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Microsoft Tip Leads To Child Porn Arrest In Pennsylvania

Shades of the recent arrest based on child porn images flagged by Google in an email, mrspoonsi writes A tip-off from Microsoft has led to the arrest of a man in Pennsylvania who has been charged with receiving and sharing child abuse images. It flagged the matter after discovering that an image involving a young girl had been allegedly saved to the man's OneDrive cloud storage account. According to court documents, the man was subsequently detected trying to send two illegal pictures via one of Microsoft's live.com email accounts. Police arrested him on 31 July.

235 of 353 comments (clear)

  1. Which company is next in line? by mrspoonsi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Dropbox? Apple iCloud?

    1. Re:Which company is next in line? by thieh · · Score: 1

      Or Amazon? Afterall EC2 is perfect for your hidden service if you are using its other services.

    2. Re:Which company is next in line? by will_die · · Score: 1

      dropbox usage license already allows them to do something like this, so chances they are.

    3. Re:Which company is next in line? by NettiWelho · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Which company is next in line?

      What makes you think they have not been parallel-processed?

      Microsoft's terms and conditions for its US users explicitly state that it has the right to deploy "automated technologies to detect child pornography or abusive behaviour that might harm the system, our customers, or others".

      Now, is it my imagination or does that description cover something like: "Our employees have free access to everyones files so eventually all pics get viewed and tagged. Because think of the children. Terrorism, fire, brimstone and death!".

      TFA says it requires 'fingerprint'. ie. already having whatever theyre looking for archived...

    4. Re:Which company is next in line? by EvilJoker · · Score: 2

      I'm more concerned about where the scans extend from here. It would be relatively trivial to include "scene release" pirated content in a similar hash group, and report it accordingly.

      Even worse would be that Dropbox, Google Drive, etc starts scanning OUTSIDE of their directories, or adding new ones without asking. The only thing really stopping this is a matter of volume - hashing that many files would slow down the system too much, and uploading the hashes would take too long. Neither of these is insurmountable.

    5. Re:Which company is next in line? by Pro923 · · Score: 1

      If they already have it archived, doesn't that make them guilty of possession of child porn?

    6. Re:Which company is next in line? by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'm more concerned about where the scans extend from here. It would be relatively trivial to include "scene release" pirated content in a similar hash group, and report it accordingly.

      I think the real point is that any of these companies could have done this at any time. It isn't so much a matter of "Look! they did something great!" (and they did)... it's more a matter of: look at the shitty privacy intrusion they've committed on hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people, in order to accomplish that one great thing.

      Freedom has a cost. And part of that cost is that some people will get hurt that otherwise might not have been hurt. But it's a cost worth paying, because otherwise millions more pay far more, even if it's only a little bit every day. Eventually that turns into a lot every day. That's not paranoia, that's history. Over and over and over again.

    7. Re:Which company is next in line? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      NCMEC has the collection of actual illegal pictures. They have government permission to have them.

      Everyone else (Microsoft, Google, Facebook, etc) just has the list of hash values. Totally legal for them to have.

      This system has been public knowledge for at least 3 years. Just google NCMEC and follow the links!

      And (since someone always complains) yes, the people running this know what a hash collision is. They are experts with hash functions and image processing.

    8. Re:Which company is next in line? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      hashing that many files would slow down the system too much

      Nope, because they already hash them. It is very common for several people, sometimes dozens or hundreds of people, to store or email the same image, zip file, etc. So to cut down on storage and transmission costs, the images are already hashed, and only stored once.

    9. Re:Which company is next in line? by machineghost · · Score: 1

      Freedom has a cost. And part of that cost is that some people will get hurt that otherwise might not have been hurt. But it's a cost worth paying, because otherwise millions more pay far more, even if it's only a little bit every day. Eventually that turns into a lot every day. That's not paranoia, that's history. Over and over and over again.

      Easier to say when you're not the child getting molested. Which isn't to say you're wrong, but all too often the "FREEEEDOM!!!" crowd misses the very real costs that hurt very real (and very helpless) people. Its not as simple as all freedom all the time, we really do need a healthy balance.

    10. Re:Which company is next in line? by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Easier to say when you're not the child getting molested. Which isn't to say you're wrong, but all too often the "FREEEEDOM!!!" crowd misses the very real costs that hurt very real (and very helpless) people. Its not as simple as all freedom all the time, we really do need a healthy balance.

      But your problem sir, and it is a really big one, is that who gets to decide that balance?

      I worked with a guy who once said. "I don't care if they come into my bedroom and fuck my wife, as long as they keep the country secure". He was willing to give up any semblance of freedom for his "security".

      Fot you see, there are people here, just as intense as the Freedom people you think are missing the point, who would have every aspect of your life intruded upon, mandatory searches, and no privacy whatsoever.

      Thet's their idea of a healthy balance.

      But seriously, storing anything in "the cloud" means that it will be looked at. Whover the fucker is, good for him. There is such a thing as criminal stupidity.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    11. Re:Which company is next in line? by Electricity+Likes+Me · · Score: 1

      Well it's a good thing we have a whole system of government balanced on the idea of not doing whatever 1 guy says. Seriously, the amount of people who call for government protections of something to protect them from the government which they then say they are powerless to influence is ridiculous.

      If it is noteworthy that we can in fact influence policy, then it is also worth noting that there is no obvious slippery slope between hash matching child abuse images sent over services unencrypted, and then prosecuting on other evidence and the idea that suddenly we're going to allow private corporations to get piracy turned into a felony offence with similar inspection powers.

      Welcome to slippery slope fallaciously.

    12. Re:Which company is next in line? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Everyone else (Microsoft, Google, Facebook, etc) just has the list of hash values.

      So just rescale by a pixel or two, maybe change the gamma, and they can't identify them? Great system there, guys.

    13. Re: Which company is next in line? by caveqat101 · · Score: 1

      So in effect they, ms, are the internet judge of porn? The tubes judge of morality? And censor. they didn't guit business, or send themselves to jail for handling the porn. Gee, I thought all communications was needing a court order, to intercept, and determine what is in it. And same with wireless communications. When did it change, and why are we not hearing the otherside of the story. Hate to defend porn, but this is big brother time, and we americans lost another right. Better start opening the gulags.

    14. Re:Which company is next in line? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      They don't hash the raw file itself they construct a specialised hash based on the image content. It breaks the image up into chunks, analyses those chunks and generates a hash from that analysis. The intent being to make it resilient to cropping, scaling and colour changes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PhotoDNA

    15. Re:Which company is next in line? by EvilJoker · · Score: 1

      Don't over think it. People like government when it works for them. People dislike government when it works against them. This is true of everyone, and just about everyone can rationalize their conflicting views.

    16. Re:Which company is next in line? by EvilJoker · · Score: 1

      I meant on the entire (user's) system, not just the selected shared folder, or the server.

    17. Re:Which company is next in line? by GNious · · Score: 1

      Privacy Intrusion?

      I do not know the Terms of Service (ToS) in question here (I don't use MS OneDrive or live.com email), but if the user has agreed to let MS scan emails using automated tools, and later review flagged results using actual humans, then there is no intrusion!

      Yes, the person (...) who got flagged and arrested probably didn't read the ToS, or perhaps didn't understand the implications of it, but that doesn't make MS' actions questionable, or cause them to become "intrusions" - if you've surrendered that part of your privacy to a company (willfully, even if unknowingly), you cannot come back later and say it was intruded upon.

    18. Re:Which company is next in line? by davester666 · · Score: 1

      Doesn't scanning material like this mean they are actively looking at content, which removes DMCA protections [which is basically, if you don't look, you don't know so you aren't responsible]...

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    19. Re:Which company is next in line? by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Who gets to decide that balance? How about the company who's service you're using to store the illegal content. You did read the account agreement, yes?

      You sure took the very narrow view.. It was about the bigger picture, not just cloud storage.

      As for the cloud - sure, I agree about the terms that a person agrees to - and more.

      It's the cloud.

      It's not a private place. Even aside from the "Think of the Chridlan" business, or other criminal matters, just imagine how a competitor of your company would get wood over accessing your company's files stored on some cloud server.

      And that's not typo above. Everyone thinks of the children. Hardly anyone thinks of the Chridlan.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    20. Re:Which company is next in line? by Shoten · · Score: 2

      NCMEC has the collection of actual illegal pictures. They have government permission to have them.

      Everyone else (Microsoft, Google, Facebook, etc) just has the list of hash values. Totally legal for them to have.

      This system has been public knowledge for at least 3 years. Just google NCMEC and follow the links!

      And (since someone always complains) yes, the people running this know what a hash collision is. They are experts with hash functions and image processing.

      Let me give a bit of detail to this. NCMEC has a collection of actual illegal pictures, as do the FBI. This, in turn, can be turned into hash/size tuples...which makes it very, very easy to automate searching for content without 1, needing direct human observation of anything but the content that matches a signature, 2, requiring much work on behalf of Google/Microsoft/Apple/, or 3, actually giving pictures of child pornography to the provider. Essentially, it's trivial to repurpose technologies intended for DMCA patrolling/enforcement to this task, and I'd argue that it's a much better use of those technologies than what we've been seeing currently.

      --

      For your security, this post has been encrypted with ROT-13, twice.
    21. Re:Which company is next in line? by machineghost · · Score: 1

      Again, I nice simplistic response that's very easy to say when you're not the one paying the costs.

    22. Re:Which company is next in line? by Cabriel · · Score: 1

      Now, is it my imagination or does that description cover something like: "Our employees have free access to everyones files

      What part of "Automated" involves employees?

    23. Re: Which company is next in line? by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Microsoft examines hash values to see if any files match hashes of known child pornography pictures provided by others. If it finds any, it tells the proper law enforcement authority. It is up to the law enforcement authority to do something about it, which would normally be to investigate further, since a matching hash on Microsoft storage is not going to be sufficient evidence to convict anybody.

      This means that it isn't a judge of porn or morality, and Microsoft doesn't have to have (and shouldn't have) images of child pornography. This is no reason to think that Microsoft is examining the contents of anybody's cloud or email data (although it doesn't rule out the possibility).

      There has, as far as I know, never been an accepted legal right in the US to have child pornography. I don't see that this violates any possible right other than to have child pornography. This is no more harmful than monitoring electricity consumption to see if somebody might be running a marijuana-growing operation in their basement.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    24. Re: Which company is next in line? by dl_sledding · · Score: 1

      It's not ethical to shoot someone who is drunk and yelling at you.

      FTFY. There's no "probably" about this. The drunk yelling at you has not escalated the encounter to the point where you need to defend your life or anyone else's. You don't have the right to shoot someone unless there's a life in danger, and don't think there won't be repurcussions even if it was completely self-defense. There will be a court appearance if you shoot someone.

      Just because you can do unethical things with a tool doesn't necessarily mean you should get rid of the tool.

      Fully agree with this.

    25. Re:Which company is next in line? by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Short answer: no. This is not actively looking at content, this is matching specific hash values.

      Also, the DMCA safe harbor provisions don't require the host not to look at the files. It's impossible in general to look at a file and determine whether it's a legitimate or illegitimate copy, since the question is whether whoever uploaded it has the right to do so or not.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    26. Re: Which company is next in line? by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 1

      Wrong answer, childless ideologue.

      I and many more like me will tolerate plenty of email scraping if it results in the removal of pedophiles from free society. How much we will tolerate vs. how effective the perv purge is constitutes the thoughtful discussion. But being an ideologue. You don't want to think or discuss, you just want to pontificate and pretend your extreme point of view is the only sensible one because of its "purity."

    27. Re: Which company is next in line? by spire3661 · · Score: 1

      I dont want a 3rd party thinking its ok to raid my digital locker without true cause. I'm sorry you feel that is ideologically impractical. ITs fine, i run my own private cloud anyways, but im still going ot look down my nose at police-state shit like this. P.S. Im not childless.

