The Internet is a Surveillance State

Brandontward - h/t to Joe Miller

I'm going to start with three data points.

One: Some of the Chinese military hackers who were implicated in a broad set of attacks against the U.S. government and corporations were identified because they accessed Facebook from the same network infrastructure they used to carry out their attacks.

Two: Hector Monsegur, one of the leaders of the LulzSac hacker movement, was identified and arrested last year by the FBI. Although he practiced good computer security and used an anonymous relay service to protect his identity, he slipped up.

And three: Paula Broadwell,who had an affair with CIA director David Petraeus, similarly took extensive precautions to hide her identity. She never logged in to her anonymous e-mail service from her home network. Instead, she used hotel and other public networks when she e-mailed him. The FBI correlated hotel registration data from several different hotels -- and hers was the common name.

The Internet is a surveillance state. Whether we admit it to ourselves or not, and whether we like it or not, we're being tracked all the time. Google tracks us, both on its pages and on other pages it has access to. Facebook does the same; it even tracks non-Facebook users. Apple tracks us on our iPhones and iPads. One reporter used a tool called Collusion to track who was tracking him; 105 companies tracked his Internet use during one 36-hour period.

Increasingly, what we do on the Internet is being combined with other data about us. Unmasking Broadwell's identity involved correlating her Internet activity with her hotel stays. Everything we do now involves computers, and computers produce data as a natural by-product. Everything is now being saved and correlated, and many big-data companies make money by building up intimate profiles of our lives from a variety of sources.

Facebook, for example, correlates your online behavior with your purchasing habits offline. And there's more. There's location data from your cell phone, there's a record of your movements from closed-circuit TVs.

This is ubiquitous surveillance: All of us being watched, all the time, and that data being stored forever. This is what a surveillance state looks like, and it's efficient beyond the wildest dreams of George Orwell.

Sure, we can take measures to prevent this. We can limit what we search on Google from our iPhones, and instead use computer web browsers that allow us to delete cookies. We can use an alias on Facebook. We can turn our cell phones off and spend cash. But increasingly, none of it matters.

There are simply too many ways to be tracked. The Internet, e-mail, cell phones, web browsers, social networking sites, search engines: these have become necessities, and it's fanciful to expect people to simply refuse to use them just because they don't like the spying, especially since the full extent of such spying is deliberately hidden from us and there are few alternatives being marketed by companies that don't spy.

This isn't something the free market can fix. We consumers have no choice in the matter. All the major companies that provide us with Internet services are interested in tracking us. Visit a website and it will almost certainly know who you are; there are lots of ways to be tracked without cookies.

Cellphone companies routinely undo the web's privacy protection. One experiment at Carnegie Mellon took real-time videos of students on campus and was able to identify one-third of them by comparing their photos with publicly available tagged Facebook photos.

Maintaining privacy on the Internet is nearly impossible. If you forget even once to enable your protections, or click on the wrong link, or type the wrong thing, and you've permanently attached your name to whatever anonymous service you're using. Monsegur slipped up once, and the FBI got him. If the director of the CIA can't maintain his privacy on the Internet, we've got no hope.

In today's world, governments and corporations are working together to keep things that way.

Governments are happy to use the data corporations collect -- occasionally demanding that they collect more and save it longer -- to spy on us. And corporations are happy to buy data from governments. Together the powerful spy on the powerless, and they're not going to give up their positions of power, despite what the people want.

Fixing this requires strong government will, but they're just as punch-drunk on data as the corporations. Slap-on-the-wrist fines notwithstanding, no one is agitating for better privacy laws.

So, we're done. Welcome to a world where Google knows exactly what sort of porn you all like, and more about your interests than your spouse does. Welcome to a world where your cell phone company knows exactly where you are all the time. Welcome to the end of private conversations, because increasingly your conversations are conducted by e-mail, text, or social networking sites.

And welcome to a world where all of this, and everything else that you do or is done on a computer, is saved, correlated, studied, passed around from company to company without your knowledge or consent; and where the government accesses it at will without a warrant.

Welcome to an Internet without privacy, and we've ended up here with hardly a fight. - CNN

Technorati Tags: Internet,Surveillance,loss of common sense,Big Brother,Facebook,Big Brother is watching you,Google,social media,social networking,cookies

Say good-bye to the Internet? … And, Last Days to Remove Yourself from Google’s Tentacles

--> The U.N. Threat to Internet Freedom  <--

It is hard to believe that twenty years ago, the Internet as we as we know it today did not exist. Yes, there was an Internet, but the World Wide Web did not exist. Imagine life today without the web? We do business over the Internet. We get our news from the Internet. The Internet has been the greatest innovation for free speech since the printing press.

Now this great innovation of free speech is under threat. What is the threat and where is it coming from?

It is coming from the United Nations.

All this year, through December, the World Conference on International Telecommunications is meeting with the purpose of negotiating a new treaty to govern international telecommunications.

Russia and China are using this as an excuse to demand a lesser role for the United States in governing the Internet. They would like the United Nations to control the Internet. Other states, such as Brazil and South Africa have demanded the creation of a new global body to control the Internet.

At the same time, China, Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have called for a code of conduct for the Internet that would govern activities on the Internet. Some of them are no brainers. Some of them include no criminal activities and not using the Internet as a tool of war.

Section C of the “Code of Conduct” should set off all of the alarm bells. It reads:

(c) To cooperate in combating criminal and terrorist activities that use

information and communications technologies, including networks, and in curbing the dissemination of information that incites terrorism, secessionism or extremism or that undermines other countries’ political, economic and social stability, as well as their spiritual and cultural environment;

Let’s see, this is coming from four of the most repressive nations in the world and they think the Internet should be controlled so that it does not undermine “political” or “social” stability. Aren’t those the code words they use to persecute those who dissent from their regimes?

The Russians, Chinese and the third world object that the United States has so much control over the Internet.

Too damn bad. We created it.

The good news here is that this is a treaty. Under the Constitution, the Senate must ratify a treaty and that takes a 2/3 vote. That is unlikely to happen.

Unfortunately Obama has the same respect for free speech as does the leadership of Russia or China and that is alarming. If an agreement or treaty is bad for America, Obama is for it. If you doubt that, look at some of the other treaties he has signed, such as the START treaty.

The Internet is an invaluable tool for freedom. Without the Internet, we would have been hard pressed to get the Tea Party movement started. This is one instance where we cannot play catch up after the Obama regime has already signed a bad treaty.

We must stay in touch with our Senators and Congressmen to make certain they stay on the Obama regime and keep them from agreeing to a deal that would destroy the freedom we have on the Internet.

by Judson Phillips – TPN

Last chance to tell Google to forget you

Article below

Getting Google to forget you:

First, log in to your Google account.

Then go to https://google.com/history.

Click the button marked "Delete all history."

Click OK.

Last chance to tell Google to forget you

http://www.itworld.com/security/252290/last-day-tell-google-forget-you

Even if you're one of those luddites who uses Google only for Search – not the increasingly random assemblage of first-generation SaaS apps that make up its unintentionally eclectic portfolio – you're sure to already be sick of the sticky pop-ups Google has been using to warn customers it is unifying all the services under one comprehensive lack-of-privacy policy.

Google announced in January it would unify most of its services under a single privacy policy and a single set of data-gathering tools that will arrange all Google's useful data on each of its customers in an efficient database, from which it is much simpler to sell that customer as a commodity to advertisers looking for specific patterns of behavior.

