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Facebook Patented Making NSA Data Handoffs Easier
theodp writes "In June, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg blasted 'outrageous press reports' about the PRISM surveillance program, denying that Facebook was ever 'part of any program to give the U.S. or any other government direct access to our servers.' What Zuckerberg didn't mention, and what the press overlooked, is that the USPTO granted Facebook a patent in May for its Automated Writ Response System. Like the NSA-enabling systems described by the NY Times on the same day Zuckerberg cried foul, the patent covers technical methods to more efficiently share the personal data of users with law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in response to lawful government requests via APIs and secured portals installed at company-controlled locations. 'While handing over data in response to a legitimate FISA request is a legal requirement,' the Times noted, 'making it easier for the government to get the information is not, which is why Twitter could decline to do so.'"
'nuf said
Andy Warhol got it right / Everybody gets the limelight
Andy Warhol got it wrong / Fifteen minutes is too long.
... and I am glad I never waste any of my time in fb
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
to avoid F***book.
legitimate FISA request
By their very nature they fail to be legitimate in my eyes.
... and I am glad I never waste any of my time in fb
Indeed - the ony thing more amazing than people putting personal shit up on a public website is people putting personal shit up on a public website that's owned and run by a known sociopath.
Andy Warhol got it right / Everybody gets the limelight
Andy Warhol got it wrong / Fifteen minutes is too long.
... and I am glad I never waste any of my time in fb
Don't worry -- at least half a dozen of your friends are working hard to make sure you are not forgotten (posting and tagging fotos, marking "I know this person from..." questions, etc.)
If Mark Zuckerberg isn't Satan, he is at least a close relative.
I'm old, not dead. Well that's my 2 cents worth, your mileage may vary. I say what I think, not what you want to hear.
As go the teenagers, so goes the industry.
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/10/teenagers-messenger-apps-facebook-exodus
With all this social networking shit, perception is key: once FB is no longer consider cool or the "in-thing", it's fucked. Like Myspace fucked.
If it's automated, it means there's no way a person checked the warrant before giving access.
So whether its legal or not is moot, since Facebook are *trusting* the LEA's claim that its legal, regardless of whether it actually is.
I wonder if Microsoft provides a backdoor portal to Windows PCs? I bet they get far more demands, and they probably would automate it too. I know that telephone companies made telephone tapping automated. A law enforcement officer simply taps something on a screen and can tap any US phone from his desk anywhere in the country. That has the same problem, nobody checks that the court issued warrants limits are complied with, because nobody ever reads it.
Yeah. Before this, no one knew that Mark Zuckerberg was a liar and not to be trusted. I'm sure glad this happened so we could finally see him for what he really is.
Cooperating with the NSA to give unrestricted access to private data (aka PRISM) is completely different to complying with subpoenas. Facebook got a patent on the latter, but not the former as the headline suggests.
If you have a problem with FB giving over your data in response to legal requests then take it up with the agencies making the requests, because Facebook don't get a choice in the matter.
"A week in the lab saves an hour in the library"
Yes, we'd love to be more cooperative, but I'm afraid that we don't have the patent rights ....
Hey, Facebook, make sure that no one else can use these techniques. That's your duty as a patent holder.
At least now we know the real Mark Zuckerberg
This is a surprise to you... ?!
Yes, to me, it was
I have heard of the name of Mark Zuckerberg, I know that kid got brains
But I was not aware that he is such a pathetic liar
Now, at least I, and many others, know
And this also teaches me a lesson --- never assume anything --- I was assuming that a brainy fella like Mark Zuckerberg would appreciate the value of liberty
How wrong I was !
Last, but not least, I need to thank Edward Snowden for starting the ball rolling ... If not for Mr. Snowden, we wouldn't have known so much --- NSA / PRISM / and the latest episode ... Mark Zuckerberg
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
Sorry Facebook, I have prior art on the "automated writ response system", which I wrote 30 years ago:
10 PRINT "Fuck off"
20 GOTO 10
At least now we know the real Mark Zuckerberg ...
We've known the real him for a while now:
Zuck: Yeah so if you ever need info about anyone at Harvard
Zuck: Just ask.
Zuck: I have over 4,000 emails, pictures, addresses, SNS
[Redacted Friend's Name]: What? How'd you manage that one?
Zuck: People just submitted it.