      --
      Good-bye
    28. Re:Which company is next in line? by Shoten · · Score: 1

      It's also trivial to change the pics slightly (change one pixel from black to white, for instance), and completely change the hash so it doesn't match. Thus matching hashes is... less than useful... against an even moderately smart CP'er.

      Very true...but the point of any technology is never to be a 100%, totally foolproof approach; that is never possible, with anything. And if only one image in a collection is a match, then you have caught the person who owns it; you don't need to match more than that. Human investigation, at that point, will catch the rest. Going one step further, you don't even need to catch every single person...catch one in a group that have some form of relationship to one another, even just online, and you can round the rest up through a combination of digital forensics and plain-old gumshoe investigation. This tactic also doesn't come at the expense of other means of catching people who trade in child porn...it's a net increase in the availability of means to catch such people.

      --

      For your security, this post has been encrypted with ROT-13, twice.
    29. Re:Which company is next in line? by alexo · · Score: 1

      They don't hash the raw file itself they construct a specialised hash based on the image content. It breaks the image up into chunks, analyses those chunks and generates a hash from that analysis. The intent being to make it resilient to cropping, scaling and colour changes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P...

      The geek in me wants to know the algorithm(s) it uses so I can detect similar but not-quite-identical images in a collection. The (free) programs that I tried so far were stumped by cropping or colour changes or both.

    30. Re:Which company is next in line? by Agripa · · Score: 1

      It certainly covers "We search your files based on a list of unlawful content given to use by the government."

      I am sure there is something in their EULA which states that you surrender your 4th Amendment rights so it is all good.

  2. Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend. by Gothmolly · · Score: 1

    It's For The Children!

    --
    I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
  3. Quick, sue /. as these numbers are illegal ! by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

    The demo 1x1 pixel has the color 0xF0B8A0 and contains child pr0n down-sampled.

    What, you thought numbers being illegal was nonsense too?

    1. Re:Quick, sue /. as these numbers are illegal ! by sacrilicious · · Score: 1

      I *knew* I recognized that shade of pink!

      --
      - First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then ???, then profit.
    2. Re:Quick, sue /. as these numbers are illegal ! by gweihir · · Score: 1

      Now that you have posted it here, they will be coming for you! And I think I have to secure-erase a browser-cache....

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  4. In the clear? SRSLY? by Mal-2 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sweet Jesus, if you're going to send things in the clear, you have no idea who might be able to lay eyes on it. This goes for storing things locally -- people have been busted for stored files when they take a machine in for repair as well.

    When in doubt, encrypt. When not in doubt, get in doubt.

    --
    How is the Riemann zeta function like Trump rallies? Both have an endless number of trivial zeros.
    1. Re:In the clear? SRSLY? by Mal-2 · · Score: 2

      Nope, just severely allergic to stupidity. Whether I agree with the law (some parts I do, some I don't), or indulge in that sort of material myself (which I don't) are both irrelevant -- if content you are distributing is likely to cause authorities to intervene if it is noticed, then encrypt that shit. Simple as that. If you are in the habit of moving such content, it's even better to get in the habit of encrypting EVERYTHING so as to obfuscate what is worth attacking and what is not.

      --
      How is the Riemann zeta function like Trump rallies? Both have an endless number of trivial zeros.
    2. Re:In the clear? SRSLY? by thieh · · Score: 1

      On top of that, I am surprised that pedos didn't do anything AFTER Google caught someone. This once again validates the claim that we always underestimate the bounds of stupidity in people.

    3. Re:In the clear? SRSLY? by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

      A lot of online storage knows people store music and movies. So they check if it's a copy of a file they have already, and if so, don't really store your copy but just a pointer to a master copy.

      Google knows lots of child porn (and violent images e.g. accidents) because they pay people to scan their crawler's found images precisely so they can hide them in returned searches. They probably don't keep child porn copies for legal reasons, but would keep some kind of electronic signature of them so they can be auto-recognized by their crawler software. Their humans would hence only need to check "new" pictures.

      MS probably has similar for Bing. Running all their email or cloud picures (for space reduction as described) would trivially let them scan for known child porn. Easy forwarding.

      This does make me nervous because such a system could be easily abused in the future to track political issues, pictures, text blocks people forward around. Of course the NSA probably does this already via normal internet server passthrouh nodes. :(

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    4. Re:In the clear? SRSLY? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      We don't know the nature of these "child porn" files. Might have been fully clothed "jailbait" that the user didn't think was actually illegal, but which the police take a dim view of, for example. These days the police will claim "child porn" in their press releases when it's really more like teens sexting or something.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    5. Re:In the clear? SRSLY? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Police arrested him on 31 July. He did his deed earlier than that. The google stuff was released in August.

    6. Re:In the clear? SRSLY? by someSnarkyBastard · · Score: 1

      Files generally are not encrypted on a one-off basis, instead they are saved within an encrypted "container". This encrypted contain could contain other arbitrary files and will likely use a unique seed value to start encryption, both of which will ensure that you will not be able to find a reproducible file hash for bad images. What you are describing is basically a known-ciphertext attack and is well understood within encryption.

  5. I need therapy by akozakie · · Score: 1

    Seriously, I must not be normal. This is clearly "for the children", there's really nothing morally disputable about this particular case. So, why can't I see it as progress? Why am I worried that it was automatically spotted?

    I need to get my s... straight. Think of the children. Think of the children. The system is good for me. The good guys have nothing to worry about.

  6. I was wondering... by thieh · · Score: 2

    Why aren't these guys encrypting their stuff? I would imagine extra care are to be taken if they think what they are doing can be morally objectionable... And then it hit me that the NSA works like that too. Always blow on the morally objectionable stuff.

    1. Re:I was wondering... by pixelpusher220 · · Score: 2

      because most criminals are stupid...and thank god they are. The authorities are inept enough on their own.

      --
      People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
    2. Re:I was wondering... by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      Why aren't these guys encrypting their stuff?

      Presumably, the ones that encrypt don't get caught and therefore don't make the news.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    3. Re:I was wondering... by amiga3D · · Score: 1

      If you encrypt then they know you're hiding something.

  7. Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by Sonny+Yatsen · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I don't understand the surprise people are experiencing from the revelation that Google and Microsoft scans the stuff you upload to their cloud storage systems.

    You are literally giving them a copy of your files, and generally speaking, you also agreed to allow them to allow them to scan your stuff. Google Drive's terms of service explicitly states that your stuff will be scanned:

    "Our automated systems analyze your content (including emails) to provide you personally relevant product features, such as customized search results, tailored advertising, and spam and malware detection. This analysis occurs as the content is sent, received, and when it is stored. "

    Why would anyone reasonably think that their stuff is somehow private when it's in the cloud?

    --
    My postings are informational and does not constitute legal advice. Act on it at your risk.
    1. Re:Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by michaelmalak · · Score: 1

      You are correct that automated scanning combined with reporting to the government is to be expected in today's political climate. However, you would be incorrect if you asserted that the founding fathers expected the asymmetry where the populace could not similarly examine Lois Lerner's e-mails.

    2. Re:Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by thieh · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The problem usually comes down to that "personally relevant product features, such as customized search results, tailored advertising, and spam and malware detection" didn't include "days in court" nor "jail time" as their catalog of "personally relevant product features".

    3. Re:Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by RobinH · · Score: 5, Interesting

      My significant other deals with teenagers all the time in schools, and it's amazing how many of them get irate when parents/teachers/police start to question them about stuff they posted on Facebook. The content usually comes to light because one of their "friends" have showed the authorities the content, or in some cases the teen actually friends the teacher/police officer. Their typical response is, "that's my private Facebook page!"

      --
      "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." - Mark Twain
    4. Re:Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by Sonny+Yatsen · · Score: 1

      Yes, but the terms of the ToS also generally states that you wouldn't misuse their services. For instance, Google Drive's ToS states:

      "You may use our Services only as permitted by law, including applicable export and re-export control laws and regulations."

      Using Google Drive for child porn obviously violates this clause of the ToS, and once that happens, you are at the mercy of the Cloud provider on the basis of you having agreed to the terms of the Terms of Service.

      --
      My postings are informational and does not constitute legal advice. Act on it at your risk.
    5. Re:Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by nine-times · · Score: 1

      Of course they're scanning it. I would have assumed that they're scanning it for viruses/malware, for the sake of deduplication, and to provide indexing so that I can search it. It's been very public that Google also scans your email in order to serve ads, with the assurance (whether it comforts you or not) that this is all done by machines and Google employees don't see your email.

      However, searching email for the sake of reporting illegal activity to law enforcement is a bit concerning. It seems easy to say, "Well yes, but they're only looking for child pornography," and who wants to defend child pornographers? But it seems valid to me to worry, in this case, about slippery slopes. After all, who would defend terrorists? Who would defend murderers? Who would defend drug dealers? It wouldn't take much of a leap to expect that Google and Microsoft would scan your storage and email for other illegal activities as well.

      To me, the only thing here that makes the slope a lot less slippery is that they're reportedly doing purely automated scans, comparing against a database of illegal images, as opposed to open-ended heuristics attempting to detect anything suspicious. Still, I don't find that completely satisfying. I could imagine China asking Google to report anyone storing/sending images of Tiananmen Square.

    6. Re:Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by turp182 · · Score: 1

      And in turn the cloud services are storing very illegal images. It's just due diligence if you ask me.

      I wonder how much staff they have to review this sort of thing (it would be a terrible job if you ask me, like watching the toilets in Southland Tales - which was awesome when combined with the comic book).

      --
      BlameBillCosby.com
    7. Re:Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by houghi · · Score: 1

      Why would anyone reasonably think that their stuff is somehow private when it's in the cloud?

      We live in a thime where you can ask : Why would anyone reasonably think that their stuff is somehow private?

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
    8. Re:Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by thieh · · Score: 1

      At the point you described it would become the problem "what gives the companies the authority to enforce laws?" Because they didn't say they will scan it for law enforcement purposes, and laws vary by places. So if they operate in a place which restrict free speech and starts scanning, does that imply they should report all those who are violating the speech restrictions?

    9. Re:Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by akozakie · · Score: 1

      This.

      I really do not understand it. How can people (hell, it seems like MOST people) not see that using anything like a storage facility removes any expectation of privacy unless there are clear regulations about that in the agreement? In real, physical world this is so obvious. Earlier you could count on laziness and scalability problems, but hey - automation!

      I believe that the problem is we simply did not have the time yet to adapt to the thought that over less than a single generation processing went from a very costly activity to cheap routine stuff. We just didn't adapt to the growth of FLOPS/$ rate. For most of our history it was ok to do whatever you like, as long as you can keep it relatively quiet and don't make enemies. In the XX century we learned that anything can get you in deep trouble, but since the hunters are only human and limited, you'd need to provoke them somehow. Low profile can save your... rear parts. When will we realize that it's no longer true? It is more or less possible to process and analyse more or less everything now. Still costly, but possible. And the only change we can expect is growing accuracy (both FP and FN reduction) and deeper analysis. A police state was never that cheap.

      No, whatever you were thinking about, it's not private. More and more the only thing that is private will be your own thoughts. But I guess that will change before 2100 as well...

    10. Re:Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      To me, the only thing here that makes the slope a lot less slippery is that they're reportedly doing purely automated scans, comparing against a database of illegal images, as opposed to open-ended heuristics attempting to detect anything suspicious.

      That's a distinction without a difference.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    11. Re:Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by kwbauer · · Score: 1

      IOW, you don't have a problem with people knowing you are an idiot, you just don't want to be confronted about it and possibly have to admit that you are an idiot.

    12. Re:Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      "At the point you described it would become the problem "what gives the companies the authority to enforce laws?""