The change actually goes into effect March 1.

Before it does, if you're cautious at all about the amount of information Google has about you, uncertain at all how little evil Google will do with all the consolidated information or just a little woogy about anyone having big chunks of surveillance on you with a yen to sell it: go erase your Google history now.

Thanks to the Electronic Frontier Foundation for pointing out that having decent security and using it are not the same thing.

Tomorrow, after all your odd searches, secret obsessions and kinky lunch reading is ensconced inside a special database, you won't be able to get to the data any more.

You can delete much of the data Google has on you, though. At least as long as you remember to clear your browser history.

Not the one you always clear before leaving your desk and risking having prying co-workers come look at your cache to figure out what the audio-streamed screams coming from your computer earlier in the day were all about.

The history you have to delete is on Google.com. When you're signed in, Google keeps track of where you're going and what you're looking at, and stores that history on its server files.

Today only you can still delete that data, by following the instructions provided by EFF.

Getting Google to forget you:

First, log in to your Google account.

Then go to https://google.com/history.

Click the button marked "Delete all history."

Click OK.

That's it. History is a toggle, so once you turn it off it should stay that way until you reactivate it.

It's not a big procedure, or a complex one. It is one chance more than any other online vendor has offered you lately to restrict your private data a little.

But you have to actually take the trouble.

Do it now, before you forget.

From Twitter:

RT @ASE: How to Remove Your #Google Web History Before The New Privacy Policy Change (on March 1) http://lifehac.kr/wXjsR9 #Privacy

Google Caught Violating Browser Privacy Settings to Track Users - http://www.infowars.com/google-caught-violating-browser-privacy-settings-to-track-users/  -  This might be what you sent earlier Jean

Search engine has been killed

· Scroogle unplugged for good this time.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 1:51:13 AM · by Rabin · 6 replies

The Register ^ | 21st February 2012 | Kelly Fiveash

Scroogle - a not-for-profit search engine that offered users something of a pro-privacy antidote to Google - has been killed... Daniel Brandt (its creator), called it quits after his servers were repeatedly targeted by DDoS attacks on Scroogle. (NOT) Google to once again attempt to banish the site from the interwebs, but.... a number of DDoS attacks that hit Scroogle, rendering the site utterly useless. “Scroogle.org is gone forever,” Brandt told BetaBeat. “Even if all my DDoS problems had never started in December, Scroogle was already getting squeezed from Google’s throttling, (DATE SORT) and was already dying. It might have...

Also…

Earlier today I saw a headline about a search engine that was deleted. Maybe this is how we will all be tracked – delete the other search engines or as in the text below, you can search, but you can’t open the links from the search.

Happening Now!!!! >> Complete Internet Censorship in New Zealand! Only Able to Access Google Services!!!!

NZ really is the TESTING GROUNDS for the NWO....
At this time, I have used an international SIM modem to access GLP, as ALL NON-GOOGLE WEBSITES HAVE BEEN BLOCKED IN NEW ZEALAND!!!!!!!
I called my ISP, who stated that they are having the same issue, although they are on a different provider in the office. (Ironic that my ISP doesnt use its own services...)

This is what's up>

You ARE able to access ALL GOOGLE services!!!
-Gmail
-Youtube
-Search
-+
-ETC

You are completely UNABLE to access ANY NON-GOOGLE SITES.
****YOU CAN SEARCH FOR INFO NO PROBLEM, BUT CANNOT OPEN THE PAGES FROM THE SEARCH!!!!****
"Internet explorer cannot open the web page"
Same thing on al my PC's and my Mac, all my mates have reported the same thing, they are all in Auckland though, so this may just be citywide.
---This is affecting ALL ISPs!!!!

SOMETHING IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN IN NZ!!!!

To Google, Facebook, Twitter… Or NOT? - Perhaps Time to Assess Your Use and Membership? - Updated

Google

Many of you may have received the email below…

Dear Google user,

We're getting rid of over 60 different privacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that's a lot shorter and easier to read. Our new policy covers multiple products and features, reflecting our desire to create one beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google.

We believe this stuff matters, so please take a few minutes to read our updated Privacy Policy and Terms of Service at http://www.google.com/policies. These changes will take effect on March 1, 2012.

One policy, one Google experience

Easy to work across Google

Our new policy reflects a single product experience that does what you need, when you want it to. Whether reading an email that reminds you to schedule a family get-together or finding a favorite video that you want to share, we want to ensure you can move across Gmail, Calendar, Search, YouTube, or whatever your life calls for with ease.

Tailored for you

If you're signed into Google, we can do things like suggest search queries – or tailor your search results – based on the interests you've expressed in Google+, Gmail, and YouTube. We'll better understand which version of Pink or Jaguar you're searching for and get you those results faster.

Easy to share and collaborate

When you post or create a document online, you often want others to see and contribute. By remembering the contact information of the people you want to share with, we make it easy for you to share in any Google product or service with minimal clicks and errors.

Protecting your privacy hasn't changed

Our goal is to provide you with as much transparency and choice as possible, through products like Google Dashboard and Ads Preferences Manager, alongside other tools. Our privacy principles remain unchanged. And we'll never sell your personal information or share it without your permission (other than rare circumstances like valid legal requests).

Understand how Google uses your data

If you want to learn more about your data on Google and across the web, including tips and advice for staying safe online, check out http://www.google.com/goodtoknow

Got questions?
We got answers.

Visit our FAQ at http://www.google.com/policies/faq to read more about the changes. (We figured our users might have a question or twenty-two.)

Notice of Change

March 1, 2012 is when the new Privacy Policy and Terms will come into effect. If you choose to keep using Google once the change occurs, you will be doing so under the new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Please do not reply to this email. Mail sent to this address cannot be answered. Also, never enter your Google Account password after following a link in an email or chat to an untrusted site. Instead, go directly to the site, such as mail.google.com or www.google.com/accounts. Google will never email you to ask for your password or other sensitive information.

Many people are thinking of leaving Google and its tentacle services because this is just another consolidated grouping of information for Big Brother to monitor us and Google, like facebook, and others turn all their (your) information to the government.

Remaining with them or changing is something everyone should consider!

Here some really helpful links.  If you want to close your account, from what I read, they will delete everything… at least that is what they claim… guess we will see if they really do or if if you information ends up in digital space forever:

How to close your Google Account

FAQ: Google’s new privacy policy

Poll: Will you cancel your account?

Google faces backlash over privacy changes

The continuing onslaught against individual freedoms and the intrusion of government into our lives has inspired computer room like this one…

Additional Information:

Google announces privacy settings change across products; users can't opt out

Global Search - Cuil!
http://www.cuil.pt/
Search
Is not powered by google, and not hosted in USA.
Every .com is.
http://www.cuil.pt/
Use Scroogle - very cool.
https://ssl.scroogle.org/
Read about it here:
www.scroogle.org
https://ixquick.com/
USE https://ixquick.com/ FOR PRIVACY
www.startpage.com
I've been using duckduckgo.com recently instead of Google and I like it.
www.duckduckgo.com
and their privacy policy[link to donttrack.us]
http://freenetproject.org/
http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message1764993/reply29288017

Not sure if this has been mentioned or not...

But I work in a web agency and EVERY single one of the sites we produce uses google hosted code. Its mainly for analytic data for our customers. If you've ever seen google analytic data and understand that 100% of our sites (and I'm sure its almost 100% of any other agency's sites) use this code... that means the scope of this is so huge I can't think straight! Google can very easily track people's web usage through this analytic code.

