In the Saturday, November 5th issue of Newsday, an article written by Kimberly Dozier of the Associated Press headlined CIA Eyes Revolt on Social Media. It piqued my interest so I read the story.
In a quick synopsis, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is monitoring tweets and Facebook updates overseas. Apparently, there are groups of people who monitor tweets all day long. These men and women are reviewing more than 5 million tweets a day.
The analysts on the team also check TV news, radio and internet chat rooms for any conversation from “a thoughtful blog to an angry tweet.” They are checking these tweets in all different languages including Arabic and Madarin.
In the article the director is quoted as saying that his group saw the uprising in Egypt but they didn’t know when the event would actually happen.
The article tries to assure us, Americans, there is no effort to collect information on us via social media. They say that they are just looking at activity overseas.
Hmmm… Common, I’m not stupid and neither are you. They are looking at everything we say and write on the Internet. And if the CIA isn’t doing that, then each and every country they are monitoring are doing that.
How does that make you feel? Do we have privacy anymore?
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DISCLOSURE: NO CONNECTION, UNPAID, MY OWN OPINIONS
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Years ago our government in particular desired to know what its citizens were thinking. Then came along the internet and other technology with all promising the life of ease. Therefore, the ‘government’s problem’ has been solved. People sit down as I do here, feeling at ease, devulging everything, as governments of the world fill data bases full of details on overall thoughts, statistical probability, and individual’s details. Profiling has gone to new levels in our “technologically advanced”, but kept technologically limited world. Look how fast the now ousted leadership of Egypt pulled the plug on the internet and communication when their power was threatened.
Thanks for being brave enough to share! Good points!
I wanted to explain my technology limiting comment a bit
further, since I have already made a list somewhere. Funny thing is I worked for our government when it was by and for the people. Very soon to be passed in this country is an internet censorship bill.
This bill has bipartisan support in both the Senate, and the Congress. This
bill will afford the government to completely control what we as it’s subjects
see, and are allowed to do on the internet, not just controlling ‘boot legged’
production of movies and music. This is an exact example of that age old
control of communication that our countries founders and writers of the U.S.
Constitution addressed. This practice is not uncommon when leadership desires
to control, or prohibit certain thoughts, especially when it is seen as, or is
a threat to the existing power and control, and their and theirs gains. That is
why as a true Democracy our forefathers saw freedom of expression and speech as
essential to assuring that a true Democracy, without fear of retribution
continues. When communication and expression is controlled, for fear of
persecution or prosecution, those leading retain power, and direct the people
vs. the people directing the leaders. Ultimately Democracy becomes no more, and
another form of governing is put into place. The truth is the citizens of
the world flew to high with their expression, thoughts, exchange of ideas, and
compatibility in many instances, they communicated too well…and leadership feels
and felt threatened.