      You don't seem to understand. They turned the info over to law enforcement, who enforce the laws. M$ isn't enforcing any laws. They are following them. If you know someone possesses child porn and you don't report it, you are an accessory. So M$ wasn't enforcing the law, they were following the law. I am no M$ fan, but in this case the enemy of my enemy is my ... well they're still my enemy, but at least they did something right for a change.

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
    13. Re:Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by Reason58 · · Score: 1

      Teens lie all the time. Everything you said is based on a horrible premise.

    14. Re:Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      It's an automated scan for things known to be illegal. It is not a scan for things that might be illegal. No human intervention is required, and no judgment. This technique cannot be applied to search for terrorists, or murderers, or drug dealers, or Methodists, since none of these types deal in specific images that are known to be illegal. It could apply to the iconic images of Tianamen Square, if China were to provide the hash values, but there's a lot more oppressive things the Chinese government can do.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    15. Re:Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by nine-times · · Score: 1

      Yes, that's what I was saying in my last paragraph. "To me, the only thing here that makes the slope a lot less slippery is that they're reportedly doing purely automated scans, comparing against a database of illegal images, as opposed to open-ended heuristics attempting to detect anything suspicious."

      Whenever you can draw a real distinction, it makes the slippery slope less slippery. So the big difference here is that, presumably as part of their scans for viruses and other things, their scans have signatures for files that are unambiguously illegal to posses. They're not scanning in an open-ended way for files that kind of maybe might imply a crime. In fact, I believe there are specific rules for child pornography that make it very clear: if you find/detect child pornography, you are required to report it to certain authorities.

      So ok, that makes this thing significantly less worrisome. But in my comment about Tiananmen Square, I was pointing out that this distinction doesn't completely remove the slipperiness, since when you say "it's ok for them to scan for and report files that are unambiguously illegal to posses," it leaves open the possibility for the government to make other material illegal to possess.

    16. Re:Why wouldn't you think they are scanning? by redlemming · · Score: 1

      My significant other deals with teenagers all the time in schools, and it's amazing how many of them get irate when parents/teachers/police start to question them about stuff they posted on Facebook... Their typical response is, "that's my private Facebook page!"

      It's not only teens that can have an expectation of privacy in public places. Most human beings do. For example, everybody "uses the facilities" that nature provides when hiking on public lands, which are, by definition, public.

      There can also be an expectation of privacy in a crowd, simply through anonymity, particularly when there is no obvious surveillance equipment in use. Is that not what we ultimately rely on when posting to Slashdot, even as AC?

      Perhaps the problem here does not involve unreasonable expectations with respect to privacy, but rather unreasonable standards of when privacy can be violated.

  8. What next? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    What other illegal activity will they be watching for?

  9. Drip. Drip. Drip. by runeghost · · Score: 2

    This is the sound of the panoptic, dystopian police state coming. Good luck everyone!

  10. Hold on to your DVD backups by iamacat · · Score: 4, Insightful

    We all know what kind files they will scan for next. Because MPAA/RIAA are way more important than children!

    1. Re:Hold on to your DVD backups by mi · · Score: 1

      Because MPAA/RIAA are way more important than children!

      A remarkably stupid statement. And with an exclamation mark too!

      Google and others are doing this for two reasons

      1. Genuine and sincere disapproval of child pornography, which remains one of the very few things, that are still considered wrong by (almost) everybody;
      2. Fear of bad publicity, which would surely ensue, when a CP-ring is discovered by other means later and the mail-providers get asked the uncomfortable questions over why they've tolerated it despite having the technology to do exactly, what they are doing now.

      Neither consideration is applicable to the plight of content-creators. Unfortunately...

      --
      In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    2. Re:Hold on to your DVD backups by kwbauer · · Score: 1

      "that are still considered wrong by (almost) everybody;"

      except on /. where it seems that most (according to the comments on this post) are very tolerant of it. Kind of a sad statement about this place.

    3. Re:Hold on to your DVD backups by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Suppose you were to scan my Dropbox files. You would find material that's copyrighted by other people, and you would not find a license in those files. That doesn't change the fact that I had a right to put those files there. There are no files that are inherently illegal due to copyright. The exact same file in the exact same storage system can be both legal and illegal.

      This sort of scan searches only for specific images known to be illegal, and doesn't apply to MAFIAA-type searches.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  11. Microsoft's child porn collection by BradMajors · · Score: 5, Funny

    In order to successfully perform these matches, Microsoft likely has one of the world's largest collection of child porn.

    1. Re:Microsoft's child porn collection by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      In order to successfully perform these matches, Microsoft likely has one of the world's largest collection of child porn.

      Actually, no.

      They get a big list of file hashes from the National Center for Exploited Children or something, and it's implemented as part of the file scan. All that happens is they check file hashes and if it matches, then they do more in-depth analysis (is it an image file? etc).

      Which begs the question on the general stupidity since hashes are so trivially easy to change and it's extremely easy to obfuscate (just zip it up with a password).

      People are lazy. Even ones who really know that what they do isn't really appreciated by the general population and really ought to try to cover their tracks... and don't.

    2. Re:Microsoft's child porn collection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      More likely a large collection of hashes.

      so much drugs... send the cops to seize all that hash!

    3. Re:Microsoft's child porn collection by DrXym · · Score: 1
      Not necessarily. The FBI could have supplied Google & Microsoft with a long list of md5 / sha1 hashcodes for abuse images which they obtained in raids or forums and these providers have programmed their system to raise a flag whenever they get a hit. Then a human might go in to confirm the match and from there its just a matter of informing the police. It may well be there are other ways of "fingerprinting" an image that are more resilient than a hash code and still useful enough for matching pictures against a known set of bad ones.

      Perhaps it will come out in the trial how the file was identified.

      Anyway it's more proof (if any were needed) why it's an incredibly bad idea to use a cloud service to store anything illegal. At least encrypt the data. Better yet don't put it up there at all.

    4. Re:Microsoft's child porn collection by godel_56 · · Score: 3, Informative

      In order to successfully perform these matches, Microsoft likely has one of the world's largest collection of child porn.

      Actually, no.

      They get a big list of file hashes from the National Center for Exploited Children or something, and it's implemented as part of the file scan. All that happens is they check file hashes and if it matches, then they do more in-depth analysis (is it an image file? etc).

      Which begs the question on the general stupidity since hashes are so trivially easy to change and it's extremely easy to obfuscate (just zip it up with a password).

      People are lazy. Even ones who really know that what they do isn't really appreciated by the general population and really ought to try to cover their tracks... and don't.

      Nope, from the TFA they process the image to derive a signature which can survive things like resizing, changing resolution etc. It's not just a simple hash.

    5. Re:Microsoft's child porn collection by nerdonamotorcycle · · Score: 1

      I remember reading about this a while ago, so my memory on this may be somewhat fuzzy.

      As I understand it, there's a fairly large database of checksums (MD5, SHA1, whatever) derived from known CP images that's maintained by law enforcement agencies and supplied to large email and hosting providers like Google, MS, Yahoo, etc., for use in detecting such content. If they get a checksum match, they take action. Apparently there's a small enough pool of commonly-circulated images that that approach works fairly well.

      I think some news agency some years ago interviewed someone at Google whose job it was to review images to see if they were CP or not. People don't last long because they find the work so traumatizing.

    6. Re:Microsoft's child porn collection by robbo · · Score: 1
      --
      So long, and thanks for all the Phish
    7. Re:Microsoft's child porn collection by Etherwalk · · Score: 1

      Nope. Just the hashes.

      Which is all well and good. From what I hear, people who actually have to look at the images to verify them end up having psych problems. When the agencies are doing it right, I think they rotate those agents through counseling on a regular basis. As soon as the image is recognized, hash it so nobody else has to look at it again, store the original bits and if the computer does a bit-for-bit match on the image that should be evidence enough without anybody having to look at it again.

      This. The pictures I've heard described would give me psych problems, too: I would have the immediate urge to hunt down the person taking the photographs and beat them senseless.

  12. Re:Really? by pixelpusher220 · · Score: 1

    My parents of pictures of me that would probably have sent to jail if they took them today

    fuuuuuuck, mine were god damned MOVIES!

    --
    People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
  13. I could make a fortune by GrumpySteen · · Score: 4, Funny

    If only I had a large enough collection of tinfoil hats to sell to all the posters freaking out over this.

    1. Re:I could make a fortune by Holammer · · Score: 1

      It only takes a minute to make your own, besides, the ones you're selling are probably bogus ones developed by the NSA with backdoors for mind reading.

    2. Re:I could make a fortune by Eristone · · Score: 1

      Weird Al already has this covered. :) Even has an instructional video...

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

  14. Why do people even use this garbage? by jeIIomizer · · Score: 2

    This cloud crap is just trash. At least use encryption (not theirs) or something.

    Plus, they caught someone with images that shouldn't be illegal to have to begin with. When is an actual rapist going to be arrested?

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    1. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by Russ1642 · · Score: 1

      Just like with drugs they go after the users, then they turn on the dealers, and then they turn on the producers. Gotta work your way up.

    2. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by jeIIomizer · · Score: 2

      Does not compute. How is having copies of something in any way, shape, or form similar to receiving stolen goods? Someone loses their goods when they're stolen; that's the point.

      This is just government censorship, and pointless government censorship at that; that's something everyone should oppose. None of your useless analogies will convince me otherwise.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    3. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

      Just like with drugs they go after the users

      That works so well!

      Gotta work your way up.

      Going after people looking at/sharing images is morally wrong, so it isn't even a viable option. And that's a non sequitur, anyway.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    4. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

      We punish people for receiving stolen goods, because doing so reduces the demand for stolen goods, and reduces the appeal of stealing them in the first place.

      So that was your point? I care about it because the stolen goods are actually someone else's property. People's actions are their own; if you steal something, that's your fault. If you rape someone, that's your fault. It doesn't matter if you think someone else wanted you to.

      Also, I value fundamental freedoms over safety, so even if I bought into your point, I would still oppose you.

      2. Yes, it's government censorship. Yes, the right to free speech isn't absolute - incitement to riot, libel, etc.

      It should be. I oppose all government censorship.

      3. Since nothing will convince you otherwise, there's no point in continuing this discussion - your beliefs are an article of faith, like those of a New Earth Creationist.

      So you're saying that all of your beliefs could be changed through a mere discussion? Could I convince you that 1 + 1 = 3? To expect me to change my fundamental belief system (that free speech should reign above all) is simply unrealistic, and it has nothing to do with creationism.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    5. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      We punish people for possessing and distributing child pornography because doing so reduces the demand for the creation of child pornography and the sexual abuse that entails.

      [Citation needed].

      Otherwise, for all you know, it could increase the demand because they have to go make it themselves instead of just downloading stuff that already exists.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    6. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by Carnildo · · Score: 1

      You know how they work their way up with drugs? By offering reduced charges/reduced sentences for providing evidence. For example, a drug user will be offered probation/dropped charges for ratting out his dealer, who in turn will have a "possession with intent to distribute" reduced to mere possession for saying who his supplier is, and so on up the line until they find someone big enough to go all-out against.

      The police can't do that with CP. There are no lesser versions of possession, and dropping charges will get a prosecutor crucified by his opponent in the next election.

      --
      "They redundantly repeated themselves over and over again incessantly without end ad infinitum" -- ibid.
    7. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by kwbauer · · Score: 1

      Well, I guess you have a fundamental disagreement with society in general. As in, society has decided that your right to speak your mind does not trump my right to not be lied about (as an example). Society has also agreed that it deems certain images to be so detrimental to society that free speech takes a backseat to them.

      However, if you truly believe that free speech trumps all, you would have to be willing to accept that anyone could follow you around (in public spaces at least) telling everyone how many child porn images you have plastered on your walls and how many 8 year olds you have raped, slaughtered and eaten. You not not complain if someone repeatedly sent emails of all this to your employers. Remember, you said that free speech should reign above all so your only recourse would be to convince others that lies are being told about you. You cannot ask the courts or police to intervene to stop anything as that would be stifling free speech.

