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Facebook Faces PRISM Data Investigation In Ireland

Posted by samzenpus on from the like-this dept.

judgecorp writes "Facebook's links to the NSA's PRISM program could be investigated in Ireland, thanks to the persistence of some Austrian law students. The group has challenged Facebook in Europe as it has its regional headquarters there for tax reasons. 'The [Data Protection Commissioner] simply wanted to get this hot potato off his table instead of doing his job. But when it comes to the fundamental rights of millions of users and the biggest surveillance scandal in years, he will have to take responsibility and do something about it,' said the leader of the student group, Max Schrems."

8 of 86 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Quick, somebody do something! by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What gave it away? Sloppy work 'cause nobody gives a fuck anymore. Why bother hiding that you're spying on the people after you noticed that, hey, the people don't care?

    Wouldn't you feel a bit let down? I mean, think about it, you spend resources, time and energy on hiding that you're essentially putting your citizens under total surveillance, you enjoy how you manage to deceive and fool your population, only to notice that the main reason it worked was that nobody gives a shit?

    That must hurt some egos, really. And of course they go "ffft, why bother with stealth, they don't appreciate it at all!"

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  2. HA-ha! by SeaFox · · Score: 3, Insightful

    See where your tax dodging schemes got you, Facebook?

  3. Email and Social Network for Europe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What we need is a European Email and Social Network company. One that we know won't offer back doors to the US Security Organisations. One that is free from interference

    1. Re:Email and Social Network for Europe by jalopezp · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yeah, but it's not up to the average user to get the network going. It is the technically proficient that should install diaspora, if enough of us have a server signing up won't be difficult. And as time passes and the network grows, diaspora will become easier to install. Walk throughs get written, makeuseof and lifehacker write articles, then some of the steps get automated as more people post the subtleties of their particular configuration, and finally you get something that's as easy as installing mint.

      I dislike it when technical people complain about average users finding things difficult that average users shouldn't be doing anyway. It's not their job, dummy, if we want a better network it's up to us to build it. What do we run servers for anyway?

    2. Re:Email and Social Network for Europe by Godwin+O'Hitler · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I suspect most of the European national security services (well, all except GCHQ) are delighted the NSA has taken the heat off them.
      A few insincere sound bytes from Merkel and Hollande and it's Vive la liberté—when all the time the deceitful bastards know fine well "there but for the grace of Snowden go I."

      My point being that I have totally no reason to prefer snooping from by government over snooping by another.

      --
      No, your children are not the special ones. Nor are your pets.
  4. Re:Quick, somebody do something! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What gave it away? Sloppy work 'cause nobody gives a fuck anymore. Why bother hiding that you're spying on the people after you noticed that, hey, the people don't care?

    Wouldn't you feel a bit let down? I mean, think about it, you spend resources, time and energy on hiding that you're essentially putting your citizens under total surveillance, you enjoy how you manage to deceive and fool your population, only to notice that the main reason it worked was that nobody gives a shit?

    That must hurt some egos, really. And of course they go "ffft, why bother with stealth, they don't appreciate it at all!"

    The more central and pertinent issue might be that people feel powerless and don't know how to respond to such a broad and overarching system of checks that were unknown to them until recently. The mouse does not complain about the maze because the mouse knows no better. Cheese, wheels and conditioning.

    God bless America.

  5. Re:Quick, somebody do something! by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The main reason the EU powers that are are so outraged about the spying is simply that it happens TO them, not BY them.

    Merkel (German chancellor) just yesterday found out that her cell was bugged by the NSA. The outrage was all over the place. Just a year ago the total surveillance of Germans on the internet was "without alternative".

    Don't ever think anyone of the polidroids that now get irate over the wholesale spying wouldn't do it to you in the blink of an eye. They only hate if if it's done ON them, but they love to have it done BY them.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  6. Re:Quick, somebody do something! by gbjbaanb · · Score: 5, Insightful

    someone needs to reveal that Obama's phone was tapped by, say, the Korean government. Then, surely we'd see the American government continue to say how perfectly reasonable and normal phone interception of world leaders is.