Nsa operation PRISM, spying on us through phones and providers

[inc2fit]

So today's news is the NSA has been not only looking into our phone records, but also through 9 internet providers including Google. My question is since we have Android phones, has all of our information been compromised since Google basically controls email and all the information that runs through most of our phones since 2009!

If Google has been giving them information on Gmail accounts where they can basically watch you type your email if you're on Gmail and watches your thoughts actually form. This was a report I just saw on CNN. I really want to know if everything that goes through our phones since its main company Google has been giving information or allowing the NSA to literally tap into our information has all of our information and given over to the government!

I can't wait till google has some sort of response on this. Apple, Google, aol, Yahoo , Facebook, msn, Microsoft and others have some explaining to do. I understand it's part of the Patriot Act that allows the government to basically do whatever they want, and not that I do anything wrong, but I don't know if I like the idea of information that can be abused being available for abuse!

 

[friedtators]

You need to understand Google and the others have no choice. Others are sluts and quickly give it up. But Google holds their feet to the fire better than any company any where

 

[former_droid_user]

I live in Europe and this week I find out that the US government, which I do not even have the power to vote for, has been spying on me and has access to all my private data because it's the law in the US that google needs to give it to them?

friedtators, if it becomes the law in China that every search engine offering services to the Chinese needs to give the Chinese government all data collected worldwide, you would be fine with Google being their b?tch and surrendering your private info to a foreign government too?

I'm outraged at the whole situation, I got my first smartphone this year and it will be my last one.

 

[GMJeff]

It is no different than any other data collecting job for them. They can check your bank records, job history etc. with court orders.

Why does anybody think that this wouldn't have happened after the patriot act was put into motion. First the guns, then the information.

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[Farish]

In the Year 2000, 60 minutes did a episode on the NSA Echelon program which was spying on communications back in the 90s.

We just have more information now about these programs existence. Nothing has change over the years and nothing is going to change.

You should be more scared that advertisers know just as much about you as the Federal Government.

 

[T_MB]

To the OP: of course thats what it means. The US gov't can get whatever they want, whenever they want. The only time they actually bother to get a warrant is if they want to use the info in court. But, why do you try someone when you can just send a drone to shot a cruise missile up their arse?

Don't for a minute think that Apple and all the others aren't doing the exact same thing.

Geez, and all my friends and co-workers thought I was nuts because I don't want to put all of my information "on the cloud"; and because I still write checks and won't bank through my smart phone.

"Fascism should rightly be called Corporatism, as it is the merger of corporate and government power."
-Benito Mussolini

 

[former_droid_user]

Others are sluts and quickly give it up. But Google holds their feet to the fire better than any company any where

According to wikipedia (PRISM (surveillance program) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) it appears Twitter was the only company giving some resistance. Google, Micro$oft and the others bent over at the first glance and allowed their users to get shafted without any resistance. "Don't be evil", lmao.

 

[smooth4lyfe]

Honestly no one should really be surprised this is happening.... Especially with everything that's been happening... Google as well as others lied by saying they wouldn't take full part in this when in fact they do

It doesn't bother me too much as I have nothing to hide, but what bothers me is not knowing exactly what they are doing with the information

Sent from my Galaxy S4 Exynos!

 

[friedtators]

I have nothing to hide. But ? don't blindly believe what is reported. I still believe they offer the most resistance. They cover more data. Twitter is tiny.

 

[Tele_Phone]

Agreed.

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[Tele_Phone]

In the Year 2000, 60 minutes did a episode on the NSA Echelon program which was spying on communications back in the 90s.

We just have more information now about these programs existence. Nothing has change over the years and nothing is going to change.

You should be more scared that advertisers know just as much about you as the Federal Government.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Android Central Forums

 

[T_MB]

To anyone that actually follows the news and can "connect the dot", you might remember a little program called "Total Information Awareness" that was supposedly "scrapped" a few years ago. Guess what...they just changed the name...hello PRISM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Awareness_Office

Have people really become that brainwashed that they are en masse buy into the "nothing to hide" mantra. We used to have a saying called "its none of your business." The whole point of the U.S. 4th amendment is to protect people who have "nothing to hide." But, I suppose its not surprising when an entire generation of our population posts about what color their **** was on facebook everyday and willingly allows government goons to touch their genitals in order to travel more conveniently. These are the same "useful idiots" that willingly CHEERED "USA.USA" to the Boston police and Mass. Nat'l guard after they locked down an entire city, conducted warrant-less door-to-door searches, ordered people out of their homes at gunpoint, and paraded around in tanks on the city streets. But hey...they needed to catch a badguy and keep everyone "safe", so whatever it takes, right?

I guess that cheesy line from Star Wars III was spot on.

 

[GadgetGator]

I live in Europe and this week I find out that the US government, which I do not even have the power to vote for, has been spying on me and has access to all my private data because it's the law in the US that google needs to give it to them?

friedtators, if it becomes the law in China that every search engine offering services to the Chinese needs to give the Chinese government all data collected worldwide, you would be fine with Google being their b?tch and surrendering your private info to a foreign government too?

I'm outraged at the whole situation, I got my first smartphone this year and it will be my last one.

So you"re not using a computer or a dumb phone either? Or use a credit or ATM card? Short of living like a caveman, there is nothing you can do really. You've been spied on your entire life. You just didn't realize it.

