FBI brands internet privacy as terrorism.

[oneeyemug]

I wonder how long it will be until someone writes a satiric "Everyone's a terrorist" song.

 

[Old Father Eternity]

On a side-note, the general feel starts seem kinda familiar.

Look! That person is extremely skilled in the use of herbs. Must be witchcraft. BURN AT THE STAKE!

Rings any bells.

 

[michael87cn]

Got to love how the good old US of A is so quick to label people as a terrorist to make the masses agree with what their government does. It's a word meant to instill fear and panic into the masses but the way they are watering down the word a little too much now. \

I could suddenly say my cat is a terrorist if I were to ever disown her, it would make for a good excuse.

The FBI is not the United States of America. They're the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The government is not the United States of America, they're the government.

Will people please stop "labeling" (yeah, see what I did there?) the ENTIRE United States of America by what small groups of people do? PLEASE?

I was born and raised here, but I'm NOT a part of the FBI or the Government, so I dislike being labeled and collectively hated WITH them.

Thank you very much.

 

[Dilapsor]

In fact, the little handout is in no way different from those "How to Spot A Dope User" that the DARE program used to hand out in the 80s and 90s.

If you had not noticed, the issue at hand is 'tad bit' more serious then some petty weed ownership. Perhaps the person has no other possible internet access point nearby and needs to something private, fill out some forms with private info or what not, does he not have the right to not let all the people present in the establishment know those pieces of information, Yes, yes he does and does he deserve to be punished for not letting random people see his social security number or bank account passwords, NO, no he does not.
You may want to retort on that but still, keep in mind, Paranoia and Ignorance, not unlikely that someone may get the wrong idea, overreact and then ruin perhaps just the day but in the worst case scenario, the life of a perfectly normal law abiding citizen.

I didn't say the situations were same, just the method of raising alertness. All this flier is saying is that owners of internet cafes need to be more alert to what people are doing on their computers. This article has absolutely nothing to do with personal computer privacy. It's not saying, "EVERYONE DOING THIS IS A TERRORIST"; rather, it's simply saying, "Hey, you might want to keep an eye on the shady-looking guy downloading instructions on how to make a pipebomb from a public computer while behind an unauthorized proxy."

 

[Petromir]

Got to love how the good old US of A is so quick to label people as a terrorist to make the masses agree with what their government does. It's a word meant to instill fear and panic into the masses but the way they are watering down the word a little too much now. \

I could suddenly say my cat is a terrorist if I were to ever disown her, it would make for a good excuse.

The FBI is not the United States of America. They're the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The government is not the United States of America, they're the government.

Will people please stop "labeling" (yeah, see what I did there?) the ENTIRE United States of America by what small groups of people do? PLEASE?

I was born and raised here, but I'm NOT a part of the FBI or the Government, so I dislike being labeled and collectively hated WITH them.

Thank you very much.

THe goverment of a reprsentive documentary represents that country. It is entirely fair to paint its actions as the views of its country as a whole. Don't like what they are doing, you have 2 ways to do it the democratic process or the right to bear arms. Your goverement is there to be representive of you as a people, if it isnt do soemthing about it...


On the original post is a piece of fear mongering that Fox news would bow down in awe of. THe FBI is not saying this means a person is defintealy a terrorist, they are saying these may be the marks of one so if its worrying you report it to us and our trained anyalists will look into it.

Most reports probably will get the reaction along the lines of thats nothing/oh god another paranoid racist has spoted an arab in an internet cafe/etc

While the FBI/CIA/US gioverment has been reposnible for pushing some dangerously restrictive ideas this leaflet is so from that its untrue.

 

[Cecilthedarkknight_234]

sorry this isn't the 1950's anymore you can not shout communist or terrorist and expect people not question the ethics of our said government messages. We are not a bunch of sheep or stupid people anymore nor is anyone that stupid to fall for this bs that have the ability to THINK...rant over.

 

[ConstantErasing]

It's times like this that make me hate the idiots living in my country.

 

[gNetkamiko]

Yet another reason to add to a long list of reasons to want to move out of the U.S. and into Germany...