It doesn't matter if you are on a google made site or not, if the use google hosted code then they know!

Heck even GLP uses it. If you know how to view source look at the bottom of this site.
https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js
http://www.google.com/enterprise/government/

Google announces privacy changes across products; users can’t opt out
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/google-tracks-consumers-across-products-users-cant-opt-out/2012/01/24/gIQArgJHOQ_story.html

Google will soon know far more about who you are and what you do on the Web.

The Web giant announced Tuesday it is planning to follow the activities of users across nearly all of its ubiquitous sites, including YouTube, Gmail and its leading search engine.

Google has already been collecting some of this information. But for the first time, it is combining data across its Web sites to stitch together a fuller portrait of users.

Consumers won’t be able to opt out of the changes, which take effect March 1. And experts say the policy shift will invite greater scrutiny from federal regulators of the company’s privacy and competitive practices.

The move will help Google better tailor its ads to people’s tastes. If someone watches an NBA clip online and lives in Washington, the firm could advertise Washington Wizards tickets in that person’s Gmail account.

Consumers could also benefit, the company said. When someone is searching for the word “jaguar,” Google would have a better idea of whether the person was interested in the animal or the car. Or the firm might suggest e-mailing contacts in New York when it learns you are planning a trip there.

But, say consumer advocates, the new policy might upset people who never expected their information would be shared across so many different Web sites.

A user, for instance, may not want Google to use your social network to alert estranged friends — or your boss — that you are around the corner at a bar.

“Google’s new privacy announcement is frustrating and a little frightening,” said Common Sense Media chief executive James Steyer. “Even if the company believes that tracking users across all platforms improves their services, consumers should still have the option to opt out — especially the kids and teens who are avid users of YouTube, Gmail and Google Search.”

Google can collect information about users when they activate an Android mobile phone, sign into their accounts online or enter search terms. It can also store cookies on people’s computers to see which Web sites they visit or use its popular maps program to estimate their location.

The change to its privacy policies come as Google is facing stiff competition for the fickle attention of Web surfers. It recently disappointed investors for the first time in several quarters, failing last week to meet earnings predictions. Apple, in contrast, reported record earnings Tuesday that blew past even the most optimistic expectations.

Some analysts said Google’s move is aimed squarely at Apple and Facebook — which have been successful in building unified ecosystems of products that capture people’s attention. Google, in contrast, has adopted a more scattered approach, but an executive said in interviews that the company wants to create a much more seamless environment across its various offerings.

“If you’re signed in, we may combine information you’ve provided from one service with information from other services,” Alma Whitten, Google’s director of privacy for product and engineering wrote in a blog post.

“In short, we’ll treat you as a single user across all our products which will mean a simpler, more intuitive Google experience,” she said.

Google said it would notify its hundreds of millions of users of the change through an e-mail and a message on its Web sites. It will apply to all of its services except for Google Wallet, Chrome browser and Google Books.

The company said the change would simplify the company’s privacy policy — a move that was encouraged by regulators.

Still, some consumer advocates and lawmakers remained skeptical.

“There is no way anyone expected this,” said Jeffrey Chester, executive director of privacy advocacy group the Center for Digital Democracy. “There is no way a user can comprehend the implication of Google collecting across platforms for information about your health, political opinions and financial concerns.”

Added Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass): “It is imperative that users will be able to decide whether they want their information shared across the spectrum of Google’s offerings.”

Google has increasingly been a focus of Washington regulators.

The company recently settled a privacy complaint by the Federal Trade Commission after it allowed users of its now defunct social network Google Buzz to see contacts lists from its e-mail program.

And a previous decision to use its social network data in search results has been included in a broad Federal Trade Commission investigation, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is private.

Federal officials are also looking at whether Google is running afoul of antitrust rules by using its dominance in online search to favor its other business lines.

Claudia Farrell, a spokeswoman at the FTC, declined to comment on any interaction between Google and regulators on its new privacy changes.

More on this story:

How to close your Google Account

FAQ: Google’s new privacy policy

Poll: Will you cancel your account?

Google faces backlash over privacy changes

PHOTOS | What products are impacted by new policy?

Twitter, Facebook, MySpace cry foul on Google search

Google updates social-networking name policy

European privacy proposal includes ‘right to be forgotten’

A couple of comments that I thought were interesting.

http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message1764993/reply29288156

Google has been doing this all along as does Apple, MS and so on. Limit or don't use their services in your first line of defense. If not possible then learn all you can about your device and take FULL control of it, flash it, root it, kernel secure it and spank those apps and daemons who are like little children leaking sensitive info about you to these data collectors without your knowledge.

Don't forget to learn to really disable gps, mic and your cam when necessary cause they are bugged. At this point you will be half way secure and well on your way to freedom. However there is a whole another world of hidden service, exploit and leak potentials within your device that are publically unspoken of and that you will need to discover over time.

Last piece of advice, learn to game the algorithm that is at all times trying to predict who you are and what your next move is.
http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message1764993/reply29289587   (Did you know could block a website this way?)
I just went to my internet options and blocked www.google.com signed out of you tube and tried signing back in, got a notice, you have disabled your cookies please turn them back on..But it is not March 1, yet is it?

Facebook

Look at timing with Google’s announcement—perhaps time to flee them both!

Facebook Timeline Mandatory For All Users - With Just 7 Days To 'Clean Up'

Facebook's Timeline - a new look for people's Profile pages which exposes their entire history on the site - will become mandatory for all users.

The 'new look' has been voluntary up until now.

From now, users will simply be notified that they are being 'updated' via an announcement at the top of their home page, which users click on to activate Timeline.

As with voluntary switches to Timeline, those who are 'updated' will have just seven days to select which photos, posts and life events they want to advertise to the world.

Via the official Facebook blog, the site announced, 'Last year we introduced timeline, a new kind of profile that lets you highlight the photos, posts and life events that help you tell your story.'

'Over the next few weeks, everyone will get timeline. When you get timeline, you'll have 7 days to preview what's there now.

'This gives you a chance to add or hide whatever you want before anyone else sees it.'

Timeline has been criticized for showing off pictures and posts that people might have wanted to forget.

The new look also pairs with 'timeline apps', such as Spotify, which post every time people listen to a song, or eat a recipe or visit somewhere.

'You can learn more about these new features by taking the quick tour available at the top of your timeline,' says Facebook.

'If you want to get timeline now, go to the Introducing Timeline page and click 'Get Timeline.'Or you can wait until you see an announcement at the top of your home page.'

Mark Zuckerberg described timeline as letting you 'tell the whole story of your life on a single page'.

The redesigned pages have a more magazine-like photo-heavy feel, with a large 'cover photo' at the top of the page.

On the right of the page there will be a timeline that breaks down all posts from a person's time on Facebook and allows viewers to jump back to people's earliest posts with a break down month-by-month.

Some were puzzled by the abrupt roll-out of the change, which is one of the biggest changes to Facebook - all the more so when paired with the new Timeline apps, such as Spotify, which posts a continuous stream of all songs listened to to your Timeline.

A user listening to Spotify on a smartphone, for instance, will default to posting every song to their Timeline for all to see. As with all Timeline features, there are various opt-outs, but they can be fiddly to find and use.

Likewise, e-book readers such as Kobo and video services such as Netflix can post every book and film people consume to Timeline.

Many sites published guides to how to 'hide' controversial content. Twitter users had mixed reactions.

