordRuss

What isn't abundantly clear to me here is that most of you folks don't realize is that somewhere in our history (US legislation), these idiots MADE it LEGAL to spy on our own people.

That is so blatantly ILLEGAL it isn't funny. I can't quote the doctrine, or magistrate or anything that this was written on or who's blood it was signed with that swore that made it so, but I would swear they're spinning like a Cuisinart freaked up on X at a rave if they could see this mess now.

The way it used to work was we had other countries spy on us for the information, but I guess J. Edgar Hover f*ked it up for everybody & the rule book has been rewritten ever since.

Do I have a solution? Nothing ironclad that doesn't revolve around political Incorrectness & military action. Then there's the philosophy that you can't MAKE people do anything. I.e., you can only try to control a situation, not a person or people.

This constant lust for control by governments (actually just people or persons) over the masses is a ruse unto itself. Dumasses really didn't read a history book. I mean, just to be redundant, what's the definition of stupidity?

http://onlyinrussellsworld.blogspot.com

25.5.2012 09:53 #3

Mez

Originally posted by LordRuss: The way it used to work was we had other countries spy on us for the information, but I guess J. Edgar Hover f*ked it up for everybody & the rule book has been rewritten ever since.
This is a very simple view of the world. I guess you have not seen the movie on him that came out last year. Even though, he was not even close to my kind of guy, he contributed HUGE to YOUR well fair. Unlike most of the world, there is little kidnapping and other crimes in the US. This is mostly because of him. See the movie. It is quite enlightening and I believe is an unbiased account of his public life with hints at his private life. He was no saint but the US would be a very different place had it not been for him.

25.5.2012 10:08 #4

soxin8

The government is doing more than spying. Read about extraordinary FBI crimes they are committing with a search for "New police weapon against homeless" and also "Historic coverup of FBI and police crimes currently taking place". When has the FBI ever respected the constitution? Bill Anderson Middletown CT soxin8@hotmail.com

25.5.2012 12:12 #5

soxin8

The government is doing worse than spying. Read about extraordinary FBI crimes with a search for "New police weapon against homeless" and also "Historic coverup of FBI and police crimes currently taking place". Bill Anderson Middletown CT soxin8@hotmail.com

25.5.2012 12:15 #6

soxin8

Originally posted by Mez: Originally posted by LordRuss: The way it used to work was we had other countries spy on us for the information, but I guess J. Edgar Hover f*ked it up for everybody & the rule book has been rewritten ever since.
This is a very simple view of the world. I guess you have not seen the movie on him that came out last year. Even though, he was not even close to my kind of guy, he contributed HUGE to YOUR well fair. Unlike most of the world, there is little kidnapping and other crimes in the US. This is mostly because of him. See the movie. It is quite enlightening and I believe is an unbiased account of his public life with hints at his private life. He was no saint but the US would be a very different place had it not been for him. Mez A wikipedia definition of COINTELPRO would be more informative of the kind of person Hoover was, not a Hollywood movie where the FBI are the good guys.

25.5.2012 12:19 #7

jhvance

Sort of epitomizes the term "dirty rotten scoundrels", even if the intention is to be proactively protective through surveillance of other "really dirty rotten scoundrels" and terrorists (or at least ne'er do wells)...

25.5.2012 12:23 #8

JST1946

Well here comes the boogyman we all better go hide.Tell us something we didn't already know.

25.5.2012 15:52 #9

josefene

I personally think it's a good thing, there are a lot off sickos in this world and they need to be dealt with. Our ISPs are aware of everything we do anyway the only difference now is instead of the public being able to slap law suites for breaching privacy policy the FBI will be able to act on it. That to me is a good thing. They aren't going to charge you for downloading a tv episode but they will look at you if you download how to make a bomb. Or if a sicko pedophile is trying to get another child. That to me is a safer world.

25.5.2012 17:41 #10

xaznboitx

they wanna spy then okay,everyone should dance naked on cam

25.5.2012 21:11 #11

Notcow

They shall have the largest collection of underaged, spied, and warrentless porn ever, no doubt alongside every TSA worker.

25.5.2012 22:12 #12

chrialex

One thing everyone needs to understand is that they are not creating a unit that will just start spying on everyone's Skype conversations, and everything else you are all talking about. They are creating a unit that can go through all the data an ISP or other company might turn over with a warrant/request and the ability to tap a Skype call. Hopefully and presumably this will all be done with a warrant and be all legal, but that is what is taking place. Too many people get their panties in a bunch as soon as they hear about ANYTHING privacy related. Just because something is being talked about or whatever does not mean that it is going to be done and/or abused. Stop being mindless anti-whatever drones and start thinking. Not everything the government does is bad. Not all of one branch/agency is evil. Yes, some PARTS of the government are idiots, and some people in various federal agencies are overzealous thugs, but that doesn't mean that is how everyone, everywhere, is.