 

[DracoSuave]

In fact, the little handout is in no way different from those "How to Spot A Dope User" that the DARE program used to hand out in the 80s and 90s.

If you had not noticed, the issue at hand is 'tad bit' more serious then some petty weed ownership. Perhaps the person has no other possible internet access point nearby and needs to something private, fill out some forms with private info or what not, does he not have the right to not let all the people present in the establishment know those pieces of information, Yes, yes he does and does he deserve to be punished for not letting random people see his social security number or bank account passwords, NO, no he does not.
You may want to retort on that but still, keep in mind, Paranoia and Ignorance, not unlikely that someone may get the wrong idea, overreact and then ruin perhaps just the day but in the worst case scenario, the life of a perfectly normal law abiding citizen.

Which is taking one of the things out of context, and not accepting that the hand-out is a list of suspicious public activities as a whole.

It isn't the being secretive that's suspicious.

It's being secretive while using burn phones at an internet cafe across town from his house when he lives across the street from one, while being unduly snippy at people trying to serve him. At a cafe.

That IS suspicious. It might not be 'terrorism' suspicious, but it's worth looking at.

 

[Old Father Eternity]

You seem to be overlooking an important part in there.
Paranoia and Ignorance
Now no offence meant, you have bright people in your country but you also have a considerable amount of morons.

 

[Something Amyss]

Oh no, I did understand what the flyer is meant to do and I can somewhat see the implications and need for such awareness, thing is: at a time when they fail to put up a bill that'd censor the w.w.w. they start lashing out, first Megaupload, now this... If it had come at any other time, I probably wouldn't have cared, now I just played the obvious troll...

On that note, I do pretty much of everything in that flyer when I'm in public with my PC and I'm not plotting anything, just being savvy about my privacy as much as possible. And according to that same flyer, I could very well be a terrorist. And yes... I suppose I posted this to "rile people up", you know, raise some awareness of my own as to how the Federal Bureau of Investigation sees our day to day activities.

You mean the Megaupload bust that had been in the works for months and had nothing to do with SOPA, but which has become synonymous with it because there's nothing the internet loves more than conspiracy theories....Well, except porn and kittehs.

Or the JRIC, whose name is on the flyer, who has been saying this stuff for years, but that was only reported now, due to the convenience of structuring a false narrative?

Yeah, how suspicious....But not on behalf of the feds.

And seriously, do you drive to cybercafes a great distance from your home, log into a residential email, and insist on paying in cash before you look up how to make bombs? Because if you do all that, yeah, you probably are suspicious. Sorry, but at that point, they're not doing anything unfair in looking into you.

But I digress. You said you were trolling people, and it looks like mission accomplished. Most people didn't look at the flyer or put any thought into it before deciding teh gummit is coming 4 meh!

Ummm...Congrats, I guess?

 

[M4t3us]

You mean the Megaupload bust that had been in the works for months and had nothing to do with SOPA, but which has become synonymous with it because there's nothing the internet loves more than conspiracy theories....Well, except porn and kittehs.

Or the JRIC, whose name is on the flyer, who has been saying this stuff for years, but that was only reported now, due to the convenience of structuring a false narrative?

Yeah, how suspicious....But not on behalf of the feds.

And seriously, do you drive to cybercafes a great distance from your home, log into a residential email, and insist on paying in cash before you look up how to make bombs? Because if you do all that, yeah, you probably are suspicious. Sorry, but at that point, they're not doing anything unfair in looking into you.

But I digress. You said you were trolling people, and it looks like mission accomplished. Most people didn't look at the flyer or put any thought into it before deciding teh gummit is coming 4 meh!

Ummm...Congrats, I guess?

I write a column for a Portuguese "Lifestyle" magazine, more often than not I need to do some research on the subject and usually those subjects are among those encompassed in the flyer. Do I insist in paying cash? No, I just pay cash because I tend to have it available. Do I drive 4 miles into the city to access an internet café because my connection at home is flaky as all Hell? Yes, constantly... While I'm there I do try to block the view of my screen, mostly due to the "touchy" subjects I'm researching. I own 2 cell phones and 3 SIM cards, all of which from different providers and I often have to swap them around the phones, yes.