Reactions included, 'I don’t want a timeline on my facebook - why do you force me to have one?' and 'I hate Facebook timeline design with a vengeance. More frippery and less function. Why are they forcing it on us?'

Many were shocked by how rapidly timeline had become compulsory.

Tech site Mashable said, 'Facebook must know that putting a ticking clock in front of users is bound to make very few of them happy, yet here it is, stop watch in hand. Here’s my theory.'
'Timeline apps aren't very effective without it. Conducting most of your day-to-day activities, like watching movies, sharing content, reading news, eating out, and more — that’s new. None of this has quite the same impact without Timeline.'

So far, Facebook has announced a few dozen Timeline apps.

Many sites recommend vetting apps carefully to see what they will post, and creating lists of friends to 'share' certain updates with, rather than bombarding your whole friends list.
Tech site CNET warns, 'Once you install an app and authorize it to post stories on your profile and News Feed, it'll never ask for your permission again.'

'If you love to cook, you can add the Foodily app to your timeline and share your latest dishes. If your friends have added the Foodily app, you can discover new recipes with each other, as you'll see their updates in the ticker and their timeline, and possibly News Feed.'
Facebook says that more Timeline apps, covering more interests will launch soon.

'Our vision for Timeline and our vision for the application platform is whatever you love and whatever story you want to tell, you can add that to your Timeline,' said Carl Sjogreen, Facebook's product management director.

Facebook Timeline with Apps and Ticker:
'Our message to developers is 'start your engines',' said Sjogreen.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2091735/Facebook-Timeline-mandatory-users--just-7-days-clean-up.html#ixzz1kb0jJtmF

SIDEBAR

PROTECTING YOUR PROFILE FROM PRYING EYES - WHAT TO DO IN THE SEVEN DAYS FACEBOOK ALLOWS YOU

Once timeline is activated on your profile, you have seven days to 'clean up' - and you will probably want to.

Things from your past that may have been previously hidden deep within your photos or timeline can be much more visible.

If there is anything particularly you don’t want shown, such as your relationship status from five years ago - which will be public by default - you’re best to click on the right hand side to the year it occurred, such as 2006, find the post and choose to either delete or hide it.

It all has to be done manually.

You can now choose directly from the right-hand side of nearly every section on profile who sees what for individual sections (such as photos, posts, likes etc). When you click on the item, you can choose whether it is seen publicly, by friends or by a customized list.

If you enable any timeline apps, be sure to read their privacy policies thoroughly - many will not ask again before posting information to your profile. Spotify, for instance, will default to filling your timeline with what you listen to, unless you tell it not to.

Facebook now has the ‘View profile as’ feature on the main page, rather than in privacy settings. This lets you check how different people can see your profile so you can then customize it as you wish.

For those looking to DELETE their facebook accounts permanently not just deactivate remove the spaces and copy paste this into your browser

If your doing it too replace your existing facebook account make sure your change your email address and password to something else first so you can use your original email. Funny how they hide this form.... HAH found youuuu!

https://ssl.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=delete_account

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2091735/Facebook-Timeline-mandatory-users--just-7-days-clean-up.html#ixzz1kb125TKI

Updated 1.27.12:

· Twitter to selectively 'censor' tweets by country

Friday, January 27, 2012 2:42:33 AM · by EnglishCon · 4 replies

BBC News ^ | 01/27/12 | BBC News

Twitter has announced that it now has the technology to selectively block tweets on a country by country basis. In its blog, Twitter said it could "reactively withhold content from users in a specific country". But it said the removed content would be available to the rest of the world. Previously when Twitter deleted a tweet, it would disappear worldwide. --- In its blog post, Twitter explained that its international growth meant entering countries "that have different ideas about the contours of freedom of expression", citing France or Germany which ban pro-Nazi content as examples.

US Order To Shutdown Millions Of Christian Websites Shocks World | Pakalert Press

A shocking report authored by the office of Russia’s top religious leader Patriarch Kirill I states that this past week the United States ordered over 10 million Christian websites destroyed that they claimed were a “threat” to their National Security and that the American Internet giant Google quickly responded by making them all disappear.

According to this report, Google first came under assault from the US government in June when the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that they had launched an investigation into the company, a move defended against by top Google executive Amit Singhal who aside from claiming the attacks against them were baseless said,“At Google, we’ve always focused on putting the user first.”

After weeks of unrelenting pressure upon them, however, this past week Google, which had refused to answer the baseless charges against them, caved to the US government and announced that their Chairman, Eric Schmidt, who had previously said the charges against them were nonsense, agreed to testify before a US Senate Committee under threat of subpoena.

On the very same day that Google caved into these US governments demands, this report continues, they then announced that they had blacklisted and banned over 11 million websites that had been registered for free through the co.cc subdomain the world over.  Giving as its reason for this largest in history removal of private websites Google asserted that it had the right to pull the plug on sites if they “see a very large fraction of sites on a specific freehost be spammy or low-quality.”   

Co.cc is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Cocos (Keeling) Islands, an Australian territory. It is administered by VeriSign through a subsidiary company eNIC, which promotes it for international registration as “the next .com”; .cc was originally assigned in October 1997 to eNIC Corporation of Seattle WA by the IANA.

Most important to note about the .cc domain, this report points out, is its being preferred by Churches andChristian organizations around the world as “CC” also happens to be an abbreviation for “Christian Church” or “Catholic Church,” especially in Islamic Nations where due to strict laws against Christianity these free co.cc websites were the only way those belonging to this faith were able to communicate with each other.

In this Patriarch Kirill I report as to the “true reason” for the US ordered government shutdown of millions of Christian websites in Islamic Nations it states is the “fundamental shift” undertaken by the Obama regime to support radical Muslim elements instead of the once secular Arab leaders it once did.

The most crucial US turnaround in this regard happened this past week, and as we can read, in part, as reported by the Front Page Magazine News Service:

“The Obama administration is set to begin formal contacts with the Muslim Brotherhood, a group dedicated in its own words to “eliminating and destroying Western civilization from within, and sabotaging its miserable house.”

This news came in a Reuters report Wednesday, quoting a “senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.” Why this official felt it necessary to speak on condition of anonymity is a mystery, given the fact that Barack Obama has never made a secret of his solicitude for the Muslim Brotherhood. Even though the Brotherhood was still outlawed in Egypt at that time, he made a point of inviting leaders of the group to attend his speech to the Islamic world in Cairo on June 4, 2009.

Not only that. Obama included the leader of a Muslim Brotherhood-linked group that had been named an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas terror funding case among the clerics giving a prayer during his inauguration ceremonies: Ingrid Mattson, then-president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), offered this prayer at the National Cathedral on Obama’s Inauguration Day – despite the fact that ISNA has admitted its ties to the Brotherhood. In fact, so overwhelming is the evidence of ISNA’s involvement with the Brotherhood and Hamas that the previous summer, federal prosecutors had rejected a request from ISNA to remove its unindicted co-conspirator status. Obama even sent his Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett to be the keynote speaker at ISNA’s national convention in 2009.”

This gravest danger posed by the US ordered destruction of these millions of Christian websites, this report continues, involves the estimated 20 million Coptic Christians now living in Egypt who, should the MuslimBrotherhood gain control, would face the removal from their homes of all of their children so they could be“educated” in Islamic schools as converts to the Muslim faith.

