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CIA Pays AT&T Millions To Voluntarily Provide Call Data
First time accepted submitter binarstu writes "The New York Times reports that 'The C.I.A. is paying AT&T more than $10 million a year to assist with overseas counterterrorism investigations by exploiting the company's vast database of phone records, which includes Americans' international calls, according to government officials. The cooperation is conducted under a voluntary contract, not under subpoenas or court orders compelling the company to participate, according to the officials.'"
Contracts with the government to supply telecommunications without needing to worry about competition?
Free date nights with top rung escorts when they're in town for meetings?
Free big-data analytics?
$10 million for the bottom line of a company like AT&T is chicken feed. What's really going on here?
And yet some people I've spoken to would rather trust AT&T than a company like Google when it comes to their choice of Internet Service Provider. I'm always amused by these guys.
"Google is evil! How can you even think of taking Internet service from them? AT&T? Oh sure! Sign me up!"
Apparently they believe that just because Google is an ad company they'll sell your personal information for cash. Well, no they won't because that's not how it works and they'd be pretty stupid to do that since their entire business model is based on trust. And second...well apparently AT&T is straight up selling data for money. Surprise surprise!
for all intents and purposes they're joined at the hip.
that is, their bullshit is the same and they stand on the same legs but they got different heads so the information doesn't end up being used for it's stated purpose, just for myriad of other things. ..oh and I guess this just underlines how stupid it is to not have decent privacy laws in place. they can sell all your information - to anyone who asks and pays.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Well, no they won't because that's not how it works
That's not how it works today while Google is rolling in the dough. When they hit hard times, that could easily change, but all the data they've collected over the last decade will still be right there, tempting management to sell it for a quick buck.
When information is power, privacy is freedom.
Does the CIA still raise that money by selling drugs into the US like it was caught doing previously, or do they just sell weapons on the black market to "Axis of evil" type countries. Such a credible and upstanding extra-govermentmtal organization, a shining beacon for protecting democracy... *sigh*.
Sign me up, AT&T !! This exemplifies what it means to be an American corporation !!
Agreed. It's sad that our movements, our preferences and our communications are subject to the whims of some corporate fat cat who wants to find new ways of maximizing shareholder value. They'll do anything with the data you entrust to them and all it takes is a policy shift because the terms of service you agreed to gives them the right to do this, even without a judge ordering them to turn the data over. Right now there's only a few voices out there who are yelling loudly about this in Congress and we need to get a piece of comprehensive legislation in place that genuinely protects our privacy. Unfortunately I don't see the current administration doing anything about it because they're too busy sniffing our in-boxes. Besides I'm still waiting for Guantanamo Bay to close.
Since the TFA is talking about overseas operations, it's interesting to look at their policies/TOS in the US since this call data can get you wrapped up in some government investigation because you have a friends in "those foreign places, not in 'Merica."
AT&T has multiple privacy policies but this one is of particular interest.
It says safe, not confidential but the second line seems to be in conflict however again, this is "overseas" stuff right? So they'll sell it to the feds because they also state...
Assist in the prevention and investigation of illegal activities and violations of our Terms of Service or Acceptable Use Policies.
So they've given themselves a moral way out because if you're doing naughty things or harming their network, they'll do whatever they want to keep their good name intact.
Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
America's IT companies are today's modern-day equivalent to the pre-WW2 German Industrialists. More than happy to clamp diigital handcuffs on their own customers for a few $$$, shove them into electronic cattle cars and ship them off to Information Death Camps.
And all along I'd been thinking they were doing it all for free.
Glad to see my tax dollars are supporting it!
You pay someone to provide you data voluntarily -> you buy data
Now that we know AT&T is on the take; Now that we know CIA is using our tax monies to bribe a PRIVATE COMPANIES so to SPY ON US, are they going to cook up even more harebrained excuses and then try to pin them to Edward Snowden ?
Can't wait to see the astroturfers crawling out from their hideouts with their brainless accusations ...
Calling Mr. Cold Fjord ...
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
Ah, but the trick is that, as interpreted, this is actually AT&T's own data collected as part of their business.
The logic goes that since AT&T owns the wires, and needs this information to do billing and monitor their networks, then that data actually belongs to AT&T. And since that data belongs to AT&T (so goes the theory) you don't get a vote in AT&T giving over 'their' data even if 'their' data happens to be about you.
Sure you did, you voluntarily used their system, and in the process implicitly provided them with it.
All there in the Terms of Service, and neatly upheld by the courts.
Welcome to the Brave New World, where if you want privacy you are free to not use the phone system, the internet, the banking system, go outside your house, or interact with people lest details of what you do becomes 'property' of a corporation who is free to voluntarily assist intelligence agencies.
Grand, aint it?
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
there is no accountability for the government, the US Govt and its three letter bureaucracies degenerate in to gangs of criminals, you can bet they milked that information for all its worth, i bet valuable data went to their criminal friends on wallstreet, the US Govt has degenerated in to a kleptocratic gang of fascists that are liars, thieves and murderers. and they know they can get away with it because there is no accountability
This is one more step in the breakdown of our society. When the average person sees that powerful people are not subject to the law, they start to wonder why they themselves should be subject to the law. When they see people lying, cheating and stealing to get ahead, and it working, they conclude that only chumps play by the rules. When they perceive that there is one set of rules for the rich and powerful, and another for everyone else, they lose respect for the system.
These attitudes are a cancer on our society. When trust and respect break down, all that is left to order society is force. When people can't trust the authorities, they become an adversary. This won't end well.
"What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)