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NSA To Datamine Social Networking Sites

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the go-where-the-data-is dept.

An anonymous reader writes "New Scientist has discovered that the NSA is funding research into the mass harvesting of the information that people post about themselves on social networks. And it could harness advances in Internet technology -- specifically the forthcoming 'semantic web' championed by the Web standards organisation W3C -- to combine data from social networking websites with details such as banking, retail and property records, allowing the NSA to build extensive, all-embracing personal profiles of individuals."

9 of 346 comments (clear)

  1. First Post by teratogenicbenzene · · Score: 5, Funny

    First Post!

    And what has the NSA learned from this?

    That I'm a lazy, self-aggrandizing slashdot reader with way too much time on my hands.

    --
    The Secret of Life: Proteins fold up and bind things.
    1. Re:First Post by maxume · · Score: 2, Funny

      Not to mention inept...

      --
      Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
    2. Re:First Post by cyber0ne · · Score: 3, Funny

      with way too much time on my hands

      That's nothing! You should see what they're finding in MY hands on the internet!

      --
      http://publicvoidlife.blogspot.com
  2. I feel safer already! by gasmonso · · Score: 1, Funny

    It's good to see such huge advances in domestic spying instead of things like stem cell research.

    http://religiousfreaks.com/
  3. Hey I like it! by hrrY · · Score: 5, Funny

    I may *want* to be data-mined...think about the promise of a genuine advancement in online-speed-dating. Or maybe they could start a service that datea-mines, hmm, the possibilities. Although, does that include or not include those my tier? I don't date anyone outside my tier; there's principalities.

  4. Myspace by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 4, Funny

    Thanks to MySpace, the NSA now knows that there are far more 18-year-old bisexual cheerleaders named Tiffany out there than anyone ever realized, there is a very good reason so many musicians never get record deals, and everyone in the entire world is in your extended social network (especially that creepy mutant Tom.)

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    Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
  5. I for one ... by srobert · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...welcome our neocon overlords.

  6. Osama does! by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 2, Funny

    When was the last time that you saw a terrorist on a social network like MySpace, posting hints about their desire to terrorize others?

    Why, just today, in fact. See? ;-)

    --
    My blog
  7. The NSA is out of control... by Futurepower(R) · · Score: 2, Funny

    The NSA is out of control and should be stopped. Hear that, NSA?