      Is that a society you are willing to live in?

    8. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by kwbauer · · Score: 1

      Except society has decided that it is not morally wrong to do that.

    9. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by kwbauer · · Score: 1

      Sure there is. I am unfortunate enough to be acquainted with someone who was caught in possession of such images and he got a pretty lenient deal compared to the maximum penalty.

    10. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

      So the only thing relevant in your live is You and your believes?

      When you're discussing whether or not the TSA, the NSA, etc. should be eliminated, do you not take your own beliefs into account? I can't imagine the point of your statement.

      So, if I get you right some arbitrary " government should not be involved bullshit" is more important than fighting child porn?

      It's not arbitrary. If it is, then your desire to fight child porn is just as arbitrary.

      But really, yes, I consider freedom of speech more important.

      You really believe any "freedom of speech" is above the right to rape, to rape children, to sell pictures of that rape?

      Straw man. We're not talking about rape, but about looking at images, sharing them, or possibly selling them. Don't include rape, because I don't think that's protected.

      Furthermore, nice job on making me think you're a bloodthirsty "for the children" lunatic, like most people in the "for the children" crowd are. You can't stand anyone disagreeing with you, so you resort to telling me to go get killed and call me an "ill pervert" all to defend government censorship. If that "ill pervert" remark was your way of calling me a pedophile or something, then that's simply the guilt by association fallacy; I can oppose censorship of child porn without being a pedophile, just like I can support gay marriage without being gay.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    11. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

      Bandwagon fallacy.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    12. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

      Well, I guess you have a fundamental disagreement with society in general.

      Yes. I disagree with the society of the past that allowed slavery, Jim Crow laws, and a number of other horrible abominations. If you're trying to appeal to society here to defeat me, it's not going to work; popularity does not affect the validity of my arguments.

      However, if you truly believe that free speech trumps all, you would have to be willing to accept that anyone could follow you around (in public spaces at least) telling everyone how many child porn images you have plastered on your walls and how many 8 year olds you have raped, slaughtered and eaten.

      Yes, I would. That's part of free speech. Who does the real harm? People who believe baseless accusations and take against you.

      You not not complain if someone repeatedly sent emails of all this to your employers.

      Wrong. I can *complain*; that's free speech too.

      Is that a society you are willing to live in?

      Yes.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    13. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

      No, I don't think so. Free speech trumps any such 'right.' Copyright is garbage, and so is what you're proposing.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    14. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      Oh, how stupid are you?
      I can stand someone not agreeing ...
      But
      I can not stand that you believe children are less worth than the bubbleing that comes out of your mouth, that is simply a retarded attitude of yours.
      Good day.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    15. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

      I can not stand that you believe children are less worth than the bubbleing that comes out of your mouth, that is simply a retarded attitude of yours.

      Why can you not understand that fundamental rights are more important than the hurt feelings of some children?

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    16. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      Why cant you understand that fundamental rights are more important than 'free speech'?

      Oh, the right that your body is not raped, maimed, harmed, pictures of you are not distributed without your consent is below the right to ... 'free speech' ... sorry you are an retard and I hope you never have children.

      Sorry, little child, when your grandpa raped you, and made the photos he now has posted on "child rape fun sex site" I was busy writing on /. because angel'o'sphere (the idiot) did not graps that posting on sites like /. and "child rape fun sex site" is a fundamental right. Yes I heard your screams. But defending my grandpas right to post what ever picture he takes from a right less child is more important! And yes, ofc my grandpa has the right of free speech to post pictures of you, because you have no right of privacy (hey, little one, you are only a child, when grown up you understand) Oh yes, I suffer with you! I feel so abused that he posted his pictures of you without my consent, as your parent. But that is his right under free speech! To bad he will rape you tomorrow night again, but I have to attend the 'free speech is over everything' meeting of our 'free speech society' ... and I have to think about how I can convince angel'o'sphere that a little bit of child rape, and as we talk about it adult women rape, is quite oki, as long as the free speech privileges of the rapists is honoured! So please, don't cry to much, I will come back home to night late, and I need my sleep. Ofc, you can not complain to anyone, you can not go to the police, you can not go to court. I'm sure your grandpa explained to you: you are just a child, no one will believe you. Your 'speech' will not be heard.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g32NYAKp48A

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    17. Re:Why do people even use this garbage? by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

      Oh, the right that your body is not raped, maimed, harmed

      We've already established that this is not about rape, but about sharing and looking at content.

      pictures of you are not distributed without your consent is below the right to ... 'free speech'

      Indeed it is. Government censorship is wrong.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  15. No you do not by thieh · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is what studying ethics/morality feels like. And this isn't exactly progress, unless you count "progressing to a police state". Many things in life are conflicts of various field of interest, and it is up to the philosophers/activists/lawyers/judges/lobbyists/legislature to figure them out.

    1. Re:No you do not by akozakie · · Score: 1

      Nah, not "to a police state". The difficult part of observing a slippery slope is the admission than "yup, we're mostly there". Otherwise you'll just lie to yourself until you're not just at the end of the slope, but anchored, settled and playing solitaire with a full family there.

      That's the problem with highly emotional subjects (like pedophilia). You need to conciously limit your emotional response to them, otherwise you will accept as "lesser evil" things that are really a bigger problem.

      Scale is what matters. A single child saved is a huge accomplishment? Hell yes. But even a thousand saved children is still just a tiny fraction of the children out there, while the lost freedom affects everyone - including all those children people think they think about. It's frighteningly difficult to deconnect from emotional response like that, but it is really the only way to limit the effects of manipulation.

      It all boils down to one question - do you trust your government (all levels) to use such abilities wisely and responsibly? Because if you do, this really is good news. If you have any doubt, however...

      And that's the funny thing. The US was literally built on distrust towards the government. That's the general spirit of your entire constitution and most of the amendments. And yet you seem to be one of the countries with the lowest backlash to things like that.

      Moral outrage is a great thing. It's so emotional, so detached from reason, so easy to steer... And so universal. Works with muslims, catholics, hell, even atheists... Just needs a bit of tuning towards the target audience and the standads it accepts. And "think of the children" is gold - works practically everywhere, just adjust the wording.

    2. Re:No you do not by kwbauer · · Score: 1

      You know, that following that logic to its end suggests that having any form of police, courts and even laws is a slippery slope we don't even want to contemplate.

    3. Re:No you do not by mvdwege · · Score: 1

      One fly in your ointment: last I checked Google and Microsoft were not the Government.

      --
      "I know I will be modded down for this": where's the option '-1, Asking for it'?
    4. Re:No you do not by akozakie · · Score: 1

      "Following that logic to the end" is also a slippery slope. Most decisions in life involve balancing incompatible goals. Playing on emotions is a great way to shift that balance, or rather get people to shift it themselves.

    5. Re:No you do not by akozakie · · Score: 1

      One fly in your ointment: last I checked Google and Microsoft were not the ones that actually put people in jail. The government does, that's its role.

      If you trust the government fully, you really don't need to worry about things like that. They will not ask the corporations to do anything wrong, like identifying your political views, applying censorship, etc. Relax, it's just the corporations doing bussiness, probably searching for marketing clues in your data with that little extra functionality, which is good. If you don't want your data searched or at least don't want targeted ads, encrypt, don't use the cloud, or simply look for a cloud service with SLA which explicitly prohibits it (remember - you trust your government, so pacta sunt servanda, especially by corporations, as the government punishes the stronger players harder).

      If you have any doubt about you government, however...The tradeoff becomes much less clear. Sure, in order for law enforcement to actually work, you have to allow some snooping, searching, arrests, etc... But you have to keep it under control and cry foul whenever the power seems to grow too much or is misused. Moving the snooping to corporations makes it unsupervised - the controls in constitutions of most countries are designed to limit the government, not private companies. If you can't trust your government to not use this against the people and to hit the companies hard if they misuse the data they collect, then this is a very worrying development.

      In either case, however, it is incredibly stupid to expect your files in the cloud to be 100% private, unless you actually signed an agreement that explicitely says so and provides huge penalties (and I'd still be suspicious in that case). Not free for the company to share - sure, that's a possibility, but not free to look at? Doubt it. If you want it private, keep it private. Don't put it in the cloud or at least encrypt.

    6. Re:No you do not by mvdwege · · Score: 1

      Blah blah blah Standard Libertarian Dismount blah blah blah

      Dude, you turned a corporation misusing its power to go off on an anti-government rant. Without MS or Google's power, the government couldn't have gotten involved, so please keep your puberal ranting to yourself.

      --
      "I know I will be modded down for this": where's the option '-1, Asking for it'?
    7. Re:No you do not by akozakie · · Score: 1

      Yeah, yeah, I don't like it so it's "standard $FAV_NMY dismount".

      In a healthy system society controls the government and the government controls powerful corporations. In a sick system corporations control the government, both control the society, nobody controls the corporations. Which kind of system seems closer to you?

      Yes, without MS or Google's power the government couldn't have gotten involved. Obviously to you this makes all discussion moot, while I disagree. So it wouldn't get involved this time - too bad, but the alternative is worse.

      It's interesting that you read an opinion on pros and cons of large-scale snooping as an anti-government rant. Shows your objectivity. Of course I had to involve the government - as I wrote previously, ability to trust it is quite crucial to assesment of the consequences of the situation described in the summary. Why would I rant about the US government? It's not mine. Won't put me in jail, unless I move to US, which is not likely (although with the level of cooperation between our governments maybe I'm a bit too optimistic about that).

      I'm deeply sorry I've hurt your priceless views. Very mature of you to blow it off like that. All those great arguments you've presented, wow!

      Think, disagree, try to convince me by showing why. Or think, disagree, ignore. I'm fine with both. But please, keep such empty "I disagree so shut up" to yourself. It's makes you look childish.

    8. Re:No you do not by mvdwege · · Score: 1

      No, I didn't 'read an opinion on pros and cons of large-scale snooping' as an anti-government rant. I read an anti-government rant, which had nothing to do with the topic at hand, namely Microsoft snooping on your mail.

      My exact opinions don't matter, and I don't have to provide a complete essay to tell you that you were off-topic.

      --
      "I know I will be modded down for this": where's the option '-1, Asking for it'?
  16. Re:Phone company. by Russ1642 · · Score: 1

    This would be like a self-storage site that had a drug sniffing dog.

  17. Calm down by DavidCBillen · · Score: 1

    You people will get your internet privacy as soon as that last pedophile racist bomb-plotting terrorist is rotting in prison.

  18. Re:Glad to hear it by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    Possessing images that authorities subjectively deem "disgusting" is illegal there? The US has "I know it when I see it." The fact that such censorship (based on opinions about subjective matters, no less) is allowed in any 'free' countries shows that free countries don't truly exist.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  19. Re:Really? by mythosaz · · Score: 2

    Microsoft (or Google) getting a hit on a flagged image (or on image processing) means that they turn over the results of that hit to LEO.

    If LEO works to arrest you based on that information, then you're subject to the justice system like any other suspected criminal.

    You can argue that the justice system might have an axe to grind against pedo's, and you're probably right, but they're still afforded due process.

    Witch hunts describe looking for things that aren't there - you know, witches. Sick fucks with pictures of exploited children are very, very real.

  20. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So I take it you will allow me to move in to your home and watch your every intimate movement? All in the name of making sure you aren't distributing child porn, of course.

  21. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by preaction · · Score: 2, Insightful

    No, and that is a ludicrous analogy.

    It's more, I should not go into someone else's home, leave my stuff there, and when a legally-dubious thing happens to be in my stuff in their house, I should not expect them to simply let it go (considering that a lot of legally-dubious things have clauses about "conspiracy" and "required to report").