And I'm not trolling people, when I said I played the obvious troll it wasn't in regards of deceiving anyone, just, as I said, raising some awareness of my own... and mostly because I'm guilty of 90% of the things on that particular flyer. Human nature, I guess... When something comes a little too close to home. . .

Coincidence or conspiracy is not my place to decide, but shutting Megaupload down after about a week of SOPA getting shelved indefinitely? Does look fishy... The FBI kind of fishy... and now this, only another week later? That's too much of a coincidence for some people, but once again, not my place to decide.

They say sarcasm is hard to convene in prose... but that last sentence is just oozing with it.

 

[Something Amyss]

Yes, of course. I must be a terrorist because im covering my screen so the 9 yearold and his mother on the bus beside me doesnt see my HARDCORE TENTACLE ON BLUE HAIRED ASIAN CHICK PRONZ.

You were riding on a bus in an internet cafe? Wow. Colour me impressed.

OK, can someone explain what "Evidence of a residential based internet provider" means? Because that sounds like they're saying if you get your Internet from Comcast or AOL, you are immediately a terrorist?

no, they're saying checking it at a cybercafe is one possible flag in a list of many.

Nobody is saying "X makes you a terrorist automatically." Well, save for the people in this thread who either couldn't understand or didn't read the flyer in question. And really, we can't hold their lack of comprehension or willingness to read against the Feds.

okay this is starting to get silly now

I agree, though perhaps not for the same reason.

 

[Something Amyss]

I write a column for a Portuguese "Lifestyle" magazine, more often than not I need to do some research on the subject and usually those subjects are among those encompassed in the flyer.

Yes, I'm sure lifestyle mags frequently include the purchase of bomb-making chemicals and analysis of structural weak points of locations of interests. Your "lifestyle" column almost certainly has little to do with that list, and since these are not automatic indicators (though you pretended otherwise).

While I'm there I do try to block the view of my screen, mostly due to the "touchy" subjects I'm researching.

Which probably won't get you flagged in itself.

I own 2 cell phones and 3 SIM cards, all of which from different providers and I often have to swap them around the phones, yes.

Oh, well that changes everything. The FBI will be all over you.

And I'm not trolling people, when I said I played the obvious troll it wasn't in regards of deceiving anyone, just, as I said, raising some awareness of my own...

You were raising awareness by being deceitful, and it worked. The cast majority of people in this thread believed you, and now you're trying to say you weren't being deceitful.

And by the way, "playing the obvious troll" doesn't mean what you seem to think it means.

and mostly because I'm guilty of 90% of the things on that particular flyer.

No, you're not. I doubt you're anywhere near close, especially with the biggest ones.

Human nature, I guess... When something comes a little too close to home. . .

We post deceptive claims and then complain that once in a while someone actually reads our source material and calls them on it?

Coincidence or conspiracy is not my place to decide,

It is when you're the one calling it coincidental or linking them, and you're guilty of both. This is such a Fox News argument. "Well, I made the affirmative argument, but WHO'S TO SAY?"

but shutting Megaupload down after about a week of SOPA getting shelved indefinitely? Does look fishy... The FBI kind of fishy...

Look, you're a journalist, right? I'm a journalist, too. I may only write freelance regional pieces, but that should be more than enough "cred" in this instance. I think we both understand that educated people should look into and verify this sort of thing. Of course, I wouldn't hold you to the same standards as what you're published, but you really should know better. And even cursory research should tell you the FBI had been making this case against Megaupload for at least half a year. There's no reason to claim that this is anything other than coincidence. To call it fishy, to say it even looks that way, is to say "I did not do the research."

and now this, only another week later? That's too much of a coincidence for some people,

Which appears to include you. But again, they've been saying this for ages. This is not something that happened "A week later." you may have found one article proclaiming it, but that's like accusing them of passing the NDAA in response to Megaupload or the death of SOPA simply because you first heard about it a week later.

That's poor understanding of the subject and utterly disingenuous, especially since you said things not about the source material.

but once again, not my place to decide.

Too bad you can't unfire the cannon of false claims and make that valid.