US author Brad O’Leary in his book “America’s War On Christianity” warns that no one should be surprised about these things as many US regimes, including Obama’s, have waged a decades long war against this faith in their attempt to eradicate it from all forms of public expression, even to outlawing school children from even mentioning the words “God,” “Bible,” or “Jesus Christ” under threat of imprisonment.

Even worse, shocking news is now coming from the United States that the Obama regime has ordered that the words “God Bless” and “Jesus Christ” cannot be used even when burying their military dead, and as we can read, in part, as reported by the Christian Post News Service:

“Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is calling for an investigation into the actions of the Houston National Cemetery director who told pastors and veterans groups to stop using words like “God bless” and “Jesus Christ” during funeral services. Several veterans groups and pastors in the Houston area filed a religious discrimination lawsuit this week, charging that the cemetery’s director, Arleen Ocasio, was censoring prayers and certain religious terms at funerals for veterans.”

Most appalling of all of these things is the vast majority of the American people allowing their once cherished Christian values of home, family and morality to be continued to be stripped away from them with nary a protest as if they have completely forgotten that their religion would have never survived without the countless millions who martyred their lives, including Jesus, so their faith could survive.

To the horrific future lying in store for Christians living in America today should come as no surprise either as prior to his election as President, Obama stated in response to them, “…it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

Forgotten by Obama is that those Americans who “cling to their guns and religion” are the exact people that made the Founders of the United States created their Nation for; and though they have survived much since their founding, their silence today as their Nation is allowed to be destroyed shows how truly weak they have become.  And in that weakness lie the seeds of their own destruction, but which they are too ignorant of history to even see as their total destruction looms ever closer.

Source: Pakalert Press

Updated:

It Is Happening and We Are Allowing It!! Are You Paying Attention?

The number Obama brought in ILLEGALLY is 200,000 Muslims!!!  at the cost of $20M a year on the taxpayer!!!  Remember - Obama's aunt is still here and she is just as arrogant as he!  Read this, pass it on and remember in 2012!!!  Get this Marxist administration OUT OF OUR HOUSE!

'If we ever forget that we're one nation under GOD, then we will be a nation  gone under.'-Ronald Reagan

---

Muslim men are allowed to have as many as 4 wives.  Many Muslims have immigrated into the U.S. and brought their 2, 3, 4 wives with them. But the U.S. does not  allow multi-marriages, so the man lists one wife as his, and signs the other 2 or 3 up as extended family on welfare and other free government programs!

Michigan has the highest population of Muslims in the Unites States.  When President Obama took office, the United States paid several millions of dollars to have a large number of Palestinians (all Muslim) immigrated here from Palestine.  Why?  I have no idea, do you?  We don't pay for other persons to immigrate here, and I'm sure that some of those Muslims moved into Michigan, with the large current number of Muslims already established there.

So now, in Michigan, when you call the Public Assistance office, you are told to "Press 1 for English, press 2 for Spanish, or press 3 for Arabic"!  (Just as in California and other states it is Spanish and Vietnamese)

Every time you add a new language to an American program, it requires an additional number of persons fluent in that language to process those persons who refuse to learn English in order to live here at an additional cost to the taxpayer!  Why are we even allowing persons to immigrate here who cannot provide for themselves, and putting them in our welfare system?
Press  3 for Arabic.

This is quite alarming!  This seems to have happened clandestinely, for, as far as I know, no public announcement, or opportunity to vote on this, was offered to the American people.  They're just adopting an official stance and, very likely, using tax-payer money for it, in various capacities, without public knowledge or approval.
The following link takes you into the State of Michigan Public Assistance page, (as in Food Stamps, etc).  You won't have to  scroll far before you see the   assistance-letters options for...(get this)...English, Spanish, and ARABIC!

When did the ARABIC option sneak into our culture?  Will we soon have to listen to all of our governmental offices, stores, and other venues offer us the option of "pressing 3  for ARABIC?"
Check it out for yourself: 

http://www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-124-5453_5527---,00.html

Please inform every red-blooded American you know that this is happening. It is outrageous!   The camel's nose is literally now OFFICIALLY under the  tent!  YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK !!!

Related:

US Order to Shut Down Millions of Christian Websites Shocks World

UN To Discuss Seizing Jerusalem From Israel on July 11^th, 26^th -  Please Take Action Now  -  Have You??

Obama Making Move Against Second Amendment by Using UN Treaty…  Remember: There Is No First Amendment Without a Second Amendment

D.A. King:  Pro-law Americans Turning Tide on Immigration

Please call, fax and email your Congresspeople, Senators and the White House and tell them: Defund the UN, stop the gun grabs, stop censoring the Internet, uphold our Constitution, stop making exception for immigrants, we speak English in America, the majority of us are Christians and Jews… and support Israel!

Microsoft Files Patent For Software That Allows The Government To Spy on All Personal Digital Communications

A patent filed by Microsoft reveals the company has voluntarily created software that provides the Government and other agencies seeking to spy on you  with the ability to easily intercept,  re-route and record all forms of personal digital communications, including Skype calls which are directly named in the patent.

A patent filed by Microsoft seeks to give the company exclusive rights to intercept personal electronic communications and resend them directly to the Government and other agencies who may be seeking to spy on you.

By filing the patent, Microsoft clearly shows they have voluntarily created the software,  instead of waiting for a Government mandate to do so. The patent states that “the  government or one of its agencies may need to monitor communications” and software acts as a “recording agent” that is able to silently record the communication”.

The patent specifically names certain types of communications, such as Skype calls, instant messaging, video conferencing software, and even meeting software but does not stop there. Instead it goes on to label just about all electronic devices you can think of as a computer and requests for a patent to be able to intercept digital communications from those devices, and even access data stored in a variety of other storage mediums, and forward the to the Government.

A Gizmodo article on the patent points out that Microsoft appears to trying to patent Skype spying,  which is specifically named within the patent,  but the scope of patent goes far beyond the ability to just spy on Skype calls.

Only by digging into the patent can you see the deceptiveness in Microsoft’s the labeling of certain technologies and realize the true scope of what the software company is trying to provide the Government easy access to spy on.

For example, the label all packet-based communication as VoIP, which clearly nothing is further from the truth. All data that can be sent over the internet is a “packet-based communication”.

[...] the term VoIP is used to refer to standard VoIP as well as any other form of packet-based communication that may be used to transmit audio over a wireless and/or wired network. For example, VoIP may include audio messages transmitted via gaming systems, instant messaging protocols that transmit audio, Skype and Skype-like applications, meeting software, video conferencing software, and the like.

The patent goes on and deceptively labels all digital electronic devices as computers, say that everything from computers, to printers, gaming devices, automobile systems, even printers, home appliances and all other mobile based electronics are computers. The patent even applies to microcontroller which are often the brain of electronic devices and used in products ranging from automobile engine control systems, implantable medical devices, remote controls, office machines, appliances, power tools, and even toys.

A computer may include any electronic device that is capable of executing an instruction[...]

Examples of well known computing systems, environments, or configurations that may be suitable for use [include] personal computers, server computers, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microcontroller-based systems, set-top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smartphones, gaming devices, printers, appliances including set-top, media center, or other appliances, automobile-embedded or attached computing devices, other mobile devices, distributed computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like.

The patent also doesn’t stop with computers or even communications for that matter. It targets a variety of offline mediums that can used to store data and even computer programs themselves.

[...] a variety of computer-readable media [including] any available media that can be accessed by the computer  removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data.

Computer storage media includes RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile discs (DVDs) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by the computer.

