Dateline NBC Mole Outed At DefCon

An anonymous reader writes "Dateline NBC allegedly attempted to infiltrate the DefCon hackerfest with a producer using a hidden camera. The show hoped to tape hackers admitting to illegal activities, but DefCon got wind of the plot and displayed the would-be-mole's photo before every presentation. Dateline refused to deny the planned infiltration. 'All journalists covering DefCon sign an agreement upon registering for the conference that outlines the rules, but the DefCon organizers say the mole apparently registered as a regular attendee, thereby bypassing the legal agreement. Dateline NBC is best known for its controversial To Catch A Predator series, which uses hidden cameras to tape men who are allegedly seeking to have sex with minors they met online.'"

Comments

Hmmmm

[atari2600]

http://blog.wired.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/08 /03/dateline_mole.jpg - she's cute.

Re:Brilliant

[Wizy]

Way to read the story. Your "him" is a "her".

best known?

[Anonymous Coward]

Dateline NBC is best known for its controversial To Catch A Predator series, which uses hidden cameras to tape men who are allegedly seeking to have sex with minors they met online.

Best known for that? I think they are best known for rigging a pickup truck to explode when they crashed it so that it would look good on tv.

Their credibility is a wee bit low.

Re:Despicable

[eriklou]

Very NSFW. ^^

Photos of the fleeing reporter

[Spikescape]

http://amishrabbit.smugmug.com/gallery/3253654

Re: ATTN slashdot admins

[Anonymous Coward]

visit http://tinyurl.com/preview.php and set this preference via cookie, i personally can't stand clicking on a link not knowing it's destination, thanks mainly to years at slashdot

Re:Dateline NBC isnt news. Its just another TV sho

[MillionthMonkey]

We have a justice system based on punishing people AFTER they commit a crime not before

But soliciting a minor for sex is a crime.

Re:Brilliant

[UncleTogie]

Well said, and I have NO idea why you got modded 'bait because of it. Personally, I'd suggest the AC also research the difference 'tween "white-hat" and "black-hat" before arguing further.

youtube video of it

[bigbigbison]

There is a video of her outing on youtube.

Calm Down

[Swift2001]

It's the media doing its job. If no one admitted illegal actions, the hidden camera would have ended up in the garbage. If someone actually confessed illegal actions, then more power to Dateline. One of the saddest moments came about 1995, when ABC used a hidden camera to show that a food market was routinely selling old meat and fish. They sued after the show came out, and won! Well, good-bye to exposing wrongdoing. And 60 Minutes lost their suit to the tobacco companies, even though Jeffery Wigant was telling the truth.

Summary needs updating

[postmodern modulus I]

The Threat Level blog has just posted an update on this story. Apparently Michelle Madigan was hoping to "out" an undercover Federal Agent.

According to DefCon staff, Madigan had told someone she wanted to out an undercover federal agent at DefCon. That person in turn warned DefCon about Madigan's plans. Federal law enforcement agents from FBI, DoD, United States Postal Inspection Service and other agencies regularly attend DefCon to gather intelligence on the latest techniques of hackers. DefCon holds an annual contest called Spot the Fed, in which attendees out people in the audience they think are undercover federal agents. The contest is good-natured, but the feds who get caught are generally ones who don't mind getting caught.

DefCon staff say that Madigan was asked four times -- two times on the phone and two times at the conference -- if she wanted to obtain press credentials, but she declined.

DefCon staff lured her to a large hall telling her that the Spot the Fed contest was in session and that she could get a picture of an undercover federal agent at the contest. When she sat down, Jeff Moss, DefCon's founder, announced that they were changing the game. Instead of Spot the Fed, they were going to play Spot the Undercover Reporter and then announced, "And there's one in here right now." Madigan, realizing she'd been had, jumped from her seat and bolted out the door with reporters carrying cameras chasing after her through the parking lot and to her car.

Re:"That'll make good TV."

[Pantero Blanco]

He responded to the sting, and no reason exists to mourn his choice to "self-rehabilitate." His family won't see it that way,but consider that a result of family bonding. It's common enough in criminal cases for the family to spew excuses for the perp.

Both the original post and the linked article make it clear that he did NOT go to the sting.

I've watched the show before; they made a point of telling the culprits that they passed the line the moment they walked in the door, that they could have turned around, etc.

I'm not pissed with the police for going to arrest him, and presumably they can't tell Dateline to sod off because of Press rights, but Dateline broke their own rules here. They should have reported him to the police for the lesser crime that he presumably DID commit, and left it alone.

because you don't read TFA

[someone1234]

1. the blondie wasn't there to spot hacker terrorists, she wanted to catch undercover FEDs. 2. she was given a chance which she declined. I bet it was quite a laugh. "According to DefCon staff, Madigan had told someone she wanted to out an undercover federal agent at DefCon. That person in turn warned DefCon about Madigan's plans. Federal law enforcement agents from FBI, DoD, United States Postal Inspection Service and other agencies regularly attend DefCon to gather intelligence on the latest techniques of hackers. DefCon holds an annual contest called Spot the Fed, in which attendees out people in the audience they think are undercover federal agents. The contest is good-natured, but the feds who get caught are generally ones who don't mind getting caught. DefCon staff say that Madigan was asked four times -- two times on the phone and two times at the conference -- if she wanted to obtain press credentials, but she declined. DefCon staff lured her to a large hall telling her that the Spot the Fed contest was in session and that she could get a picture of an undercover federal agent at the contest. When she sat down, Jeff Moss, DefCon's founder, announced that they were changing the game. Instead of Spot the Fed, they were going to play Spot the Undercover Reporter and then announced, "And there's one in here right now." Madigan, realizing she'd been had, jumped from her seat and bolted out the door with reporters carrying cameras chasing after her through the parking lot and to her car."