Privacy advocates are suing DHS for 'covert' social networking surveillance on Facebook and Twitter. EPIC's FOIA lawsuit is a result of Homeland Security refusing to turn over details about Big Brother setting up fake accounts to 'friend' you and better monitor your social media activities.
By Ms. Smith on Thu, 12/22/11 - 12:28pm.
Yes, Virginia, Big Brother is watching you in social media and storing those "naughty" tweets, posts and comments. After those hot keyword terms put you on the naughty list, unlike Santa's list, it's not a redo in a year . . . that info will be stored for five years. The EFF previously warned Big Brother wants to be your online buddy on social networking sites. Then the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request asking Homeland Security for more details about the agency's plans to setup fake profiles and monitor social media users; but when no documents were produced, EPIC is now suing DHS over 'covert surveillance on Facebook and Twitter.'
Hackers belonging to Anonymous kindly shared with the public such "chumming and baiting" tactics as were disclosed in Aaron Barr's leaked emails.Those sock puppet accounts will try to befriend you, monitor for specific NOC terms, and then collect your PII (personally identifiable information) which will be stored for five years. Many users have a nasty habit of over-sharing on social media even though all that personal or sensitive information is potential fodder for social engineers. EPIC's lawsuit [PDF] against DHS states, "Social media users have no reason to believe that the Department of Homeland Security is tracking their every post." The DHS program plans to share this PII by "email and telephone" with "federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, foreign, or international government partners."
EPIC wrote, "DHS has stated that it will routinely monitor the public postings of users on Twitter and Facebook. The agency plans to create fictitious user accounts and scan posts of users for key terms. User data will be stored for five years and shared with other government agencies. The legal authority for the DHS program remains unclear."
A PR spokesperson from the Pentagon politely objected to the suggestion that ethics disappear behind closed doors, dirty deeds done in the dark when dirty weapons like sock puppet propaganda might be deployed against the American people who are supposed to be free to express themselves. Such armies of fake social media "friends" promoting propaganda was allegedly not being used against We the American People. But the devil is in the details of DHS monitoring keywords and social media when Big Bro's sock puppet accounts want to be your buddy on social networking sites...[Full Article]