The patent further reveals that the software’s capability includes the ability to intercept all digital communications regardless of the medium, or whether they are online or offline, bluntly including the ability to intercept all modulated data signals.

Communication media typically embodies computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

Quoted directly from US patent application 20110153809:

June 23, 2011- Assignee: Microsoft Corporation

Legal Intercept

Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to silently recording communications. In aspects, data associated with a request to establish a communication is modified to cause the communication to be established via a path that includes a recording agent. Modification may include, for example, adding, changing, and/or deleting data within the data. The data as modified is then passed to a protocol entity that uses the data to establish a communication session. Because of the way in which the data has been modified, the protocol entity selects a path that includes the recording agent. The recording agent is then able to silently record the communication.

Claims

---

1. A method implemented at least in part by a computer, the method comprising: receiving data regarding establishing a communication session between at least two entities via a switched packet network for a communication that includes audio; locating one or more parameters in the data that indicate one or more local candidate communication points of at least one of the at least two entities; removing the one or more parameters from the data to cause the communication session to be established over a path that includes a recording agent that is capable of silently copying the communication between the at least two entities; and providing the data with the parameters removed to a protocol entity that uses the data to follow a communication protocol to establish the communication session via the path, the protocol entity potentially including one or more of the at least two entities and/or any entity that interacts with one or more of the at least two entities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving data regarding establishing a communication session between at least two entities comprises receiving the data from a call server that is involved in establishing the communication session, the call server responsible at least for relaying invite requests from a requesting one of the entities to a receiving one of the entities, the call server configurable to provide the data to a recording agent before establishing the communication session.
[...]

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a recorder manager operable to configure a recording agent to silently copy communication transmitted via the communication session.

Description

---

BACKGROUND

[0001] Plain old telephone service (POTS) allows people from all over the world to talk to each other through the use of telephones. POTS has been around since the late 19th century and has remained basically the same. In traditional usage, POTS has transmitted voice communications using electrical signals that are transmitted via pairs of wires. Central offices establish connections between callers and those called.

[0002] Sometimes, a government or one of its agencies may need to monitor communications between telephone users. To do this with POTS, after obtaining the appropriate legal permission, a recording device may be placed at a central office associated with a selected telephone number. Electrical signals corresponding to sound to and from the telephones at the selected telephone number may be monitored and transformed into sound. This sound may then be recorded by the recording device without the telephone users being aware of the recording. With new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and other communication technology, the POTS model for recording communications does not work.

[...]
SUMMARY

[0004] Briefly, aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to silently recording communications. In aspects, data associated with a request to establish a communication is modified to cause the communication to be established via a path that includes a recording agent. Modification may include, for example, adding, changing, and/or deleting data within the data. The data as modified is then passed to a protocol entity that uses the data to establish.

Exemplary Operating Environment

[...]

[0015] Aspects of the subject matter described herein are operational with numerous other general purpose or special purpose computing system environments or configurations. Examples of well known computing systems, environments, or configurations that may be suitable for use with aspects of the subject matter described herein comprise personal computers, server computers, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microcontroller-based systems, set-top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smartphones, gaming devices, printers, appliances including set-top, media center, or other appliances, automobile-embedded or attached computing devices, other mobile devices, distributed computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like.

[0016] Aspects of the subject matter described herein may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and so forth, which perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Aspects of the subject matter described herein may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices.

[0017] With reference to FIG. 1, an exemplary system for implementing aspects of the subject matter described herein includes a general-purpose computing device in the form of a computer 110. A computer may include any electronic device that is capable of executing an instruction. Components of the computer 110 may include a processing unit 120, a system memory 130, and a system bus 121 that couples various system components including the system memory to the processing unit 120. The system bus 121 may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus also known as Mezzanine bus, Peripheral Component Interconnect Extended (PCI-X) bus, Advanced Graphics Port (AGP), and PCI express (PCIe).

[0018] The computer 110 typically includes a variety of computer-readable media. Computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by the computer 110 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, and removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media.

[0019] Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Computer storage media includes RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile discs (DVDs) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by the computer 110.

[0020] Communication media typically embodies computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[...]

Legal Intercept

[0028] As mentioned previously, traditional techniques for silently recording telephone communication may not work correctly with VoIP and other network-based communication technology. As used hereafter, the term VoIP is used to refer to standard VoIP as well as any other form of packet-based communication that may be used to transmit audio over a wireless and/or wired network. For example, VoIP may include audio messages transmitted via gaming systems, instant messaging protocols that transmit audio, Skype and Skype-like applications, meeting software, video conferencing software, and the like.

[...]

Source: US Patent Office  -  Posted at AlexanderHiggins.com

Is anyone surprised out there?? Bill Gates… Mr. Bilderberg depopulation guy himself wants to help the government spy on you??

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange rails against Facebook, says it's a spy tool for US government… Plus Other Steve Quayle Alerts

Video on the page:  WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Rails Against Facebook, Says It's A Spy Tool For US Government  (See other alerts below)

Maybe he's a MySpace guy.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange called Facebook "the most appalling spying machine ever invented" in an interview with Russia Today, pointing to the popular social networking site as one of the top tools for the U.S. to spy on its citizens.

"Here we have the world's most comprehensive database about people, their relationships, their names, their addresses, their locations, their communications with each other and their relatives, all sitting within the United States, all accessible to US Intelligence," he said. "Facebook, Google, Yahoo, all these major U.S. organizations have built-in interfaces for US intelligence.

"Everyone should understand that when they add their friends to Facebook they are doing free work for the United States intelligence agencies," he added.

The comments were a bit strange, coming from the founder of a website best known for pushing spilling secret information.

In an email to the Daily News, a Facebook spokesman denied the company was doing anything that they weren't legally obligated to do, saying that "the legal standards for compelling a company to turn over data are determined by the laws of the country, and we respect that standard."

"We don't respond to pressure, we respond to compulsory legal process," the spokesperson wrote. "There has never been a time we have been pressured to turn over data -- we fight every time we believe the legal process is insufficient."

In any event, many Facebook users have been increasingly concerned about the sharing of their information.

In 2010, three Democratic senators asked the FTC to look at the social networking site's information-sharing policies.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that popular Facebook apps like Farmville and Causes also shared users' information with advertising and tracking companies.

Concerns about information-sharing has seemingly done little to dissuade the more than 250 million people who use Facebook - including someone who created an official WikiLeaks page on the site.

More than 1.72 million people clicked that they like it.

Assange is currently in England, awaiting extradition to Sweden to face sexual assault charges.