They say sarcasm is hard to convene in prose... but that last sentence is just oozing with it.

Sarcasm is quite easy to determine in prose if one pays attention. It might be the sort of attention that would have been able to avert this sort of thread, so perhaps you don't do it. If it was that hard to determine sarcasm in the written form, satire would have been a dead art in print the day after writing was invented.

But for the record, that was less sarcastic than it was sardonic.

 

[Biodeamon]

Terrorim causes pyshical harm and death. Piracy only cuts a few dollars from the fat cats already humungous wallet.

Also i'm pretty sure that piracy is a religion in sweeden because all knowledge is holy to them. If the FBI brands them as terrorists we could be looking at another "holy war"

 

[M4t3us]

Yes, I'm sure lifestyle mags frequently include the purchase of bomb-making chemicals and analysis of structural weak points of locations of interests. Your "lifestyle" column almost certainly has little to do with that list, and since these are not automatic indicators (though you pretended otherwise).

The magazine is called 'Super Interessante' (super interesting, roughly translated) it doesn't discuss one specific subject, but rather a number of subjects while providing commentaries on real events, you know, like minor crimes, bombings, terrorist cells in Europe (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETA ) which have taken shelter here, the run of the mill police bust or even about videogames and their effect in society.

Which probably won't get you flagged in itself.

No, but you can't take one thing out of context and call me out on it.

Oh, well that changes everything. The FBI will be all over you.

Sarcasm... nice, well played...

You were raising awareness by being deceitful, and it worked. The cast majority of people in this thread believed you, and now you're trying to say you weren't being deceitful.

And by the way, "playing the obvious troll" doesn't mean what you seem to think it means.

I suppose that really is a matter of interpretation but okay, let's run with it.
And yes, maybe the subtleties of the english language still elude me, after all I'm not a native english speaker. What I know was mostly self taught, so the intricate workings of internet slang coming out of my mouth might not mean the same to you than they do to me.

No, you're not. I doubt you're anywhere near close, especially with the biggest ones.

Alright, let's break the list down:

- Are overly concerned about privacy, attempts to shield the screen from view of
others - Guilty

- Always pay cash or use credit card(s) in different name(s) - I pay cash 90% of times, because taxes here cause most shops to not take cards unless the bill is higher than ?5.

- Apparently use tradecraft: lookout, blocker or someone to distract employees - This one I don't do, mostly because I tend to go there alone. Although I will wait for the line to clear out before getting up and going up to the register.

- Act nervous or suspicious behavior inconsistent with activities - If I'm waiting on a specific review of one of my pieces, I'll be nervous as hell and no one else there will know why, unless they ask.

- Are observed switching SIM cards in cell phone or use of multiple cell phones - Like I said, 2 phones, 3 SIMs.

- Travel illogical distance to use Internet Café - Okay it's only like 4 miles, but illogical by what standart? It's not just subjective, it's just silly.

- Evidence of a residential based internet provider (signs on to Comcast, AOL,
etc.) - Like I said, my internet at home sucks, so if I have to leave the house to get a decent connection I will login to my ISP's page and send them yet another passive agressive e-mail.

- Use of anonymizers, portals, or other means to shield IP address - I use TOR when I'm researching especially "touchy" subjects.

- Suspicious or coded writings, use of code word sheets, cryptic ledgers, etc. - I've written 5 pieces on the Portuguese Freemasonry, their works were riddled with codes and cryptic decoding ledgers are the easiest way to translate their works to the general public.

- Encryption or use of software to hide encrypted data in digital photos, etc. - I use Linux as my main OS, everything in my home folder is encrypted, as is every .zip, .tar.gz or .pdf file I e-mail people.

- Suspicious communications using VOIP or communicating through a PC game - Once again, subjective. How does the average Joe discern suspicious talk from abbreviations commonly used in online game communities?

- Download content of extreme/radical nature with violent themes - Already mentioned above, sometimes I have to research such themes in order to provide an educated opinion.

- Gather information about vulnerable infrastructure or obtain photos, maps or diagrams of transportation, sporting venues, or populated locations - after the Madrid train bombings I had to look up various details regarding the events in hopes of raising some awareness in my own country, you know, in order to prevent it from happening here.