Do what you can while its still questionably Legal, before it becomes UNQuestionably ILLegal.
chrialex

26.5.2012 01:43 #13

josefene

Originally posted by chrialex: One thing everyone needs to understand is that they are not creating a unit that will just start spying on everyone's Skype conversations, and everything else you are all talking about. They are creating a unit that can go through all the data an ISP or other company might turn over with a warrant/request and the ability to tap a Skype call. Hopefully and presumably this will all be done with a warrant and be all legal, but that is what is taking place. Too many people get their panties in a bunch as soon as they hear about ANYTHING privacy related. Just because something is being talked about or whatever does not mean that it is going to be done and/or abused. Stop being mindless anti-whatever drones and start thinking. Not everything the government does is bad. Not all of one branch/agency is evil. Yes, some PARTS of the government are idiots, and some people in various federal agencies are overzealous thugs, but that doesn't mean that is how everyone, everywhere, is. Chrialex I agree with you

26.5.2012 02:34 #14

stardata

I'm sick to death of human rights and freedoms being taken away so Echelon, which I know you are listening as per usual try and compute this, Go fook yourself. I hope it crashes your tiny little computer cell brain. and for the cia and fbi, well what can I say, both traitor organizations to their country. rant over. if I get an infraction because of this then it was worth it.

26.5.2012 03:52 #15

LordRuss

Originally posted by Mez:
This is a very simple view of the world. I guess you have not seen the movie on him that came out last year. When you have walked a mile in my shoes & had your family, friends, acquaintances & enemies targeted for questioning for security clearances that stretch over the span of a year, THEN you can come & comment on whether "I" have a simplistic view or not.

Hollywood is fake little man. I live in reality. Or what is to become of it.

Just because you WISH it was right with all your heart & might, isn't going to make it so.

http://onlyinrussellsworld.blogspot.com

26.5.2012 12:42 #16

Interestx

.....shut up and keep worrying about those imagined 'socialists' intent on taking all your freedoms away.

Eyes closed & back to sleep people, this is none of your concern.

26.5.2012 14:35 #17

chrialex

Do what you can while its still questionably Legal, before it becomes UNQuestionably ILLegal.
chrialex

26.5.2012 15:58 #18

LordRuss

Originally posted by chrialex: I have, twice. Once for Yankee White and again for Intel. There is a reason they do that, and it is not just because they want to invade your privacy. Or would you rather they don't really look into people that will have access to sensitive information or loaded weapons near the President? If you are complaining that people looked into your life when they were doing what they are SUPPOSED to do, so YOU could be allowed to have a security clearance or whatever it was exactly in your case, maybe you should have thought about that, I don't know, beforehand maybe? If I mistook what you stated, my apologies, I have been up almost 43 hours now. :) That's not exactly where I was going with it. And yes, I'm fully aware of the affirmation process. Equally, what the nature of such vetting is worth.

I can only assume you were prior military & were even allowed in the door to begin with at your DoD job, so shame on you for doubting my word to begin with :)... You know how they're tougher on the military than the civies. You'll loose your MOS & become a cook or infantry faster than a drill sergeant can go postal [for the benefit of those who don't know].

I'm saying that the FBI went as far as running up a flag to the LEOs on a few of the folks I used to know due to what they were doing; present time of the interview process. It shouldn't have had a thing to do with my clearances, but whatever hair that agent had in his/her ass at that time.

I.e., busy work. An abuse of power outside their jurisdiction. Something a nosy neighbor does when your dog shits in their yard because they go to the same church as the judge in town.

So yeah, word got back to me.

http://onlyinrussellsworld.blogspot.com

26.5.2012 16:36 #19

chrialex

Like I said, been up almost 43 hours when I wrote that. When I went for my Yankee White clearance, the agents hardly ever talked to ANY of the people in my family or those that I put down on the forms other than to ask who else might know me. They then asked them questions, and then asked for others that might know me from them. So they ended up talking to someone that was, literally, in my 2nd grade class for a few months when I moved to a new town before THEY moved out of the state. They actually looked up my cousin, who was a year behind me in school and still lived in that town, to try to get back in touch. I don't know of many clearances higher than that, for those that are not Very senior ranking enlisted/officers, so your case is most likely different, but in mine, an agent asking questions in a case such as you listed wouldn't have been odd. Like I said though, Presidential Security is a 'tad picky' on who they let in.