  22. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Hey, pedophiles have serious mental issues and deserve a special place in prison .

    A pedophile is nothing more than a person who is sexually attracted to prepubescent children. Not all pedophiles rape or even look at child porn, and not all child rapists are even necessarily pedophiles.

    Also, why do they need a special place in prison? Why not 'normal' rapists, or murderers? Do they also get special places in prison? If not, then why single out this group? Because mentions of 'the children' cause your irrational brain to malfunction?

    that you report the existence of any of this kind of stuff because of the harm that is caused to the children.

    Voodoo is not real. Voodoo does not exist. Images will not harm people like voodoo dolls. Any 'harm' is caused by their own reaction, assuming that they even see it. But if the mere thought that an image of themselves could be out there is enough to make themselves emotionally unstable, then there is nothing that can be done for them, because censorship is - in practice - futile.

    So in this case, it IS for the children and it's hard to argue with the logic.

    No, it's easy, and that's because there is no logic; just a strong desire for more and more government control over what information is accessible to people.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  23. Hash collision in 3 2 1 ... by wiredlogic · · Score: 2

    One of these days a hash collision will happen on an innocuous file and the jackboots will ruin someone's life over it.

    --
    I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
    1. Re:Hash collision in 3 2 1 ... by wiredlogic · · Score: 1

      It won't fall on any programmer's shoulders. All it requires is a prosecutor, judge, and jury who don't understand technology. None are in short supply.

      --
      I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
    2. Re:Hash collision in 3 2 1 ... by Bite+The+Pillow · · Score: 1

      No. Because

      1) These are not simple hashes, for more read the article. They seem to be able to distinguish images in the same way Shazam can recognise music while ignoring bar or vehicle background noise.

      2) Once flagged, the image would be reviewed before further action is taken. A false positive would not make the news.

      Now it's your turn. How will a hash collision lead to the jackboots ruining someone's life?

    3. Re:Hash collision in 3 2 1 ... by kwbauer · · Score: 1

      Do you actually think that once the hash marks a file that the file is not actually viewed? i know people on /. can be considered, in general, as idiots but, really, this idiotic that it never once crossed your mind that the police, prosecutor, judge and jury might want a bit more evidence than "the corporation said it matched, maybe, but we never bothered to actually check what it was."

    4. Re:Hash collision in 3 2 1 ... by kwbauer · · Score: 1

      because jack-boots

  24. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by Mordok-DestroyerOfWo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Here's a novel idea...let's get the downloaders the mental help that they obviously need and save the torches and pitchforks for the ones that are taking the photos/videos.

    --
    "Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right" - Salvor Hardin
  25. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Your comparison is perfect, assuming you want people searching through your stuff for legally dubious things. The big issue is that this searching could be expanded to catch other, less harmful files. What if they were searching for generic pornography, leaked government documents, or "backups" of programs/media? Surely that isn't something you'd want.

  26. Re:Really? by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    There is a reason that the red scare is described as a witch hunt, so saying that the term "witch hunt" can only be used for imaginary things is simply false.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  27. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by dave562 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The harm is in the production of the images in the first place, not in the viewing of them. The viewing supports the production. Or the production supports the viewing. I am not sure, given that I do not operate in those circles. From what I have read about it, the consensus seems to be that most kiddie porn is produced by family members abusing their younger relatives.

    It can probably be argued that the people making the images would continue to make them even if they did not have an audience to share them with. Even so, there is still some social value in discouraging people from consuming the images. If people are interested in the images, that is a form of social acceptance for those who make the images.

    It is bad enough that people have these demons that they struggle with. It is terrible that they abuse those who are too young to protect themselves and in most cases, do not even realize how wrong the activities are. The last thing that we need as a society is to encourage others to consume the evidence of that abuse.

  28. Oh wow, the commenters in here... by MindPrison · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...was actually much more interesting to read than the actual news, where to start...lets see now:

    - We have a member here who thinks Pedophilia is a disease and think Pedophilia equals abusing children:
    He/she is one of the numerous clueless people out there who have NO idea if this is actually a disease or just like Homosexuality. Arguing with such a person is completely futile, but they'll always be in numbers. It's kind of voting for stupid. (Yes, that was a H2G2 reference).
    - We also have several members here who thinks Pedophiles should be arrested and behind bars just for being Pedophiles, never mind if they committed any crimes.
    - We've got the usual anonymous coward zealots that thinks that if you don't have anything to hide, there is nothing to worry about.
    Wanna bet who's next on tomorrows "sick" list? It can't possibly be you, can it?
    - We've got the next predictable bunch who immediately attacks someone who defends the freedom of the individual, and calls them Pedophiles, because they can't POSSIBLY be normal or straight if they defend Pedophiles, now can they?
    (Who exactly defended who now?) Never mind the actual facts, just as long as you get YOUR hidden agenda across.
    - And then we have those who thinks that images of kids being exploited are okay, just as long as you bust the purps behind the images, and not the users.
    (And who are the users now again? Sick Pedophiles, or nasty voyeuristic perverts that wants to get a kick out of something unthinkable and illegal?) And where do we draw the line? Naked kids? Kids posing sexually, and how do you define that?), family photos available to all? Imagine the number of youtube and imageshack users you'd have to arrest or at least suspect. Who do you trust today?

    I'll let you in on a little secret of mine, for years I've been working undercover together with a police agent who is a close friend of mine to uncover several secret child-abuse rings in various countries - trust me when I say...this is the WORST JOB IN THE WORLD. I got into it because some family members of mine was abused, and I thought I'd use my skills for something good. Over time I learned that albeit we DID get a lot of these rings busted, we also ruined several families lives, destroyed childhoods because the law and common sense doesn't mix at all.

    Everyone sees red when it comes to Child Abuse, and rightly so - but it is important...no...VITAL for progress that we somewhat keep our heads above water here and try to think rationally. It is NOT rational to point fingers at everyone who wants anonymity as a suspect of anything, it is NOT rational to call every Pedophile a CHILD ABUSER, it is NOT rational to think that if your opinion differs from the stupid masses...that you are in LEAGUE with ANYONE who happens to NOT fit your OPINION today (eg. those who want to HELP PEDOPHILES - are NOT nessesarily Pedophiles themselves, but a lot of the angry mob especially in here seem to think so).

    I get upset by this, because I think of Mr. Allan Turing, who was just recently pardoned by the British for the grave injustice brought upon him just for having a sexual preference he might not even have ANY control over (we're not talking urges and constraint here, we're talking sexual PREFERENCES).

    I do NOT want a society that becomes totalitarian where every deviant of nature becomes a freak to be hung, burned and ridiculed for just being different. I see YOUR mind as a private thing, just like your diary as a private thing. What you THINK of or FANTASIZE of is YOUR BUSINESS ONLY, and NO ONE ELSE.
    And there is nothing that gets me fired up more than someone using child abuse in ever shape and form, fantasy or drawn, real or not - to excuse severe abuse of human rights, to pry into our daily lives with the law in hand...and with a lot of supporters that mean well...but really have NO CLUE of the REAL danger they're actually putting themselves in by supporting this ludicrous development.

    Wake up and smell the coffee, people!

    --
    What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
    1. Re:Oh wow, the commenters in here... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I live in the UK, which is a country that is genocidal* (deny it as much as you want, people, it won't stop being true) when it comes to people who're accused of being pedophiles, hebephiles, child pornographers or child molesters.

      It doesn't matter if the person is innocent or not; once they're accused, they will wind up being murdered. Example: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10409326/Man-accused-of-being-paedophile-and-murdered-for-photographing-garden-vandals.html

      Unlike most people, I can actually tell the difference between a pedophile, hebephile, child pornographer and child molester. The British public *really* need to stop perpetuating the former as the latters. Especially when it isn't a crime to be a pedophile. Otherwise, it would be a crime to be a misanthrope or a sociopath.

      I have no issue with people who have an attraction to children as long as it stays just that. An attraction. The moment they molest a child then, yes, they deserve to be punished to the full extent of the law. (And I mean law, not vigilante justice.)

      I'm sexually attracted to anime characters, myself. And that does include loli.

      However, I can like lolicon and find child abuse abhorrant in the same way I can kill people in video games and find murder utterly reprehensible.

      I do feel that possession should be legal though, but that's only incase you accidentally download some obscure file on rapidshare or something, and want to report it to the authorities. Or if someone plants it on your computer. (Which happened to a law student in Sweden with Sub7 iirc.)

      * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocide#Stages_of_genocide.2C_influences_leading_to_genocide.2C_and_efforts_to_prevent_it

    2. Re:Oh wow, the commenters in here... by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Where I live, it would be perfectly legal for me to find a sixteen-year-old girl and, provided she consents, have all sorts of wild sex with her. However, if I took pictures, they'd be illegal.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  29. Nude kids by reikae · · Score: 1

    What about pictures of one's baby or young kid nude, is it illegal to send such images to the kids grandparents for example? It can be very hard to tell from just a picture whether abuse took place or not. Sometimes it's clear, and I hope the victims get all the help they need. But in other cases, would these automated systems mark the images as "child abuse" and get the parents in trouble? The topic is so heated that even slight suspicions can lead to big problems.

    1. Re:Nude kids by gweihir · · Score: 1

      Better not do it. Even if you are acquitted a few years later, your life will be ruined.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  30. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The harm is in the production of the images in the first place

    I agree 100%.

    The viewing supports the production.

    People's actions are their own. If the rapists rape, then it is their fault for raping, whether or not they're doing it for a profit or because they want others to see the videos or images. Going after people who merely look at the content is blaming them for other people's actions, and I don't condone that.

    But even if that were true, I'm 100% opposed to government censorship, even if it keeps people 'safe.' So no such arguments will work on me.

    The last thing that we need as a society is to encourage others to consume the evidence of that abuse.

    The last thing we need is censorship.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  31. If Hashes are what they are scanning... by thieh · · Score: 1

    I would imagine a potential way of exploiting it would be to randomly modify one of the bits in one or more pixels of the image, and make enough copies of them so we are in the hash collision territories. Especially if you are passing these things through email as opposed to P2P, but I think it is doable in P2P as well.

  32. Re:Phone company. by thieh · · Score: 1

    If you are a rich cartel who needs such spaces, before you use the service, sneak in and get a lot of cheap drugs and powder spray them all over the places so the next time the dog went by they have to search everything. do this everyday for a few weeks and people will stop responding to these things.

  33. Re:Really? by Torodung · · Score: 1

    I always thought of "witch hunt" not as referring to the actual pursuit of those engaged in witchcraft (which is not imaginary, btw, only the idea that it works is imaginary, IMHO), but rather as referring to the drive to utterly crucify the subject of the hunt. BURN THEM, do not treat them as a human being, subject them to cruel and unusual punishment.

    YMMV.

  34. Re:Glad to hear it by mrspoonsi · · Score: 1

    From the article "possessing an extreme pornographic image likely to cause injury", this could apply to many BDSM images. Seems odd that...given that taking part in a Sunday sporting activity, might 'likely cause an injury', mountain biking, football, etc, I not see the police locking up these dare-devils.

  35. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by bobbied · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I'd add the distribution folks added to someplace in between "locked away for life to be Bubba's princess" and "go see a shrink" but I'm not going to argue with your approach. In any case, this stuff needs to be dealt with in a pretty harsh way and get those who are disposed to harm children off the streets. To me that means that we need to be taking a close look at the dude (or dudete) caught downloading this stuff, because if you are getting your jollies from it, it's a short distance from looking to doing, and doing to taking pictures.

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  36. Clippy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    It looks like you are trying to download child abuse images. Would you like me to help direct you to a seat over there?

  37. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by Bob9113 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The viewing supports the production. Or the production supports the viewing. I am not sure,

    Well, let me clear it up for you, since it's a pretty simple one-way cause and effect: Production supports viewing. Viewing, in and of itself, does exactly nothing to support anything else.

