CIA Invests in Firm that Monitors Blogs, Forums...

[Bill Mattocks]

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS164519+19-Oct-2009+BW20091019

Visible Technologies Announces Strategic Partnership with In-Q-Tel

Through its comprehensive solution set, Visible Technologies helps organizations adopt new ways of gaining actionable insight from social media conversations. By using Visible Technologies` platform, organizations both big and small can harness business intelligence derived from social media data to drive strategic direction and tactical implementation of marketing initiatives, improve the customer experience and grow business. Visible Technologies` end-to-end suite, powered by the truCAST engine, encompasses global features that enable real-time visibility into online social conversations regardless of where dialogue is occurring. Additionally, the company`s truREPUTATION solution is a best-in-class online reputation management service that provides both individuals and brands an effective way to repair, protect and proactively promote their reputation in search engine results.

About In-Q-Tel

In-Q-Tel is the not-for-profit, strategic investment firm that works to
identify, adapt, and deliver innovative technology solutions to support the
mission of the U.S. Intelligence Community. Launched by the CIA in 1999 as a private, independent organization, In-Q-Tel`s mission is to identify and partner with companies developing cutting-edge technologies that serve the national security interests of the United States.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/200...es-buy-stake-in-twitter-blog-monitoring-firm/

Exclusive: U.S. Spies Buy Stake in Firm That Monitors Blogs, Tweets

 

[Makalakumu]

Looks like they are outsourcing what they have been doing for a long time. Be careful what you say.

 

[MA-Caver]

Quotes from 1984

Thoughtcrime is death. Thoughtcrime does not entail death. Thoughtcrime IS death. I have committed even before setting pen to paper the essential crime that contains all others unto itself.

Beautiful thing, the destruction of words.

 

[Archangel M]

I dunno. We all willingly put this stuff out in a forum that just about anybody can access.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I dunno. We all willingly put this stuff out in a forum that just about anybody can access.

Yeah. Good thing none of us are Discordians, or members of the ELF, or whatnot. Good thing none of us post things we don't actually believe in, in some kind of weird attempt at culture-jamming, or trying to immanentize the eschaton or anything like that. We just post how we really feel about stuff, so all the data gathered is good and useful. Good thing, huh? Fnord.

 

[Archangel M]

I google "who is selling dope in my jurisdiction" type stuff all the time. Not that I can act on that information alone but it's an "open source" information source. If some dope dealer wants to post photos of his grow operation on his myspace (happened), I am going to take advantage of it. I see this as a similar thing. When the gvt. tells us they are doing it they are "big brother". When actual terrorist attacks happen people are all over the "why were they not watching" meme.

Spooks googling (figuratively) "who wants to kill the president" doesn't bother me in the least.

 

[Makalakumu]

I doubt that you'll have masses of people hauled off for pissing and moaning about the government anytime soon. However, I think it's perfectly reasonable to be a little nervous about how closely things are being watched. You can't say just anything, as Archangel pointed out, and I think this opens the possibility of that list expanding.

 

[jks9199]

I google "who is selling dope in my jurisdiction" type stuff all the time. Not that I can act on that information alone but it's an "open source" information source. If some dope dealer wants to post photos of his grow operation on his myspace (happened), I am going to take advantage of it. I see this as a similar thing. When the gvt. tells us they are doing it they are "big brother". When actual terrorist attacks happen people are all over the "why were they not watching" meme.

Spooks googling (figuratively) "who wants to kill the president" doesn't bother me in the least.

Yep...

I'm quite familiar with several social networking sites. I have accounts for my investigative reasons on several... and no, they don't say "I'm a cop!" (There's been plenty of press coverage about this sort of thing, so I'm not giving up secrets.)

And I frequently visit High Times website, among several others. (In some cases, I use anonymizers. Some dirtbags have access to surprisingly & scarily good hackers at their disposal...) Hey, if you put it out for the public, you can't ***** if someone finds it.

 

[MA-Caver]

<snip> Good thing none of us post things we don't actually believe in, <snip> We just post how we really feel about stuff,

Well when you think about it when you posting how you really feel about stuff ... don't you believe in what you really feel? You're right that we don't post supportive statements for PETA or other radical ELF type organizations that go TOO FAR with their extreme beliefs or desires to be heard. Many of us here are too smart for that.
But I recall reading somewhere that on the net and other communication methods that we are monitored and that certain words are flagged and thus that person is watched or at least *ahem* monitored from time to time until the use of that word gets to a certain number of times and then they're closely watched. I could type out nuclear weapons about 100 times and not be watched but the combination of use of nuclear weapons and certain U.S. cities (high population densities) etc. etc. might draw (unwanted and UNWARRANTED) attention to me.

I doubt that you'll have masses of people hauled off for pissing and moaning about the government anytime soon. However, I think it's perfectly reasonable to be a little nervous about how closely things are being watched. You can't say just anything, as Archangel pointed out, and I think this opens the possibility of that list expanding.

That is what is scary... and makes you wonder just how extensive is that list to begin with and how much it grows from day to day as computer geeks hired on by the CIA, NSA, SS, FBI, DHS and other security organizations are having fun at their jobs peeking into possible security threats... however minute?

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Well when you think about it when you posting how you really feel about stuff ... don't you believe in what you really feel? You're right that we don't post supportive statements for PETA or other radical ELF type organizations that go TOO FAR with their extreme beliefs or desires to be heard.

Oh, you mean *that* ELF. I was referring to the Erisian Liberation Front. They were first.

That is what is scary... and makes you wonder just how extensive is that list to begin with and how much it grows from day to day as computer geeks hired on by the CIA, NSA, SS, FBI, DHS and other security organizations are having fun at their jobs peeking into possible security threats... however minute?

I have my own websites, and I look at the logs. Amazing where hits come from. Of course, one must take such lists with a grain of salt, since the 'real' spooks are going to come in on innocent-looking IP addresses.

And to those who say that such peeking by the government is not doing anything - then why would they do it? Investing in such technology for no reason at all? We're perfectly safe because they say so? OK, sure.

 

[Archangel M]

The issue of looking at opensource information isnt even an issue...its what is done with it thats an issue.