Your case could very well have been an agent that was just trying to be as thorough as possible, and/or something about your previous acquaintances were flagged and they wanted to make sure you were not involved or anything? Or it was possible that the agent was just trying to get as much of a per diem as possible and so was going as slow as possible and doing more than they needed to. Only one that would really know would be the agent themselves, and maybe their boss, neither of which would probably ever say to anyone but THEIR boss or higher.

Again, apologies if this again misses the mark or whatever.
(I really need to remember what that thing called sleep is...)

Do what you can while its still questionably Legal, before it becomes UNQuestionably ILLegal.
chrialex

26.5.2012 16:53 #20

josefene

I say here is to a safe world good on them, please go get some sleep chrialex.

26.5.2012 21:25 #21

LordRuss

Originally posted by chrialex: Again, apologies if this again misses the mark or whatever.
(I really need to remember what that thing called sleep is...) We could all use use some 'toes up'... Some of the guys on the NSA discussion forum have literally lost their minds. I think they are trying to be the newest rendition of the "Cool-Aid Acid Trip" experiment.

Some things should be left back in the 60s & 70s...

http://onlyinrussellsworld.blogspot.com

27.5.2012 10:43 #22

Mez

Originally posted by soxin8: Originally posted by Mez: Originally posted by LordRuss: The way it used to work was we had other countries spy on us for the information, but I guess J. Edgar Hover f*ked it up for everybody & the rule book has been rewritten ever since.
This is a very simple view of the world. I guess you have not seen the movie on him that came out last year. Even though, he was not even close to my kind of guy, he contributed HUGE to YOUR well fair. Unlike most of the world, there is little kidnapping and other crimes in the US. This is mostly because of him. See the movie. It is quite enlightening and I believe is an unbiased account of his public life with hints at his private life. He was no saint but the US would be a very different place had it not been for him. Mez A wikipedia definition of COINTELPRO would be more informative of the kind of person Hoover was, not a Hollywood movie where the FBI are the good guys. I guess you didn't see it either...

It did put him in a good light but it also more than hinted about his dark side. Was he a saint? No he was a bastard like McCarthy. The difference between the 2 is Hover did more good than evil while McCarthy did more evil than good.

I dare suspect that COINTELPRO has not ruined your life, or has it? If it has please let us know. I figure I wouldn't want to live in fear because crime was running rampant. Mobsters were shooting persons down in cities, in broad daylight with automatic weapons. They were bombing buildings ect. I prefer how we live today than living in a country run by criminals.

28.5.2012 20:48 #23

helenemcbay

thanks

29.5.2012 02:13 #24

SoulGLOW

Originally posted by Mez:

I dare suspect that COINTELPRO has not ruined your life, or has it? If it has please let us know. I figure I wouldn't want to live in fear because crime was running rampant. Mobsters were shooting persons down in cities, in broad daylight with automatic weapons. They were bombing buildings ect. [color=red]I prefer how we live today than living in a country run by criminals.[/color] You better have meant that sarcastically, otherwise you're a GIGANTIC dumb-ass. This country IS ran by criminals.

29.5.2012 07:51 #25

Mez

Originally posted by LordRuss: Originally posted by Mez:
This is a very simple view of the world. I guess you have not seen the movie on him that came out last year. When you have walked a mile in my shoes & had your family, friends, acquaintances & enemies targeted for questioning for security clearances that stretch over the span of a year, THEN you can come & comment on whether "I" have a simplistic view or not.

Hollywood is fake little man. I live in reality. Or what is to become of it.

Just because you WISH it was right with all your heart & might, isn't going to make it so. I can agree with that. No one close to me has ever been adversely effected. I have had several security clearances. I provided smart articulate persons as references. I have also had a fairly boring life for the last 40 yrs.

On the other hand, I lived where the sniper was killing people. He killed at least 6 persons less than 7 miles from my house. I remember pumping gas several hundred miles from my house. The attendant came out to talk with me. He saw I came from MD and asked if I was in the sniper area. I said I was at ground 0. I pumped gas for my family. He said people were paying him to pump gas because they were afraid to pump their own. This was hundreds of miles from the closest snipe. Both my brothers live in the NYC area. They each knew people that died in the trade center and others that narrowly missed death. I really don't think you came appreciate how you would feel if some building or bridge was blown up every year somewhere in the US. Living when you can't be sure that you will live through the day is not at all fun. You all need to think about that side of the equation.

29.5.2012 07:57 #26

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