    Purchasing? That could support production. Page views on a site that runs ads? That could support production. Pulling from a site that keeps a record of the number of downloads, such that the uploader gets some kind of gratification watching the counter go up? That could support production.

    But viewing, in itself, does not support production.

    The last thing that we need as a society is to encourage others to consume the evidence of that abuse.

    Encourage them? How are we as a society encouraging the viewers? I'm pretty sure it is common knowledge that we, the vast majority of society, find this behavior repugnant. I don't think they sit in their greasy basements thinking how proud their city council would be if they only knew.

  38. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by dave562 · · Score: 1

    I am willing to agree that blanket censorship is a bad thing.

    How can you be opposed to the censorship of child pornography? Please avoid the slippery slope argument. That one has been played out.

  39. Re: Trust the Computer. The Computer is your frien by AvitarX · · Score: 1

    No, that's a different term.

    And your assumption that civilization comes from allowing basest nature to happen is I think pretty much the opposite of what civilization means.

    --
    Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
  40. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    How can you be opposed to the censorship of child pornography?

    Because I am opposed to government censorship. I do not believe that censoring something merely because people don't like it, or because you think it influences others in 'bad' ways (in this case, people say it influences people to make more) is okay. It's too subjective for me. But again, I oppose all censorship.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  41. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Has censorship of child porn had any measurable effect on its production?

    (honestly curious here)

  42. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by dave562 · · Score: 1

    Let's use an extreme example here. Someone rapes your mom and takes pictures and posts them on the internet. Would you be opposed to allowing your mother to issue a DMCA take down notice? That is censorship.

    Following your logic as I think you are laying it out, you would have to be opposed to that too. After all, rape is bad and we are not necessarily condoning rape. We are simply looking at images of something that has already happened. We are not profiting from them. The rapist is not profiting from them. The victim is already victimized and will not be un-victimized. So censorship is abhorrent and therefore raped mom on the internet is okay. Right?

  43. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by bobbied · · Score: 2

    The last thing we need is censorship.

    No, we need "censorship". There are just some thing which legally must be limited in any society, even a free one like ours. You cannot legally incite riots, yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater and stuff like that.

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  44. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by rogoshen1 · · Score: 1

    No, distributing media through private channels only has a negative impact on Hollywood -- in all other venues it's a net benefit to the producers.

  45. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by rogoshen1 · · Score: 1

    God dammit, you must be on the board of every PTA throughout the country. That kind of reasoning is trotted out for every single mommism in existence. Pot as a gateway drug, video games and violence et al.

    Unless you're an exquisite troll and that went right over my head, in which case -- congrats.

  46. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by bobbied · · Score: 1

    Have you ever considered that all the discussions in the PTA meetings might have at least SOME truth? After all, a lot of people seem to think the same way.

    There I go trolling myself...

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  47. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by ewibble · · Score: 1

    That maybe true, but the opposite maybe also be true, if you keep talking about it saying how bad it is, it may encourage people to do it as well.

    What ever you do don't push that button, you may not have even thought about pushing that button, but the moment someone tells you not to, you want to.

    I don't know how much each effect influences us, I would love to see some studies on adults of reverse physiology adults. I know it works very well in children.

  48. liability? by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    So now that these companies fully admit of scanning content and analyzing the results with express reasons to 'police' their users, does this mean they are now liable if they let *any* illegal content thru?

    Also, today its child porn, but what about tomorrow? 'hate' discussions? hacking discussions? warez ? political dissent?

    Easy answer is encrypting before you use the services, but this is a much larger issue with long term ramifications...

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  49. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    except we don't arrest people for photos of any other type of crime scene. those rape photos couldn't be stopped. how would the DMCA even apply?

  50. Oh,for chrissake by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

    If you store anything on a cloud server, it will be looked at. Whether it is for kiddie porn, possible IP infringement, passwords, or just useful business information for competitors, it will be looked at.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  51. I hate when they go for the lowest hanging fruit by Jharish · · Score: 1

    The big deal here is that we've blown the crime of child porn out of proportion. Thanks to American minimum sentencing laws, anyone caught LOOKING at child porn will be put away for longer than if they murdered the child. You'd have to murder multiple people to get put away longer than someone who is caught MAKING child porn.

    Also, open note to Google, MS and everyone else thinking they can get press on this. Please IMPRESS me by showing off something way more drastic like stopping a gang murder or preventing a terrorist attack. Those guys are violent and hard to go after and tend to like vengeance which makes it much more impressive than snagging some nerdy child porn consumer.

    Also, as someone who was subjected to the kinds of child abuse these films portray, being molested as a child hasn't destroyed my life or caused deep damage. I'm extremely happy with how things turned out and the only thing is that I'm a bit more kinky than average because I have 10-15 more years of sexual experience than most people thanks to getting started around the age of 3.

    In no way am I advocating it, but we should seriously consider why we think murder isn't as important as possessing child porn?

  52. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by fractoid · · Score: 1

    The victim is already victimized and will not be un-victimized.

    The victim continues to be victimised for as long as the images are public, because they will continue to be confronted with the images (causing them to relive the trauma) and because anyone they meet has potentially seen the images and will treat them differently because of it.

    --
    Rampant carbon sequestration destroyed the Dinosaurs' tropical paradise. I'm here to help repair the damage.
  53. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by Electricity+Likes+Me · · Score: 1

    This has nothing to do with influencing people. This has to do with the real children who are harmed making them. It is noteworthy that the supreme court ruled recently that depictions of child pornography which are simulations - i.e. computer generated images - are not illegal to have.

  54. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    There's quite a few Scientologists too, doesn't validate their world view.

  55. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    ...it IS for the children and it's hard to argue with the logic.

    No, it's not. You use the words, "vile", "nut cases", "sickness", "special place in prison". All those are emotional words, not logic.

    I'll agree that anyone being sexually assaulted and/or raped is bad, child or not. But what if it didn't have to happen at all? For lack of time to find a better article, Wikipedia states, "Some studies... conclude the liberalization of pornography in society may be associated with decreased rape and sexual violence rates." So by banning CP images, a child that might not have been abused, gets abused. Is that really helping the children?

    "But what about the children featured in those pictures!", you scream. "They are shamed every time someone views one of them." I can't find the reference, but I have heard that more than a few of the CP pictures are of children who are now dead. Fine, let's limit legal CP to them then. After all, how much shame can a dead person feel? What, if anything, can a dead person feel?

    "Some studies show just the opposite of the quote you cherry picked" you respond. Yes, some studies it makes it worse, some say it makes it better, and some find no effect at all. Ignoring two sets of evidence that contradict you're chosen point of view is not logic, but emotion. The most important thing here is: THERE IS NO CONCENSUS. One could logically conclude, therefore, that there is no benefit or disadvanatage to the viewing of CP and banning it is a waste of time, money, and most importantly, rights.

    As for the production, I've always wondered if the damage to the children is more psychosomatic than real overall. I was taught this about surviving violence: First are told you are damaged, then you believe you are damaged, then you become damaged.

    Finally, I leave you with this quote: The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all. -- H. L. Mencken

  56. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by amiga3D · · Score: 1

    You know, there is an exception to everything. You can't legally scream "FIRE" in a crowded public place as a joke. That's because the possible harm outweighs the harm of censorship. Even though you obviously disagree, the public, for it's own protection has decreed child porn images illegal. This censorship is held to be in the best interest of society. My own political leanings border on anarchy but in this I have to support censorship as well. To allow publishing of this kind of material is worse than censorship.

  57. foil "how to" video... Re:I could make a fortune by Fubari · · Score: 1
    I'll just leave this here...
    foil "how to" video

    If only I had a large enough collection of tinfoil hats to sell to all the posters freaking out over this.

  58. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by gweihir · · Score: 2

    It is actually not for the children. It is a crusade against pixels. The harm to the children has already be done, often decades earlier. As to people that pay for this stuff, it seems there are almost none. Scanning like this is also quite cheap and produces a lot of "perpetrators" that may never have touched a child. It can easily be adapted to scan for other stuff, like political opinions and the like, once such a system is in place.

    There is also the little problem that much of this material does not actually get crated by abusing children. Drawings and pictures taken by teens of themselves for "sexting" are an example.

    If this really was about the children, they would care about who abuses children and about rescuing them. Since practically non of the child abuse happening will end up on the Internet (because it does not get photographed/videoed in the first place), this is not even try to help children. Actually helping children would be expensive, slow, and difficult, while what they are doing is cheap and ensures "success". And if you look at what they do with said teens taking pictures of themselves, that amounts to legalized child abuse. Suddenly the children find themselves tried as adults and branded for life. If this really was about protecting children, this whole witch-hunt would not be taking place and a whole different approach would be used.

    No, nobody involved, except the gullible public, does care about children. It is a power-grab, a way to create an artificial, mysterious "enemy" to keep the people in fear and to justify ubiquitous surveillance. Just like the "terrorism" meme, and people still fall for that tired old lie.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  59. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by gweihir · · Score: 1

    Actually, there is good reason to believe that most (practically almost all) child abuse does not get documented and hence does not get published on the Internet. The harm to children is when they get abused, pictures are immaterial to that. Yet the "authorities" focus entirely on this tiny fraction of abuse that gets documented and seem to be much, much more intent in suppressing the documentation instead of finding out who got abused and who did it in order to stop it. And they seem to be doing basically nothing about children getting abused without it getting documented.

    And then there is the little problem that people are sent to prison for decades because they had pictures that were not actually produced by abusing children, like drawings and teenagers sexting each other.

    These two things show clearly that this is not about protecting children at all. That is just what the gullible public is meant to believe. This is about establishing pervasive online surveillance. "Child pornography" gets trotted out whenever "terrorists" are not doing it anymore. Of course, once these systems are established and working well, their use will expand. It always does.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  60. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by gweihir · · Score: 2

    The problem is that once you have a censorship system in place, it will see a huge expansion of its mission pretty soon. Whenever a "web block-list for child porn" leaks, the few people brave enough to verify it find that many, often the majority of entries actually, do not concern child porn. That is absolute no surprise to any student of history or human nature.

    So, as soon as you allow some censorship, you basically will have it all a few years later. And that is exactly what is being done here: Justify it with "child porn" and "terrorism", and then, when the public has accepted and used that (after all, who could be against "protecting children" or "fighting terrorists") the mission quietly expands. Also note that it is easy to turn people into "child porn owners" and "terrorists" by faking evidence and placing it on their computers. Once such arrests have become common enough, nobody will care about those that claim they are being framed. The first case with somebody having had child porn maliciously placed on their computer is already almost a decade old. Too the person years to clear his name.

    Also have you wondered why they are parading two cases in front of the press and one from Google and one from MS? That is not plausible at all. They must have found at least a few thousand people doing this. I bet these two cases were selected for maximum effect, with the perpetrators selected to be the least likely to get any sympathy. They are likely also people that do not have the means to defend themselves effectively and that are stupid and likely to admit what they did. I bet they were even selected to look untrustworthy when their pictures make it to the press. This is a very carefully orchestrated PR stunt, and it has absolutely nothing to do with children.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  61. Re:Vague by gweihir · · Score: 1

    For example, it could be a Lisa Simpson drawing. That can already get you put away for decades.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  62. *cough* Bullshit *cough* by s.petry · · Score: 1

    Google and Microsoft are going through your private data because of power and control. They also receive Government incentives to do so, so gain cash as a side effect. Any claim of altruism is either a delusional fantasy or sock puppetry.

    Just as I said about Google doing the same thing the other day, Microsoft is WRONG to do this. They are not a Law enforcement agency and have no right to read through customer data on their own accord. With a warrant from a court, different story, because that is the legal process. Further, it should not be a company/corporation reading through the data but law enforcement agents. This would help to ensure that evidence is handled properly.