Alerts:  Steve Quayle. - http://stevequayle.com/index1.html (5.4.11)

Paper Silver War Intensifies: Today we witnessed another raid orchestrated by the bankers. They generally wait until the physical markets, in London are put to bed before they strike. Last night,I told you that the Comex initiated a 3rd margin increase as the bankers were scared out of their minds as to the huge demand for silver metal. The on top of that, the bankers called on additional support by the brokerage firms as it was necessary for the bankers to try and force as many longs as possible to pitch their positions so the bankers could cover their short position. Please pay special attention to the following announcement: more

Foreign Military Troops Train in California Desert: I was listening to Hawk's Friday evening broadcast and I wanted to tell you what American soldiers have talked about regarding foreign troops. I live near Fort Irwin here in California. I have been told that Iraqi troops, German troops and other Nato troops train out in the desert. They have mock cities and practice searches and road blocks. These troops are allowed to shop in the PX however, I do not know if they can leave the base. more

WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Rails Against Facebook, Says It's A Spy Tool For US Government: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange called Facebook "the most appalling spying machine ever invented" in an interview with Russia Today, pointing to the popular social networking site as one of the top tools for the U.S. to spy on its citizens. "Here we have the world's most comprehensive database about people, their relationships, their names, their addresses, their locations, their communications with each other and their relatives, all sitting within the United States, all accessible to US Intelligence," he said. "Facebook, Google, Yahoo, all these major U.S. organizations have built-in interfaces for US intelligence. more

Occult Timing Associated With Osamas Hollywood Scripted Assassination From Rob Skiba: Are you kidding me?? Seal Team 6 killed OBL on the 66th anniversary of Hitler's death on the same day the Illuminati was created at 3:30 EST (33) as the result of putting a bullet through his LEFT EYE!! Come on guys! Wake up. They're just mocking your total ignorance if you can't see through this scam. go to archives

Top Secret Stealth Helicopter Program Revealed in Osama Bin Laden Raid: Experts: Before an elite team of U.S. Navy SEALs executed a daring raid that took down Osama bin Laden, the commandos were able to silently sneak up on their elusive target thanks to what aviation analysts said were top secret, never-before-seen stealth-modified helicopters. In the course of the operation that cost the al Qaeda leader his life, one of the two Blackhawk helicopters that carried the SEALs into bin Laden's Pakistani compound grazed one of the compound's wall and was forced to make a hard landing. With the chopper inoperable, at the end of the mission the SEALs destroyed it with explosives. more go to archives

U.S. Gov‘t Software Creates ’Fake People’ to Spread Message via Social Networking

AP File

Sean Kerrigan

The US government is offering private intelligence companies contracts to create software to manage "fake people" on social media sites and create the illusion of consensus on controversial issues.

The contract calls for the development of "Persona Management Software" which would help the user create and manage a variety of distinct fake profiles online. The job listing was discussed in recently leaked emails from the private security firm HBGary after an attack by internet activist last week.

Click here to view the government contract (PDF)

According to the contract, the software would "protect the identity of government agencies" by employing a number of false signals to convince users that the poster is in fact a real person. A single user could manage unique background information and status updates for up to 10 fake people from a single computer.

The software enables the government to shield its identity through a number of different methods including the ability to assign unique IP addresses to each persona and the ability to make it appear as though the user is posting from other locations around the world.

Included in HBGary's leaked emails was a government proposal for the government contract. The document describes how they would 'friend' real people on Facebook as a way to convey government messages. The document reads:

• "Those names can be cross-referenced across Facebook, twitter, MySpace, and other social media services to collect information on each individual. Once enough information is collected this information can be used to gain access to these individuals social circles.
• Even the most restrictive and security conscious of persons can be exploited. Through the targeting and information reconnaissance phase, a person’s hometown and high school will be revealed. An adversary can create a classmates.com account at the same high school and year and find out people you went to high school with that do not have Facebook accounts, then create the account and send a friend request. Under the mutual friend decision, which is where most people can be exploited, an adversary can look at a targets friend list if it is exposed and find a targets most socially promiscuous friends, the ones that have over 300-500 friends, friend them to develop mutual friends before sending a friend request to the target. To that end friend’s accounts can be compromised and used to post malicious material to a targets wall. When choosing to participate in social media an individual is only as protected as his/her weakest friend."

Other documents in the leaked emails include quotes from HBGary CEO Aaron Barr saying, "There are a variety of social media tricks we can use to add a level of realness to all fictitious personas... Using hashtags and gaming some location based check-in services we can make it appear as if a persona was actually at a conference and introduce himself/herself to key individuals as part of the exercise, as one example."

Additional emails between HBGary employees, usually originating from Barr, discuss the vulnerability social networking causes.

One employee wrote, "and now social networks are closing the gap between attacker and victim, to the point I just found (via linked-in) 112 females, wives of service men, all stationed at Hurlbert Field FL - in case you don't know this is where the CIA flies all their "private" airlines out of. What a damn joke - the U.S. is no longer the super power in cyber, and probably won't be in other areas soon."

Barr also predicted a steady rise in clandestine or secret government operations to stem the flow of sensitive information. "I would say there is going to be a resurgence of black ops in the coming year as decision makers settle with our inadequacies... Critical infrastructure, finance, defense industrial base, and government have rivers of unauthorized communications flowing from them and there are no real efforts to stop it."

The creation of internet propaganda software is only one of HBGary's controversial activities. According to Wikileaks competitor and occasional collaborator Cryptome.org, several other progressive organizations were intended to be targeted including anti-war activist, anti-torture organizations and groups opposed to the US Chamber of Commerce.

The emails also include a number of other embarrassing entries including the purchase of the book "The Multi-Orgasmic Man: Sexual Secrets Every Man Should Know" from Amazon for $6.76.

For more information on this and other stories click here.

Continue reading on Examiner.com: US Gov. Software Creates 'Fake People' on Social Networks to Promote Propaganda - National Social Media | Examiner.com - http://www.examiner.com/social-media-in-national/us-gov-software-creates-fake-people-on-social-networks-to-promote-propoganda#ixzz1EXzIB0L9

Source:  Sean Kerrigan  -  Social Media Examiner - Sean is a freelance journalist covering emerging forms of new media and its effect on society. He specializes in covering cable news

Video: Glenn Beck: Is Google Just A Shill For The United States Government?

Related:

Google’s Censorship of Search Results

HuffPo:  10 More Websites Glenn Beck Doesn’t Trust, Other than Google (In Pictures)

Beck on Egypt, World Revolution, 12th Imam and Google

Facebook’s Persecution of Conservatives:  Examining Evidence of Bias

Alert:  Last Chance to Stop Obama From Taking Control of the Internet

The SOTU Review

Mixing cookies and fish sticks on the same pan just creates one big unappetizing mess!!  That is what happened Tuesday night when Obama tried to mix the best of Reagan with socialism…  as he talked about cutting our debt and spending and “investing” in education and a long list of other things in the same breath!!

Video:  SOTU Review 

EXCELLENT SHOW SOTU speech State of the Union and a whole lot more!

Keywords covered include: Hawaii Obama Reagan 'not a move to the middle' 'most radical speech Obama has given' 'government is the answer' 'must invest billions' follow China's lead on education' 'she's just a mom' 'China slave and child labor' infrastructure 'Amtrak loses billion dollars year' 'choo-choo train logic' 'how trains work' 'GAO can't estimate cost high speed rail' freight trains 'speech was stimulus double down' green jobs solar panels 'two guys and shingle company' 'can man rule himself?' 'politicians want to rule over man' 'rings on a tree' tree rings 'tree smarter than congress' airplane turbulence Washington 'New York average worker's day' 'Glenn Beck's average day' prioritize 'family first country second' God bigger better faster newer new 'middle seat don't sit here' 'fix the country' biomedical research information technology clean energy technology 'internet kill switch no judicial review' 'vilify oil companies' 'USA .6% wind energy .1% solar 2% wood' oil coal 'google partner with NSA' 'Reagan the government not solution to our problems government is the problem' and

Rumors of War (Documentary) intro:  Glenn interviews Joel Rosenberg

Obama and the Bodysnatchers

By Ben Stein on 1.26.11 @ 6:09AM

My pal, a frequent Spectator contributor and a super smart guy, Aram Bakshian, summed it up perfectly after Barack Obama's State of the Union address.

"Obama does not seem like a leader anymore," he said.

