NSA Considers Linux Journal Readers, Tor (And Linux?) Users "Extremists"

New submitter marxmarv writes If you search the web for communications security information, or read online tech publications like Linux Journal or BoingBoing, you might be a terrorist. The German publication Das Erste disclosed a crumb of alleged XKeyScore configuration, with the vague suggestion of more source code to come, showing that Tor directory servers and their users, and as usual the interested and their neighbor's dogs due to overcapture, were flagged for closer monitoring. Linux Journal, whose domain is part of a listed selector, has a few choice words on their coveted award. Would it be irresponsible not to speculate further?

Comments

Re:FreeBSD

[approachingZero]

It was meant to be funny, I'm sure they're watching everyone.

That's nothing

[m.dillon]

In the 80's it was well known that the CIA was monitoring the USENET. Apparently there was a list of keywords that they searched for that became well known, so we used them all the time. We had it on good authority that the CIA had become amused by our antics. It probably relieved the boredom.

-Matt

Re:Know your history

[GameboyRMH]

You forgot about one of the dangerous communists he was tracking, Isaac Asimov.

(TFA in that link is worth a read, or you can read my spoilers)

Re:To a coward...

[Zordak]

There is an old saying: in a democracy, people deserve the government they get.

Actually, the saying is, "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." It was H.L. Mencken who said it.

Re:Not a big surprise

[jenningsthecat]

But the government is intercepting data primarily from open protocols to do the spying. I don't think that closed source had anything to do with that.

That's only because they picked the low-hanging fruit first, and long-ago compromised closed-source with the sometimes-eager help of the companies who sell it.