- Purchase chemicals, acids, hydrogen peroxide, acetone, fertilizer, etc. - Doesn't happen very often, I'll admit, but I've used the online pharmaceutical websites to purchase medication.

-Download or transfer files with ?how-to? content such as:
- Content of extreme/radical nature with violent themes - Guilty
- Anarchist Cookbook, explosives or weapons information - Partially guilty, I don't research these extensively
- Military tactics, equipment manuals, chemical or biological information - Guilty
- Terrorist/revolutionary literature - Guilty (Freemasonry, ETA, etc)
- Preoccupation with press coverage of terrorist attacks - Guilty (see above)
- Defensive tactics, police or government information - Guilty
- Information about timers, electronics, or remote transmitters / receivers - Guilty, after all I do have a Master's in Electronics and Telecommunications

Guilty of 17 out of 21 - 80.95%, missed by around 9%

We post deceptive claims and then complain that once in a while someone actually reads our source material and calls them on it?

More sarcasm?... fine, I just debunked that one on the flyer breakdown.

It is when you're the one calling it coincidental or linking them, and you're guilty of both. This is such a Fox News argument. "Well, I made the affirmative argument, but WHO'S TO SAY?"

Well, first of all, I'm flattered. I didn't think I was nowhere near good enough to actually be compared to a professional news network, even if their cred is next to null. Second, bad comparison!

Look, you're a journalist, right? I'm a journalist, too. I may only write freelance regional pieces, but that should be more than enough "cred" in this instance. I think we both understand that educated people should look into and verify this sort of thing. Of course, I wouldn't hold you to the same standards as what you're published, but you really should know better. And even cursory research should tell you the FBI had been making this case against Megaupload for at least half a year. There's no reason to claim that this is anything other than coincidence. To call it fishy, to say it even looks that way, is to say "I did not do the research."

They had been working on it for 5 months, yet none of the arrests were people of any significance within MegaUpload, the owner didn't even get charges pressed on him, but I won't get into that. Or the fact that those arrested received sentences higher than most murderers/rapists ever did.

Which appears to include you. But again, they've been saying this for ages. This is not something that happened "A week later." you may have found one article proclaiming it, but that's like accusing them of passing the NDAA in response to Megaupload or the death of SOPA simply because you first heard about it a week later.

That's poor understanding of the subject and utterly disingenuous, especially since you said things not about the source material.

Maybe I am a fan of a little conspiracy theory, makes the world less dull. Maybe I don't care enough about the Federal Bureau of Investigation branding people like me as terrorists, but that's only because I live in Europe, atm, and it causes me to get some news later than you do.

Too bad you can't unfire the cannon of false claims and make that valid.

Again with the sarcasm?...

Sarcasm is quite easy to determine in prose if one pays attention. It might be the sort of attention that would have been able to avert this sort of thread, so perhaps you don't do it. If it was that hard to determine sarcasm in the written form, satire would have been a dead art in print the day after writing was invented.

But for the record, that was less sarcastic than it was sardonic.

And as much as I'd like to be able to discuss semantics with you, I don't think I have the english know-how to make it interesting.

But please, do go on, I'm loving the back and forth... and no, that's not sarcasm.

 

[devotedsniper]

Yay i'm a terrorist because i have 1TB and 2*1.5TB hdd's encrypted with 512AES, do they ever think that maybe were just private people and don't want others stealing things like bank details, hell if you think about it just about every company with an oracle database is a terrorist as those are encrypted on default...

Thank god i live in the UK although saying that the UK would just hand me over anyway if the US wanted me...

 

[M4t3us]

Terrorim causes pyshical harm and death. Piracy only cuts a few dollars from the fat cats already humungous wallet.

Also i'm pretty sure that piracy is a religion in sweeden because all knowledge is holy to them. If the FBI brands them as terrorists we could be looking at another "holy war"

It's PRIVACY not PIRACY. Got a little mixed up there.

 

[Sabazios]

This reads like one of the public service terminals in the first Deus Ex.