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Feds Fund Anti-Terrorism Search Engine
Ben writes "The FAA and researchers at the University at Buffalo are developing an anti-terrorism search engine that will hunt for 'hidden' information -- like how to take down an airliner -- that can be puzzled together by grabbing bits and pieces from unrelated documents. Eventually, they say, the technique can be commercialized to improve search results on more mundane matters.`"
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Sol Robeson: Hold on. You have to slow down. You're losing it. You have to take a breath. Listen to yourself. You're connecting a computer bug I had with a computer bug you might have had and some religious hogwash. You want to find the number 216 in the world, you will be able to find it everywhere. 216 steps from a mere street corner to your front door. 216 seconds you spend riding on the elevator. When your mind becomes obsessed with anything, you will filter everything else out and find that thing everywhere.
UIR is an example of text mining, going across documents and uncovering things that are not apparent to the user," she said. [emphasis mine]
So, IOW, someone who posts in their blog a phrase they overheard in a bar can now be surrepitiously linked to terrorism. Thanks to the PATRIOT act, their house could be then searched without them even knowing it. Isn't it wonderful that we have this computer program which even further undermines our basic liberties?!
So what this tool basically does is allow the FBI to portray an otherwise innocent person as having "links to terrorism". Considering the degree to which the common person (read: grand juror) trusts computers, this is a very dangerous extension of power for the FBI.
I wonder if the authors of this software are even aware of the oppression and injustice they are enabling.
The proponents of increased surveillance used to say, "If you aren't doing anything wrong, what do you have to hide?" Well, thanks to those numbskulls who wrote this software, even those who have nothing to hide may still be judged guilty .
The society for a thought-free internet welcomes you.
Eventually, they say, the technique can be commercialized to improve search results on more mundane matters.
What a totally lame plan. I am outraged that my tax dollars are contributing to this.
For starters, it's totally inefficient.
A much better program would be to create an Afgan-style terrorist training bootcamp somewhere in the Midwest and invite radical Muslims and people from the militia/posse commitatus scene to "try it out" free of charge. Then "study" them afterwords in order to better understand real-life terrorism. Hell, they should even hire high ranking Al-Qaida members to staff the thing. And be sure to give them full amnesty, citizenship, high level security clearances, and six-figure salaries.
Eventually the neocons will have their terrorists... even if they have to create them.
Alas, how America has fallen...
Huge deficits, imaginary dragons, a new mecca for terrorism, the erosion of freedom, all this shiny new tecknarlogy to watch our every move...
Oops, guess not.
Combining "bits and pieces" from this posting and the preceding five (some slight allowance for tense and common words must be made), I find the following alarming statements:
the Internet community / [is] publishing / anonymous / suggestions for / terrorism / [in] article[s] running on Yahoo News / AOL, MSN, and Earthlink
rumored / revelation that / three recent / occurrences / (touches / 30,000 people / collectively) / will change the landscape / forever
'hidden' information / [has] doubled / success in this endeavor / - "nearly everyone will go" / - about 10% of IBM's staff / is already / infected
pro-freedom / dissidents / are looking for ways / to take down an airliner / for nothing
commercialized / products/procedures/systems / [and] hardware / too risky / [at] exaggerated prices / as high as $950
bits and pieces / at an unidentified / 'banned' sites / can be puzzled together / to improve / technique
an unidentifed / spokeswoman for the / FAA / points out that / [their] staff / [has] commitment to / more mundane matters
So Slashdot is advising the Internet terrorist community where to look for information on biological warfare and anti-aircraft weapons.
Yipe!
I figure by 2030 or so my 6-digit UID will be something to brag about.
Actually I thought they had something like this already. There was a show on TV not too long ago that was discussing privacy and related things.
They covered the facial recognition software, and a few interesting things in the pipeline. One of them really caught my eye.
We all seen database data being represented in graphical terms. I remember seeing a drug dealers cell phone, and the web of links made by people to the dealer and to each other. It was a fascinating albeit very damning photograph.
This database's claim to fame was that it could find "Non Obvious Links". Something similar to this http://www.semagix.com/solutions_security.html/
Funny thing is I don't think Osama and Zacowie surf the web or talk on cell phones anymore.
Using my decoder ring, I waited for the secret message to come through..."Eat More Ovaltine" What!!! That couldn't have been right.
as of late, any endeavor related to anti-terrorism and that looks remotely "intelligent" has a good chance of getting funded by the US government. I think that's as simple as that. Also, you wouldn't believe how many "anti-terrorism" devices and concepts have been granted a US patent the last 4 years.
I read the article and I'm highly skeptical this thing would work as intended, anyway. The most results it will probably retrieve for the feds would be FAQs for the Grand Theft Auto games.
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