It is sadly true. This was painfully apparent in tonight's speech. It was as if the Bodysnatchers had gotten hold of Mr. Obama and put a sixth grader's brain in him. There were only a few glimpses of Obama the "intellectual" socialist on display tonight. Mostly, his speech sounded as if it could have been given by any 1958 Republican elementary school student. The problem is that this is not 1958 America.

This is a much changed America, and one that has put itself into a terribly confining box.

When Mr. Obama talks about reducing the deficit, it's almost comical. The changes he proposes are so minuscule in terms of their effect on the budget that it's as if he is saying he can throw a rock to the moon. This country's deficit is spectacularly beyond his control. Only really painful surgery -- drastic, draconian cuts in Social Security and in Medicare, and wildly higher taxes on upper income people -- will come even close to fixing the problem.

The GOP has succeeded in making the tax part of these off limits, which makes certain the problem will get even worse. Mr. Obama did not come within a mile of telling the truth about it. He has been completely boxed in by the GOP, to an extent he would find deeply upsetting if he ever admitted it to himself.

When Mr. Obama says he's going to reform American education by setting higher standards, he is just baying at the moon. Most of the nation's public school pupils are not achieving at even close to the rates of the students in other advanced nations. The problem is intensely concentrated among the nonwhite students of this nation. If wecannot find a way to get these kids working, and working hard, to reach basic educational standards, we will face educational and job force catastrophe. For their sake and for the nation's sake, they have to be helped to help themselves. Unless they can be brought up to standards of other industrial nations, we will become a third world country. This remediation can be done and must be done.

There was not one word about this in Mr. Obama's speech. He kept talking about the Sputnik moment in 1957 when the USA made a major effort to improve its science education. I can remember those days very well. The crisis is that we do not have even remotely the same kind of student population we did in 1957. Not a word about that, either.

The crisis in non-white America will kill us if we don't get it fixed, and slogans and test score measures will not do it.

Truth to tell, I don't know what will fix the problem, but I know it can be done and we had better do it.

His bragging about Afghanistan rang a bit hollow, too. If progress is indeed being made in that sad country, the soldiers I talk to do not see it. Time for them to leave. There is just no reason for us to be there any longer.

His ridiculous words about the sanctions on Iran stopping them or slowing them down were almost sad. Israeli spycraft with software is doing something, but Iran is still a super catastrophe in the making.

There were two glimpses of the old Obama -- when he slammed "subsidies" for oil companies, which of course do not get any subsidies, but have business deductions the way every other business does, he sounded every bit like the envious skinny Harvard man he once was. When he railed against tax breaks that he considered identical to government spending, that was outright socialism. That concept implies that all the income in the nation belongs to the state, and that if we let working people keep any of it, that is the same as a government expenditure. The opposite is true. The income belongs to the people, and they allow government to have some of it. But, of course, the servant has become the master now.

One final note: in its lack of eloquence, its complete absence of high points, its elementary school pedagogy, its complete absence of any interesting or memorable phrases, it was possibly the lamest SOTU speech I have ever heard.

Once again, Aram Bakshian, a far smarter man than I am, said it well. Mr. Obama just does not seem like a leader anymore, and, I will add, certainly not like an orator. This was a disappointing evening.

Google is in the Bag With NSA

And Yes… Google is in the bag with the NSA, Twitter turns all their history over to the Smithsonian and facebook retains any information ever posted to it, even if you close your account, and also shares its information.  And as in the EU below, if you think that Internet Providers in U.S. don’t act like the secret police for our government and that the WH doesn’t monitor and scrub info from the Internet regularly… I

Internet Providers Are the New Secret Police, Says Report

Who needs a new agency? Just pass a law with severe penalties if the ISPs don’t become an arm of gov’t.  Many of us work online regularly know this is already happening everywhere!!

More and more European Union member states are delegating online policing to private companies and Internet service providers, according to a report released Wednesday.

Where law enforcement agencies would traditionally have tackled the problem of illegal online content, more powers are being given to ISPs in the name of industry self-regulation, according to a study by the organization European Digital Rights (EDRI). That trend is likely to become stronger with increasing "extra-judicial sanctions" against consumers, EDRI said.

Proposed legislation and "non-binding guidelines" have left intermediaries in a precarious position, unsure whether they are liable for the actions of consumers over their networks. So-called "three strikes" laws, under which alleged copyright infringers receive three warnings before their Internet connection is cut off, put the onus on Internet service providers to police customers. Such laws currently appear in some form in French, Irish and U.K. legislation, where they have met with anger from ISPs. In France, the law can impose a fine and a one-year Internet connection suspension. The U.K.'s Digital Economy Act, adopted last year, provoked concern from the country's two largest ISPs, BT and TalkTalk.

International trade agreements such as the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), and bilateral trade agreements the E.U. has signed with India and South Korea, all leave the door open for intermediary liability.

"The European Commission appears far from perturbed by the dangers for fundamental rights of this approach and appears keen to export the approach. This process is gradually strangling the openness that is at the core of the Internet. This openness has enhanced democracy, has shaken dictatorships and has boosted economies worldwide. This openness is what we will lose through privatized policing of the Internet by private companies," said Joe McNamee, Advocacy Coordinator at European Digital Rights.

Beck Radio Show Audio: Obama worse than Dr. Evil?

Was President Obama channeling Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers movies in his State of the Union address last night? Glenn had fun with Obama’s calls for more spending (or is it investing?) in his State of the Union speech last night.

“The speech last night was a campaign speech and we are starting to see the beginning of changity change change again,” Glenn said about the President’s speech.

Remember when the Obama administration was calling for high speed bullet trains? Much like a lot of the content in the President’s speech last night, the message and the facts don’t line up.

“Ooh, bullet trains?  That sounds, well, violent, but it sounds great.  A bullet train?  Please don’t let anybody explain to me why bullet trains won’t work here in America.  You know, the fact that we only have a single rail system.  So in other words, our freight trains run on the same tracks that our new bullet trains would run on. And the bullet train might go a little faster than a freight train and go bumpity bump bump, boom, but don’t explain that because it just sounds better if we just say, we should get a bullet train.”

Glenn almost had an aneurysm when the President said America’s infrastructure was just rated and got a “D”, and we need to invest more into strengthening our infrastructure.

“I immediately thought to myself, isn’t this kind of the same speech he gave two years ago and he said, ‘And that’s why I need a trillion dollars’,” Glenn said.

“The last time I heard somebody use a trillion dollars, wouldn’t say it with a straight face, I need one trillion ‑‑ when I say $1 trillion, you think of a guy in a gray suit with his pinky up to his lip.  He’s bald.  It was an Austin Powers movie, $1 trillion.  Remember?  Remember when a trillion dollars used to mean something?” Glenn said, referencing Dr. Evil from Austin Powers.

Movie expert Stu chimed in, “I think he said a million and then everyone made fun of him and then he said a hundred billion.”

Source:  PC World ^ | January 26, 2011 | Jennifer Baker

Related:

Drudge: Obama's Plan Would Cost Another $20 Billion

National Journal leaks State of the Union early (White House 'furious' over leak) & Text of Bachmann's speech

Sarah’s WTF Moment -  Keep them talking Sarah!!

Video:  Sarah Palin Went On The Record And Said Obama's Speech Had A Lot Of WTF Moments

--> Short Version of Sarah’s Interview On the Record with Greta: Sarah Palin on Obama's SOTU Address: His Theme of "WTF" Was Spot On <--