On Colbert tonight was the first time I saw someone on TV actually point out that the metadata belongs to VERIZON, NOT the person with the phone. (yes, I’ve noted it before, but it seems to escape folks.) Thus the government is tapping into VERIZON, not the users. BTW, read almost any telephone, internet, or software agreement, and you’ll see who can REALLY spy on you!
It has never been illegal for the authorities to acquire call logs in the course of an investigation. What has required a warrant is the recording of an actual conversation. What makes this a touchy subject is the Patriot Act and its nebulous idea of what constitutes an “imminent threat”, and the fact that there is little difference between a call log and a text or browsing history. These are recorded on the phone, as well as the server, which belongs to the provider. Yes, we all agreed to give up the rights to that information when we activated our phones, e-mail, Facebook accounts, etc. It is like this because of money, not national security. In order for websites to exist, they need advertisers, so the contracts are set up to get information to advertisers about potential consumers. The cell companies do the same, allowing outside companies access to the data collected on the servers in exchange for payments that create more profits for them while ostensibly keeping the contract prices affordable. Also consider that no company today is a sole entity, but also a part of a larger conglomerate, so your information is not even technically “sold” but “shared” with another entity within that conglomerate.In other words, what the NSA has apparently been doing may be wrong, but not illegal. It can be changed by making enough noise about it. Write to the President and Congress about repealing the Patriot Act, and imposing regulations against cellphone and internet providers about what data can be stored and shared with whom. The Patriot Act may be the easiest part. Getting the private sector companies to stop making money off of your browsing information may be harder.
Dtroutma almost 11 years ago
On Colbert tonight was the first time I saw someone on TV actually point out that the metadata belongs to VERIZON, NOT the person with the phone. (yes, I’ve noted it before, but it seems to escape folks.) Thus the government is tapping into VERIZON, not the users. BTW, read almost any telephone, internet, or software agreement, and you’ll see who can REALLY spy on you!
Fourcrows almost 11 years ago
It has never been illegal for the authorities to acquire call logs in the course of an investigation. What has required a warrant is the recording of an actual conversation. What makes this a touchy subject is the Patriot Act and its nebulous idea of what constitutes an “imminent threat”, and the fact that there is little difference between a call log and a text or browsing history. These are recorded on the phone, as well as the server, which belongs to the provider. Yes, we all agreed to give up the rights to that information when we activated our phones, e-mail, Facebook accounts, etc. It is like this because of money, not national security. In order for websites to exist, they need advertisers, so the contracts are set up to get information to advertisers about potential consumers. The cell companies do the same, allowing outside companies access to the data collected on the servers in exchange for payments that create more profits for them while ostensibly keeping the contract prices affordable. Also consider that no company today is a sole entity, but also a part of a larger conglomerate, so your information is not even technically “sold” but “shared” with another entity within that conglomerate.In other words, what the NSA has apparently been doing may be wrong, but not illegal. It can be changed by making enough noise about it. Write to the President and Congress about repealing the Patriot Act, and imposing regulations against cellphone and internet providers about what data can be stored and shared with whom. The Patriot Act may be the easiest part. Getting the private sector companies to stop making money off of your browsing information may be harder.
Dtroutma almost 11 years ago
Also, anyone ask what corporate interests do with the “cookies” they put in your computer?