Google+ NSA, no thanks
Going to keep this one brief. Because frankly, not much has to be said.
But it does have to be said (if it wasn't already obvious)...
Google has a secretive working relationship with the NSA.
Google has a ridiculous amount of data.
Data that can be used to identify, profile, locate & track you.
The NSA can make Google give them this data. In real time.
Is this above scenario unfolding?
I don’t know! But does it matter? The point is that it could be. And as long as the Google+ NSA relationship continues, we will remain subject to this hazardous vulnerability in privacy.
(not to mention the fact that the Patriot Act gives any US authority the means to secretly view personal data held by US organizations)
An intelligence agency is:
A governmental agency that is devoted to the information gathering for purposes of national security and defense.
The NSA is a governmental agency so they don’t have the luxury of being able to deliver value in the free market and have people voluntarily give them data.
And so it makes a lot of sense for the NSA to partner with Google. All of the information they could ever want is right there on a silver platter.
Google is a public corporation. They don’t have the luxury of being able to funnel money from the government directly into their operations.
So it makes a lot of business sense for Google to partner with a governmental agency.
And kids, this is what we call fascism. It's really profitable! (for the agencies and corporations involved, not you and me).
"Do no evil"
As an entrepreneur, a free market advocate, and a nerd -- the Google+ NSA surveillance grid is dismaying. An invite to join their new social network? No thanks.
Schwabe is an Android app designer and business nerd with a passion for technology, startups, and free market capitalism.
I'm confused. Are you saying because they have a relationship they would have to give up information more easily that say Facebook (or any other site we store our data)?
They can access data from any of those sites secretively I imagine if they ask, as well our text messages through phone providers, and such right?
If you are worried about the US Government knowing things about you, don't write them down or move to another country where you think the Government doesn't do it.
I'm not worried about the US Government knowing things about me. I wouldn't have posted this if I did. It's a matter of principal. The Google+ NSA relationship is A) immoral (privacy) and B) unfair (fascism).
Thank you - can't believe so many people are oblivious to the potential this has.
FYI http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/governmentrequests/
OK, so maybe it's a matter of principle. Is there good reason to believe that the NSA doesn't have a similar relationship with every other large Internet presence? If not, is there are reason that this is more especially egregious of Google than any other company?
Note that I'm not saying it's OK - just trying to figure out if Google's a special case or if the same issues apply to non-Google offerings.
I believe the largest part, if not the only part, of the ongoing relationship between Google and the NSA is the Google Search Appliance. That article you linked to doesn't show definitively that "Google gives the NSA data".
Whether there are national security issues that Google is legally obligated to give the NSA data is another question. Any social network could give the NSA data. So what's special about Google here?
Sure, the NSA can request data from the other social networks too. But with Google they can access so much more, all at once.
And given their secretive relationship is already in place, one can assume the NSA has access to Google's data in real-time. At the very least, the possibility of this arrangement is disturbingly plausible, and this in itself is an ongoing privacy vulnerability for anyone using a Google service... especially Google+
Without making this a really long post about privacy, I've never had any expectation of privacy with any Google service I use. None. And if I write or do something embarrassing or reckless and it comes back to bite me -- I blame myself. I'm more worried about identity theft and credit card fraud -- neither of which (to the best of my knowledge) are perpetrated by law enforcement -- than I am of big brother knowing what my address is, what my house looks like, who my friends are, etc.
The "silver platter" concept used is a little moot. If you have been identified as a "person of interest" to a law enforcement agency, the difficulty associated with gathering intelligence about you is besides the point. It doesn't matter if your data is spread out or consolidated within a single service provider. And from what I understand, it is really easy these days for law enforcement to get a wiretap on you, and that probably goes for pretty much everything else.
I'm not saying I agree with any sort of collaboration between Google and the NSA. However, ultimately I control what information I disclose. And there's only one way to keep your private data private...
Alot of you guys are missing the point of government collaboration with big business. That is called fascism. This type of collaboration is not the stuff of a truly free society. If that doesn't bother you, fine. Make all the excuses you like about it. But for those of us who were taught to believe that we live in a free society, where government is greatly limited by rule of law, and our rights to privacy and not being able to be searched without probable cause find this type of stuff appalling. When the government is scanning your data without your permission or any probably cause, that is an illegal search, as defined by the constitution. Is America a truly facsist country yet? No. But this type of stuff is a stepping stone in that direction. How much are you willing to give up before you realize they've taken too much?
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklyn
How not surprised am I that le Google is involved with National Security and probably has high level clearance?...not at all.
I did not know about this relationship at all. It's definitely interesting to know whether you are concerned or not by this relationship.
All
FYI
Google Hands Over European User Data to US Intelligence Agencies
http://theominousparallels.blogspot.com/2011/08/google-hands-over-europe...
(((3)))
bah. fsk the nsa and google but why should people really care that much if your not doing dirt. If you are doing dirt then you should be better at hiding yourself anyways.
I have been using Gibiru.com for this very reason. I dont do dirt on the internet, but is is about simple invasion of privacy. This is how we loose our freedom. Plus just look at the censorship aspect. If I only see results that Google/NSA censors for me, I am not seeing the whole picture anymore. If you have two monitors like I do, just use Gibiru in one screen and Google in the other and you will see the difference in censorship.
No free space on the internet and so many infiltrations
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