Zuck: I don't know why.
Zuck: They "trust me"
Zuck: Dumb fucks.
http://www.businessinsider.com/well-these-new-zuckerberg-ims-wont-help-facebooks-privacy-problems-2010-5
When information is power, privacy is freedom.
Zuck: Yeah so if you ever need info about anyone at Harvard
Zuck: Just ask.
Zuck: I have over 4,000 emails, pictures, addresses, SNS
[Redacted Friend's Name]: What? How'd you manage that one?
Zuck: People just submitted it.
Zuck: I don't know why.
Zuck: They "trust me"
Zuck: Dumb fucks.
TFA is just evidence of SNAFU: Situation Normal, All Fucked Up.
It doesn't matter. Whatever alternate channel you are using to communicate electronically with friends and family in lieu of Facebook (e-mail, telephone calls, XMPP...), the NSA is vacuuming up that information too. (Sure, for a handful of tech savvy friends you can convince them to use PGP, but that probably flags you as more suspicious, and only the message content is hidden, not who is writing to who.)
Don't worry, you'll never make them realise that they're not the lead character in a conspiracy thriller. Sure there are "conspiracies" (though not exactly very surprising ones given the contents of the PATRIOT act), but most people are boring as hell. Even the ones that think they're interesting.
which is totally what she said
If only it were that simple. Even if you choose not to share any information, your friends can tag you in photos, letting Big Brother know you were in a certain place at a certain time with certain people. Even if you don't use your real name, Facebook has ways of figuring out who you are by picking up on a single slip-up and asking your friends "Is this user's real name X"? Facebook even creates "ghost profiles" for people who don't even sign up for an account, so without you ever giving consent, any interaction you have with those who do have account is logged. The site is a privacy nightmare.
That's not very surprising, Facebook's strong ties to the CIA are well-known. In its early days companies very close to the CIA invested heavily into Facebook and some people likewise close to teh CIA are - or at least were, last time I looked - on Facebook's board of directors.
Zuckerberg is a lying piece of shit, news at 11.
There is a war going on for your mind.
lucky there's ghostery available that stops such tracking.
Try reading my post again. Facebook gathers information about you based on what other people say, even if you choose not to share any information.
The site is a privacy nightmare.
It was a privacy nightmare in the early days. Now it's a privacy bad acid trip.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
i agree totally...and the irony is that the vast majority of users want MORE of this sort of thing on FB, not less!
never bring a twinkie to a food fight.
lucky there's ghostery available that stops such tracking.
IIRC ghostery was acquired by a marketing firm, which should make you at least question the product.
Gosh, thanks. That must be why the other ships call me Meatfucker -- GCU Grey Area (Eccentric)
Solution : don't have friend ;).
Faraway cage?
Gosh, thanks. That must be why the other ships call me Meatfucker -- GCU Grey Area (Eccentric)
Facebook even creates "ghost profiles" for people who don't even sign up for an account, so without you ever giving consent, any interaction you have with those who do have account is logged. The site is a privacy nightmare.
Facebook takes your name, address, phone number and email address from your friends phones using the FB app. Your co-workers too -- you did give HR your 'emergency contact number' right? You can bet those are programmed into a phone contact list so HR can send a group message.
I'm sure you could be jobless and friendless living in a cave, but that's about the only way to avoid it now.
I suggest poisoning the database. Add false contacts to your phone, use one to sign up for store discount cards and fake Gmail/FB accounts. Just one per person is enough to screw up everything they're doing.
Bingo. I never knew that, but teh googs confirms it quickly.
From ghostery web page:
"© 2013 Ghostery, a service of Evidon, Inc."
From google, searching for "Evidon"
"""
Evidon: Home | Online Marketing Intelligence, Web Analytics, Privacy
www.evidon.com/ - Cached - Similar
Evidon grows businesses by delivering new and accurate intelligence on how
the digital marketplace really works.
"""
I'm glad I never got round to trying it out, I was initially tempted.
Also FatPhil on SoylentNews, id 863
most people are boring as hell. Even the ones that think they're interesting.
However, the ones who are interesting tend to be pretty important to society. Guys like MLK, presidential candidates, potential supreme court nominees. Those sorts of people. When the government has access to their private communications it is just too easy to use that access to neuter any people who might challenge the current government.
When information is power, privacy is freedom.