    A point to consider is that it has become trivial to inject files into your computer without your knowledge. With all of the back doors we know about, reports like this should be raising all kinds of alarms.

    I'll warn you before you reply to save the "save the children" fallacies. I am willing to bet I have more knowledge than you in rhetoric.

    --

    -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    1. Re:*cough* Bullshit *cough* by mi · · Score: 1

      They are not a Law enforcement agency and have no right to read through customer data on their own accord.

      Are you aware of a law prohibiting it? I am not, but IANAL... Without such a law, their access to the subscribers' email is controlled only by their own Terms of Service. Which are, of course, subject to change at their discretion.

      --
      In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    2. Re:*cough* Bullshit *cough* by s.petry · · Score: 1

      IANAL, but I know enough that if third party is in the custody chain of evidence the evidence becomes inadmissible in court. Someone gave a good example in the Google discussion. Paraphrased: Your landlord with keys to your apartment, calls the cops and claims he found drugs in your apartment, opens the door for the cops and shows them where the drugs are. That will not hold up alone in court to convict anyone for having drugs. Even if the person had the drugs and the landlord did not plant them, the person charged has plausible deniability (sp?).

      Whether Google or Microsoft have a EULA that claims they can snoop through your data as often as they want is not relevant. A jury must not have any reasonable doubt when issuing a verdict. The landlord with keys introduces doubt, so charges should never stick and cases should simply be tossed out by judges (and often are).

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    3. Re:*cough* Bullshit *cough* by mi · · Score: 1

      if third party is in the custody chain of evidence the evidence becomes inadmissible in court

      I see, that's good to know. However, in these cases, the third party-provided evidence was used not in court, but to get a warrant to search elsewhere.

      Your landlord with keys to your apartment, calls the cops and claims he found drugs in your apartment, opens the door for the cops and shows them where the drugs are.

      That's right. However, if the cops use the landlord's testimony to get a warrant to search your office — and find drugs there — then that would be perfectly admissible evidence...

      Whether Google or Microsoft have a EULA that claims they can snoop through your data as often as they want is not relevant.

      Well, it is relevant to your earlier claim: "They are not a Law enforcement agency and have no right to read through customer data on their own accord". I suspect, they do have such a right — even if the results of their "reading through" are not usable at a trial.

      --
      In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    4. Re:*cough* Bullshit *cough* by s.petry · · Score: 1

      Excellent points, and thanks for the courteous dialogue that is often lacking here!! I'm going to re-arrange your comments a bit, no offense intended.

      That's right. However, if the cops use the landlord's testimony to get a warrant to search your office — and find drugs there — then that would be perfectly admissible evidence...

      As mentioned, I am not a lawyer, so it's possible that a judge would provide a warrant on something like this. I find it doubtful however, because there is a single source making a claim.

      Law enforcement should surely investigate, but unless there is something life threatening a judge would be foolish to give a warrant for here-say accusation. Obviously a kidnapping (as well as other crimes) may impel a judge to issue a warrant without an investigation, but those circumstances are certainly rare because they may not hold up in court as Constitutional.

      This is how things normally work in Law enforcement. Someone reports a crime, police begin to investigate, if something is found the suspect is apprehended and arrested.

      The last was not to be sarcastic, I realize this is common knowledge and you are most likely well aware of how things should work. The point is to emphasize that if they went from "report" directly to "arrested" we would have a tremendous amount of innocent people in jail (much more than we currently do). Skipping those two center steps appears to be what Microsoft did, and _is_ what Google did.

      I see, that's good to know. However, in these cases, the third party-provided evidence was used not in court, but to get a warrant to search elsewhere.

      Well, it is relevant to your earlier claim: "They are not a Law enforcement agency and have no right to read through customer data on their own accord". I suspect, they do have such a right — even if the results of their "reading through" are not usable at a trial.

      The second quote goes to your first. I have not thoroughly investigated how things were handled, so could easily be confusing the Google case with the Microsoft case. If this was only an "investigation" resulting from evidence it would not meet the headline, but surely is plausible. I'll need to read more on these proceedings because there is surely a mismatch between your statement and the headline. No offense intended to you or the reporting agency in TFA, but I have to see actual court records. Misinterpretation is extremely common, and in fairness it's often unintentional.

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    5. Re:*cough* Bullshit *cough* by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Which is one reason why the prosecutor will not depend soley on Microsoft's or Google's report as evidence. Such a report can be enough for further investigation, and eventually, if justified, a search warrant. That's where the evidence for conviction will come from.

      I suspect that Google and Microsoft have terms of service that require their free services to be used according to the law, and that they manage to keep the right to do at least some examination to help ensure that.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    6. Re:*cough* Bullshit *cough* by mi · · Score: 1

      Law enforcement should surely investigate, but unless there is something life threatening a judge would be foolish to give a warrant for here-say accusation.

      The requirements for a issuing a warrant are much less stringent, than for a court conviction — they have to be. A warrant is issued over a mere probable cause, whereas a conviction requires "beyond reasonable doubt". In other words, while hearsay is not enough for a trial, the term does not even apply in a non-court setting. Consider the circumstances: whereas your landlord may have planted the drugs in your bedroom to get rid of an inconvenient tenant, there is no incentive for Google (or Microsoft) to falsely implicate one of their users, so if they do report them to police anyway, it is probable, there is something behind the accusation.

      But in either case — be it landlord or e-mail service provider — a judge may issue a warrant if he agrees with the police, that probable cause exists, even if they all remain reasonably doubtful.

      Obviously a kidnapping (as well as other crimes)

      For better or worse, it is generally agreed in this country (and most others), that child pornography is both as vile and urgent, as anything else you can think of.

      issue a warrant without an investigation

      In the US "investigation" is not something the judge (or the jury) does. Police investigate and then present whatever they found.

      certainly rare because they may not hold up in court as Constitutional

      Once a judge has issued a warrant, the Constitutional requirements are satisfied. Because, as I said, it does not matter, what arguments were used to convince him to issue it. The 4th Amendment is only there to ensure Judicial oversight of police. And that's enough for decent living because, after all, a search warrant itself does not mean conviction (or even further prosecution) — the ensuing search still has to find something.

      I'll need to read more on these proceedings because there is surely a mismatch between your statement and the headline.

      Oh, but they are consistent. The e-mail provider finds (what appears to be) criminal material and forwards it to police — the "tip" mentioned in the headline. Police take the material to a judge, who issues a warrant for a search (in Google's case) or arrest (in Microsoft's case). Police arrest the subject and get him to incriminate himself (in Microsoft case) or search the suspect's possessions and find more criminal material. While the originating tips themselves couldn't be used to convict, each was enough to begin an investigation which uncovered more evidence — as is very often happens in criminal prosecutions.

      Now, because police could (and did) abuse their powers with malicious prosecutions, an officer's own "hunch" can no longer justify initiation of an investigation — nor even asking for your ID. But an anonymous tip about a "suspicious person" in the neighborhood is still sufficient for them to have a reasonable suspicion and harass such person over nothing more than a glance at some soccer mom's precious daughter.

      --
      In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    7. Re:*cough* Bullshit *cough* by s.petry · · Score: 1

      The requirements for a issuing a warrant are much less stringent, than for a court conviction —

      No argument, and that was not the point. The point was/is that there is a minimum bar for getting a warrant, and unless there is something life threatening a judge would not issue a warrant on something like here-say. Doing so would clearly bring up 4th amendment issues. From a Law enforcement standpoint, premature warrants inhibits (and often prevent) searching for other criminal activities. So not only will they risk losing a case because of a lack of evidence, they let alleged criminals know that they are being watched.

      The above does not even include the previously mentioned issue regarding the landlord with the keys problem.

      But in either case — be it landlord or e-mail service provider — a judge may issue a warrant if he agrees with the police, that probable cause exists, even if they all remain reasonably doubtful.

      No argument with that either, I will however reinforce what I started with. Here-say is not enough to get a warrant in the majority of cases where a warrant is being sought.

      In the US "investigation" is not something the judge (or the jury) does. Police investigate and then present whatever they found.

      A judge can refuse a warrant and provide grounds required for law enforcement to obtain a warrant. If I implied that the judge would have to go out and see things for himself, my apologies. A judge is fully within their rights to say "You lack evidence and will need to provide more to get a warrant". Good judges do just this thing, and can provide details. "If you want a warrant for searching for drugs you need more than here-say."

      Oh, but they are consistent. The e-mail provider finds (what appears to be) criminal material and forwards it to police — the "tip" mentioned in the headline. Police take the material to a judge, who issues a warrant for a search (in Google's case [businessinsider.com]) or arrest (in Microsoft's case [bbc.co.uk]). Police arrest the subject and get him to incriminate himself (in Microsoft case) or search the suspect's possessions and find more criminal material.

      Assuming the suspect has a lawyer, and the only evidence presented is from either Google or Microsoft, I would tell the client not to plea and demand a trial. With no additional evidence, the trial would never be able to convict the person. End of case, and a whole lot of people just wasted a lot of time.

      Now _IF_ there is additional evidence (and it seems like there is) then Microsoft and Google did not cause the person to get arrested. That is just a publicity statement. Good police work is what caused the people to get arrested.

      The last point is this: If what the headlines said is true, then any lawyer worth their salt would be able to have the criminal out and free without much difficulty. If it's not true, then what is the point in making such a false claim? In that regard I'm probably a bit too cynical, but nobody in their right mind should be trusting any of these large companies services. There is a whole lot of disinformation and questionable activity here.

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    8. Re:*cough* Bullshit *cough* by mi · · Score: 1

      unless there is something life threatening a judge would not issue a warrant on something like here-say

      Ok, first of all, it is spelled "hearsay" — as in "I heard him say, that ...". I corrected your mistake earlier — and gave you a link describing the term. Yet you keep using it even though it is not even applicable, strictly speaking, anywhere other than in court...

      And, no, it is perfectly fine for a judge to issue a warrant (for arrest or search) based solely on the officer's repeating, what somebody told them. That somebody would have to repeat the same thing in court during trial (if any) — otherwise it would, indeed, be "hearsay" — but it is sufficient for issuance of a warrant for an officer to quote a third party.

      Imagine yourself calling police to report, say, a neighbor raping his goat. Your tip, even though made without oath, and not to the judge himself — thus "hearsay" — would not be enough to convict the man of zoophilia or cruelty to animals, but it would be enough for police to go to a judge and getting a warrant to search his premises.

      "If you want a warrant for searching for drugs you need more than here-say."

      Sure. A judge can deny a warrant request, if he disagrees with police, that probable cause exists. But it is entirely up to him and, however flimsy police's arguments may be, if the judge agreed with them, then the 4th Amendment's requirement is satisfied. Police still need to find something, but they can now legally proceed with the searching...

      Assuming the suspect has a lawyer, and the only evidence presented is from either Google or Microsoft, I would tell the client not to plea and demand a trial

      Sure! But in these two cases police did manage to obtain more evidence (legally), so that's now moot...

      --
      In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    9. Re:*cough* Bullshit *cough* by s.petry · · Score: 1

      Ok, first of all, it is spelled "hearsay" — as in "I heard him say, that ...". I corrected your mistake earlier — and gave you a link describing the term. Yet you keep using it even though it is not even applicable, strictly speaking, anywhere other than in court...

      Not really high on my "to-do" list, but I have made a note of it. You understood what was intended, which is all that should be required.

      Imagine yourself calling police to report, say, a neighbor raping his goat. Your tip, even though made without oath, and not to the judge himself — thus "hearsay" — would not be enough to convict the man of zoophilia [wikipedia.org] or cruelty to animals, but it would be enough for police to go to a judge and getting a warrant to search his premises.

