Tag Archives | NSA

nsa

Best Thumbnail Explanation of NSA Spying Scandal

The Onion has the best explanation I have yet seen on how the National Security Agency surveils average Americans. But to be honest, I’m not sure if “Step 9” is accurate. From The Onion: Step 1: NSA goes to Gmail, guesses “puppy64” as the password for all usernames, and successfully gains access to over 5 […]

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New Terrorist Suspect Definition: “Someone searching the web for suspicious stuff”

The Guardian’s scoop today on the National Security Agency’s XKeyscore included documents that showed the “standards” that NSA employees can use to target Americans and others to vacuum up their email and all their Internet-related information. Page 14 of the documents reveals one of the new definitions of terrorist suspect: “someone searching the web for […]

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N.Y. Times Snares Secret FISA Court Decrees – Fresh Hell for NSA and Obama

The New York Times published a long article today on secret rulings by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. The article describes the FISA court as “almost a parallel Supreme Court” which has cast aside traditional understandings of privacy and the Fourth Amendment. Reading between the lines, it is clear that NYT has the actual decisions…. […]

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Germans Recognize Danger of U.S. Surveillance

  Germans instinctively understand the danger of government surveillance far better than do many Americans.  (Or at least far better than Obama apologists.) This photograph is from a recent anti-Obama rally in Hanover – one of my favorite German cities. The “V for Vendetta” mask is especially appropriate.  

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