There are several things that need to be stated up-front:
Data has been collected by companies for more than 20 years at a much higher intrusive level than the government has been doing and the government will say nothing about it because if they need the information, they just subpoena that info from that company.
Company’s exist that do nothing but “DATA MINE”, meaning their sole purpose as a company is to collect the data you leave behind with your shopper discount cards, credit card purchases and on-line habits. While many of these do not have user specific data, they are traceable data and be connected together with just a few overlapping facts.
Personal data is bought and sold freely by all companies and as I said before, connecting a lot of harmless information with other information is a high value business. Today they can even track your cell phone when you even shop in a store (even if you buy nothing) and what department you were in and how long in real time (read the latest privacy policy updates from your cell carrier). this type of tracking can be used by the government also. Once again, while the government is not allowed to do that the company’s are and the government will just subpoena the data from those that collect it.
We know from a 60 Minutes News story that a port replicator was installed in a AT&T head-end room as shown to us by a whistle blower more than 5 years ago. For those that do not understand what a port replicator is…
A small device in this instance that is installed where all phone and data is centralized to the network and every bit of data is split into two parts. One to where it would normally go (so the invasion has no effect on speed) and the duplicate data stream goes to the NSA. This gives them access to everything in real time and nobody would know when and where you are being monitored or recorded for access at a latter time.
One can assume that Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner have a similar Port Replicator. Giving access to all phone and data in real time.
A word about Terror before we connect things together.
If you look at how much money is being thrown at the need to be “safe” from a terror plot, one can hardly justify the recording of all data records.
What brought this to more of a head is the fact that the NSA wants and is building a massive facility to continue recording what they call “META DATA”.
Two points to be made here. First meta-data by their definition is just the number you call from and when and where you made the call, how long it lasted. It is unclear by their claim how much of a email is stored and who’s emails are stored.
Second, The size of this new facility tells us two things. One, they intend to keep the records forever and they are looking to record more than just meta-data. The technology that the government has access to in data density (the physical size storage space required to store high amounts of records) is second to none in the world.
Most of us are split between the need to be safe and the need to be private.
Why a need to maintain privacy ?
Do you want to be judged on how you think about something, or even misspoke ? As I always mention from time to time, Pandora’s Box will always be opened because it can be.
The point I am making here is as I feared when the Patriot Act was passed,
“HOW DO YOU KEEP THIS INFORMATION FROM BEING USED FOR POLITICAL GAIN”
If you can not connect those dots, you are dooming us as Americans and have no understanding for what the Constitution stands for.
Can we have a Secure monitoring system for anti-terror and have privacy ?
Probably not, but we can have checks-and-balances as the founding fathers intended.
What I am suggesting here is these simple rules to be applied:
1: A limit of 6 years of data collection records for those that reside on American Soil or are American Citizen.
2: After 5 years, Any Accesses to records of anyone “On American soil AND Citizens” become PUBLIC INFORMATION. Not the information, just the type of data was accessed, when and most important, for what reason ? This way we can have a check on the system even if it is a delayed look at it.
3: Some method has to be devised that can tell us every and anytime information has been accessed it is recorded and a review board made up of 3 Senate Members, 3 House members, 1 from the Supreme Court and 7 Citizens to review that info in real time to be made public after 8 years.This is still not enough to retard the breach of information for political purposes but is a start to have a chance of a early warning… Someone Knows !
4: Anyone breaching theses rules shall be tried for treason/undermining the constitution and a mandatory 10 years in federal prison.
This way, if things do get out of control, there will be a person/persons to be held accountable and a retardant to commit the crime and we have some security (at a high price) against terror.
It is inevitable that the uses of this information being collected will be used for normal law enforcement (Pandora’s Box again) when folks come to terms with the normalcy of it being collected in the first place.
It seems to me from the many years of watching what company’s have been collecting on people that they are trying to make your behavior “PREDICTABLE”. Even the banks and credit card Co’s want to predict what and how much you will spend and when.
Could your interest rates be judged in what you are likely to do and not what you actually do ? Probably just around the corner.
What if the data is not pure or correct ? Could you go to jail on bad info because you let someone use your computer and/or cellphone ?
You have been profiled by corporate America for some time now and the data keeps getting better all the time as nobody seems to be sounding the alarms and it seems nobody cares or understands the dangers.
Many have even patented software that do just that from collected data. It is unclear at this point if they are using it and how effective it is until they are able to connect more dots.
The movie “Minority Report” does not seem so far fetched in my lifetime. Just replace those “seers” with computers. Pandora’s Box Once again. It will be opened because it can.
These are your rights being affected so it you do nothing to shape your future concerning them, you get what you deserve. Being properly aware is the first step.