 

[Rule9]

These companies are required by law to give the gov't anything they want provided the proper legal channels are followed. The NSA don't have warrantless access to the entire database of these companies. They can get warrantless access to specific users they're targeting however under all of the anti terrorism laws introduced since 9/11. They can also get warrantless access to non US citizens (I think). If the NSA do provide legal orders though, it does appear from the most recent news yesterday that they can access very large and broad chunks of those companies' databases. But either way there simply isn't just a free and open 24/7 access to the entire databases of these companies.

As for "Don't be evil", don't be naive. Twitter's public posturing is just that - posturing. If the gov't wants the exact same access to them that they get from anyone else, guess what happens?

 

[former_droid_user]

These companies are required by law to give the gov't anything they want provided the proper legal channels are followed.

No, these companies are required to follow EU laws when operating from within the European Union. Those laws put limits on the collection of personal data and explicitly prohibit the data to be sent outside of the EU. Google broke the law and violated my privacy. I couldn't care less if the US government demanded it from them, Europe is not a state within the US, their laws don't apply here. Google violated the law, they should face legal consequences and they have shown they are a company that refuses to play by the rules and should therefor not be trusted.

 

[Rule9]

No, these companies are required to follow EU laws when operating from within the European Union. Those laws put limits on the collection of personal data and explicitly prohibit the data to be sent outside of the EU. Google broke the law and violated my privacy. I couldn't care less if the US government demanded it from them, Europe is not a state within the US, their laws don't apply here. Google violated the law, they should face legal consequences and they have shown they are a company that refuses to play by the rules and should therefor not be trusted.

I'm not disagreeing with you but that's another facet for the EU courts to decide. I was speaking of inside the US

 

[JHBThree]

No, these companies are required to follow EU laws when operating from within the European Union. Those laws put limits on the collection of personal data and explicitly prohibit the data to be sent outside of the EU. Google broke the law and violated my privacy. I couldn't care less if the US government demanded it from them, Europe is not a state within the US, their laws don't apply here. Google violated the law, they should face legal consequences and they have shown they are a company that refuses to play by the rules and should therefor not be trusted.

Actually, those laws specifically don't apply for programs like PRISM. Things that are related to national security are exempt. What you are you referring to only applies to corporate use.

As for me, I'm not too concerned at the moment, because we know so little. (Besides that PRISM was mainly used outside the US, and that the phone info was a bit limited) I do have concerns any time programs of this breadth are instituted, but I also would like to wait until we have more information.
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[former_droid_user]

Actually, those laws specifically don't apply for programs like PRISM. Things that are related to national security are exempt. What you are you referring to only applies to corporate use.

I seriously doubt the EU laws forbidding data to be sent overseas would make an exception if those data were intended for storage by a foreign intelligence agency to spy on EU nationals. What I assume you are referring to is that in the US it is not illegal to gather data from people outside of the US, which like I said I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FVCK ABOUT BECAUSE I DO NOT LIVE IN THE US WHICH MEANS THEIR LAWS DO NOT APPLY TO ME (sorry for the caps but the Bold doesn't seem to work). I live in the EU, a company operating here has to follow EU laws, which explicitly forbid sending my personal data overseas, let alone straight into the data center of a foreign government.

 

[JHBThree]

I seriously doubt the EU laws forbidding data to be sent overseas would make an exception if those data were intended for storage by a foreign intelligence agency to spy on EU nationals. What I assume you are referring to is that in the US it is not illegal to gather data from people outside of the US, which like I said I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FVCK ABOUT BECAUSE I DO NOT LIVE IN THE US WHICH MEANS THEIR LAWS DO NOT APPLY TO ME (sorry for the caps but the Bold doesn't seem to work). I live in the EU, a company operating here has to follow EU laws, which explicitly forbid sending my personal data overseas, let alone straight into the data center of a foreign government.

Read what I wrote again. I was specifically talking about PRISM in Europe. No European privacy laws protect you in a matter such as this. As a matter of fact, given the level of cooperation between the EU and US, as well as individual EU member states, this activity is most certainly allowed by European law.

You are talking about civilian/corporate privacy laws, which do not apply in this situation.

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[former_droid_user]

No European privacy laws protect you in a matter such as this. As a matter of fact, given the level of cooperation between the EU and US, as well as individual EU member states, this activity is most certainly allowed by European law.

I'm assuming you're just making stuff up now, if not I'd like to see a source.

Europeans call for answers over U.S. web spying allegations — Tech News and Analysis

The UK Information Commissioner?s Office (ICO) has also weighed in now:

?There are real issues about the extent to which U.S. law enforcement agencies can access personal data of UK and other European citizens. Aspects of U.S. law under which companies can be compelled to provide information to U.S. agencies potentially conflict with European data protection law, including the UK?s own Data Protection Act.

Europeans call for answers over U.S. web spying allegations — Tech News and Analysis

Sophie in 't Veld, a Dutch Member of European Parliament who helped draft the EU's strict data protection laws, told the Daily Dot.

"In principle EU law does not allow for data to be transferred to the US. Companies often find themselves caught between two jurisdictions. They usually prefer to comply with US law, rather than EU law. This way US law effectively takes precedence over EU law, even on EU territory.