The NSA toolbox catalogue

[Skybird]

After years of speculation that electronics can be accessed by intelligence agencies through a back door, an internal NSA catalog reveals that such methods already exist for numerous end-user devices.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...994-druck.html

and

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...969-druck.html

Always keeping in mind that the lions share of the boost in surveillance methods of this kind after 9/11 have been found not to be in support of counter terror operations, but ordinary espionage and especially business espionage, and that - I do not recall it exactly anymore - either the head of the NSA or that federal judge three weeks ago or both men stated that it appears as if these operations have not contributed to the prevention of a single attempted terror strike since 9/11.

[Oberon]

And?

Aside from taking a pair of scissors to your phone-line, burning your computer, throwing all your communications equipment in the North Sea and never leaving your house ever again, how else are you going to avoid being spied on?

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Oberon

how else are you going to avoid being spied on?

Eye full of this and they will give up and go away.

[MH]

Look at the bright side....

[Betonov]

I love that ''talk like a terrorist'' idea

[Tango589]

Originally Posted by Betonov

I love that ''talk like a terrorist'' idea

We've already got 'International Talk Like A Pirate Day', maybe we should have 'Talk like A Terrorist Day' too and really put the cat among the pidgeons?

[Catfish]

Originally Posted by Oberon

And?

Aside from taking a pair of scissors to your phone-line, burning your computer, throwing all your communications equipment in the North Sea and never leaving your house ever again, how else are you going to avoid being spied on?

When there are drones and cameras everywhere (like in London now) with face recognition software and RFID chips in your underpants, you can cut your cables and connections as you want, and it will mean exactly nothing. The whole system and thinking behind it is foul.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Catfish

When there are drones and cameras everywhere (like in London now) with face recognition software and RFID chips in your underpants, you can cut your cables and connections as you want, and it will mean exactly nothing. The whole system and thinking behind it is foul.

Exactly. So there are two choices you can make in life, you can live your life in fear and panic about being watched all the time, or you can accept it as something in life that you have no control over and you are unable to change and move on.

[Dread Knot]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Exactly. So there are two choices you can make in life, you can live your life in fear and panic about being watched all the time, or you can accept it as something in life that you have no control over and you are unable to change and move on.

As children we had to deal with that notion for years. It was drummed into our heads every December that a jolly old elf was doing surveillance on us from an Arctic outpost...

He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake. He knows when you've been bad or good so be good for goodness sake.

I grew up assuming I was being watched. Of course knowing that the government is doing it is a little unnerving because they can haul you off to Gitmo, instead of sticking you with a lump of coal.

[u crank]

Originally Posted by Catfish

When there are drones and cameras everywhere (like in London now) with face recognition software and RFID chips in your underpants, you can cut your cables and connections as you want, and it will mean exactly nothing. The whole system and thinking behind it is foul.

Have some fun. You could wear a disguise, fake beard, dress like a woman..etc. Take a different route every day. Live like a secret agent.

The whole system and thinking behind it is foul.

That is true.

Originally Posted by Oberon

Exactly. So there are two choices you can make in life, you can live your life in fear and panic about being watched all the time, or you can accept it as something in life that you have no control over and you are unable to change and move on.

Right. I choose the latter. What could possibly make people think that they are under suspicion? Suspicious activity? No one likes being watched but every place of business has had surveillance for quite some time. As far as being falsely suspected or accused of something, that happened long before the present technology existed. Sometimes you're the windshield....
Sometimes you're the bug.

[MH]

Originally Posted by Catfish

When there are drones and cameras everywhere (like in London now) with face recognition software and RFID chips in your underpants, you can cut your cables and connections as you want, and it will mean exactly nothing. The whole system and thinking behind it is foul.

As with many technologies we can always focus on negative aspect of the issue and talk about it all day while creating dark scenarios of possible future.
This is cool and should be taken into consideration yet it doesn't mean that the dark scenarios you are predicting will actually happen...
On principal level it is annoying that government can intercept phone calls but who really give a damn what catfish or MH is babbling about on the phone or on subsim.
Yes , on principal level it is violation of privacy but there are also positive aspects to surveillance.
I agree that if your attitude toward government is sort of "enemy number one villain" this may be a big issue.
I dont like my current government very much and don't trust it 100% but i'm pretty sure that there are a lot of people in surveillance territory that are not some devils that wait to take control over my life...like in hollywood movie but rather are doing their job.
Im sort of naive guy.

When it comes to states spying on each other ...well whats knew here.
All this outrage is just pure populism.
I supose every head of state knows better than talk about some stuff on the cell phone and so on....
It is this way for thousends of years only the tools change.
Maybe the world will be better place some day.?

[Tchocky]

Yeah, and unicorn manure powers the Bilderberg Group

[Wolferz]

Originally Posted by Tchocky

Yeah, and unicorn manure powers the Bilderberg Group

And here I thought it was baby Harp Seals!