      You keep arguing the same point, it does not change in time. Sure, a judge _can_ issue a warrant based on Joe claiming "I saw Bob humping a goat". If that is the only evidence provided, a judge would most likely not issue a warrant. Judges are not stupid, they realize that people with bad motives can make false claims. The latter happens more often that someone actually humping a goat.

      Sure! But in these two cases police did manage to obtain more evidence (legally), so that's now moot...

      I have not seen anything in terms of court records, so won't agree it's moot. I will agree that it's a satisfactorily resolved issue, but not the primary reason I take issue with what both MS and Google have done.

      You have not argued those issues so I see no need to discuss this further. Thanks again for the amicable chat.

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

  63. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    And while you're at it, don't forget to drag in all people that view 'rape porn', 'snuff porn', and of course all the people that playing violent video games.

    Because, naturally, if they get their jollies from viewing and playing this stuff, it's only a short distance to doing it. And before you know it, half the adult population will be taking pictures of themselves raping/killing/bashing.

  64. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by dave562 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I agree. And this is why I posed the question to the OP. He is against "any" censorship. I was curious if that also applies to censorship of negative things that happen to someone close to him who he presumably loves and cares for.

    It is one thing to try to portray kiddie porn as "just pictures". It is another thing entirely when they are "just pictures" of your child, or your niece.

    This is going to be a bit too metaphysical for this audience, but there truly is "good" and "evil" energy in the world. I do not mean in the Christian sense of heaven and hell. I mean real evil. Real, emotional and mental sickness that should have no place in a civilized society. Yet at the same time, an evil that is inevitable given the reality that the universe must be balanced, and that every action must have an equal and opposite reaction. Evil that is the polar opposite of love and compassion and caring.

  65. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by kwbauer · · Score: 1

    "You can't be attracted to or have sex with 14 year-olds" WTF.

    First, plenty of teenagers are attracted to people their own age; just because you were never attracted to anyone nor was anyone attracted to you during your junior high years does not mean it does not happen.

    Second, plenty of people are attracted to kids that age. I just read about a case in my local, small town newspaper.

    Third, there have been plenty of 14 year-olds getting pregnant so we either have a helluva lot of proof that the story of Jesus is plausible or you are full of shit.

  66. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by dave562 · · Score: 1

    I agree with you that the timing is suspicious. It is also coming out at the same time as the story about the FBI infecting Tor users with malware and using that as a means to bring child porn charges against a number of people. (http://gizmodo.com/the-fbi-is-infecting-tor-users-with-malware-to-catch-ki-1616363114). Obviously the message is that Tor is evil and is only used to facilitate child porn, drugs and murder for hire.

    I have no idea how large the child porn community is, but I have the sense that it is not really as big and far reaching as the authorities want to make it out to be. On the other hand, maybe the child porn kink is as common as women who like having their hair pulled. Like you said though, it is a convenient boogey man to trot out from time to time to use as cover for much wider ranging programs. "Ignore the fact that we are eavesdropping on EVERYONE because look, we caught a dozen people looking at kiddie porn." Nobody is going to come out and say, "But kiddie porn is a-okay!" And the government also gets to tar anyone against dragnet surveillance. "You mean you DON'T want us to catch perverts into kiddie porn? What are you, a kiddie porn consuming terrorist?!?!"

    Can you produce some evidence of some non-objectionable content that is being censored? That is what I am waiting for. I see this slippery slope argument all the time, but I do not see the censorship.

    It can be argued that the media is controlled via centralization and therefore heavy handed censorship is not even necessary. It is not necessary because the major media outlets can choose to ignore anything that goes against the status quo.

    The MH17 shoot down in the Ukraine is a good example. There is plenty of material out there that calls into question the narrative being put out by the White House and the State Department. But that information is not being pulled off of the internet. It is not being filtered by the ISPs. They do not need to filter it. The average American does not care. You can put the information in front of them. You can show them that we are being herded into World War 3. Unless the message comes from CNN or Time Magazine or the Washington Post, they will not believe it.

  67. Re:Who born in the late 80s if not early... by kwbauer · · Score: 1

    How did we leap from not knowing what the pictures actually are to knowing society is done because the fact that the pictures were of the "kids taking a bath" variety?

  68. Re:Really? by kwbauer · · Score: 1

    Would that be the red scare where we knew who most of the offenders were because we were reading the Soviet embassy to Moscow traffic but couldn't make that fact public red scare?

  69. Re:Really? by kwbauer · · Score: 1

    Not exactly how it went down in a case where I am unfortunate enough to know the possessor. That one happened almost exactly as you described it ought to happen.

  70. Re:Glad to hear it by kwbauer · · Score: 1

    Well, they start with the guy with the image and ask about where it came from, etc. It is called investigation and it has to start somewhere.

  71. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by fractoid · · Score: 1

    Oh right, I re-read your post and I see where you were going with it now. I concur. As for 'evil', I'm not sure I believe in any moral absolutes but I definitely agree with the sentiment that broken people do exist who have no place (or a very limited place which must be tightly constrained) in human society.

    --
    Rampant carbon sequestration destroyed the Dinosaurs' tropical paradise. I'm here to help repair the damage.
  72. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by gweihir · · Score: 1

    The censorship is not yet happening or at least not openly, or not in the western world. They are still in the establishing phase and some people have woken up to what is going on. And with enough public outrage, things can be stopped, see, e.g., the "clipper chip". But governments need to be constantly reminded who they server and the "terrorist" and "child porn" specters are doing very good work in eroding that.

    So look for the censorship in 10 years or so, but at that time it will be too late to do anything about it. That is why the time to fight this is now.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  73. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by spire3661 · · Score: 1

    The reason you cant yell fire is due to the IMMINENT and IMMEDIATE harm it could induce. Your analogy is bad.

    --
    Good-bye
  74. I was purchasing a new phone by Trax3001BBS · · Score: 1

    At one point I claimed I wanted nothing to do, nor need of a cloud storage.

    Dude told me I have the wrong impression of cloud storage, going on to tell me the basics of cloud storage, I just turned and left him, I had no more use for him.

  75. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    Let's use an extreme example here.

    Alright, but it's not going to change anything.

    Would you be opposed to allowing your mother to issue a DMCA take down notice?

    Yes. The DMCA, as well as copyright, are terrible. Also, besides me despising censorship, copyright is a *terrible* way to handle these issues. Seriously, copyright is meant to benefit the public by promoting innovation and science, not for protecting your personal image. How did things get so silly that we rely on legal hacks to prevent people from spreading around images of you?

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  76. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    Has it occurred to you that I don't go on Slashdot 24/7? Idiot.

    Anyway, would you use the same 'logic' if someone said that 1 + 1 = 3 and I didn't respond?

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  77. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    It happens because people keep desensitizing themselves to the shock

    Blah, blah, blah, unfounded explanations of a problem that's not even provably large with no actual scientific basis. No, people don't start looking at child porn just because they see an image or oppose censorship, or whatever you're specifically trying to get at. If you want to show otherwise, present some credible scientific evidence, and it can't just be a biased psychology study that uses subjective terminology and subjective data gathering methods; those are bad science.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  78. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    If you don't believe in moral absolutes, why would you believe that some people are objectively 'broken'? That's a subjective term.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  79. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by hawkinspeter · · Score: 1

    If it wasn't your mum taking the photo, then how would she be able to claim copyright and invoke the DMCA?

    --
    You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
  80. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    No, we don't. The end.

    There are just some thing which legally must be limited in any society

    Child porn is not one of them. It's like saying we need the TSA or the NSA's surveillance; it's just nonsensical. The country would survive without them.

    Anyway, since your brain is dysfunction, allow me to walk you through the series of complicated steps that we'd have to go through in order to not use censorship:
    1) Don't allow the government to use censorship.

    You cannot legally incite riots, yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater and stuff like that.

    Idiot. For one thing, you have to intentionally incite riots to be punished. Second of all, just screaming "Fire!" is not forbidden; screaming it while knowing there is no fire and causing a panic, however, is.

    Also, I believe such prohibitions to be unconstitutional. The first amendment lists no exceptions. Anyone who starts rioting or panicking is at fault, not the speaker.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  81. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    This has nothing to do with influencing people.

    Not according to what numerous people in this article have told me.

    This has to do with the real children who are harmed making them.

    Yes, making them. We're talking about sharing the images or looking at the images.

    It is noteworthy that the supreme court ruled recently that depictions of child pornography which are simulations - i.e. computer generated images - are not illegal to have.

    That's good if so, because that was especially ridiculous.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  82. Re:The problem is the emotionally blind public by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    Now in this case they could be harmful people to society (way more so than a junkie) so having a system to handle them is needed.

    Actually, no. Looking at or sharing the images should be completely legal. Anything else is a violation of the first amendment and is nothing more than government censorship.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  83. Re:Really? by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    That would be the red scare where numerous innocent people were harassed or had their lives ruined merely because there were some communists around. Just like now with terrorism, where innocent people are having their rights violated in the name of stopping terrorism, and to hell with the constitution and 'the land of the free and the home of the brave.'

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  84. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    You know, there is an exception to everything.

    That's the current reality, which I seek to change in at least a few cases.

    You can't legally scream "FIRE" in a crowded public place as a joke.

    *yawn*

    That's because the possible harm outweighs the harm of censorship.

    Nope. There is no harm.

    Even though you obviously disagree, the public, for it's own protection has decreed child porn images illegal. This censorship is held to be in the best interest of society.

    Even though it doesn't matter as much as protecting free speech, there is no credible scientific evidence that prohibitions on the content itself does any good.

    My own political leanings border on anarchy but in this I have to support censorship as well.

    Some free speech defender you are. Do you claim to be a supporter of individual liberties? Do you have any hard scientific evidence that it even protects anyone, or are you part of the mindless "for the children" crowd that gets all riled up and emotional whenever a child is mentioned?

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  85. Re:Hash Collision gets man shot, news at 10 by jabuzz · · Score: 1

    Before the SWAT team arrives at your door someone will have reviewed the image to confirm that it not a hash collision. If they don't then they are going to be in big trouble and a large compensation payment will be coming your way. In addition any remotely competent judge will not issue a search warrant based on a hash or more specifically Microsoft's PhotoDNA, because if they do and it turns out to be a hash collision then again they are going to be in big trouble.

  86. Re:wait for the trial? by DrXym · · Score: 1

    Thanks for the link. Yes exactly that sort of thing.

  87. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by bluegutang · · Score: 1

    Exactly what mental help do you provide to someone whose sexual orientation is towards kids rather than adults?

  88. Oh wow, the commenters in here... by jiadran · · Score: 1

    I think this is the best comment I ever read on Slashdot! Thank you!!! And thank you for the work you do/did!

  89. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by severn2j · · Score: 1

    I am willing to agree that blanket censorship is a bad thing.

    How can you be opposed to the censorship of child pornography? Please avoid the slippery slope argument. That one has been played out.

    How about the idea that a pedophile viewing child porn has an outlet that may provide enough of a release for them so that they don't go out and abuse a child themselves?

  90. A message is being sent by ThatsNotPudding · · Score: 1

    A message is being sent to the American public: stay compliant and keep your mouth shut, or your dirty laundry is next. I'm no fan of pederasts as their damage propagates to their victims, carrying the misery forward, but they are being cynically used to tell the norms in no uncertain terms: we already know what you've done: step out of line and we'll destroy you. What a free country.

  91. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jandersen · · Score: 1

    A pedophile is nothing more than a person who is sexually attracted to prepubescent children. Not all pedophiles rape or even look at child porn, and not all child rapists are even necessarily pedophiles.

    You're just trying to sell the myth that being pedophile is really just innocent, nothing to worry about. But that trivialises the problem to the extent that in fact, most people are 'pedophiles' because they can see the attraction in innocent beauty - what we call pedophilism is a much more sinister and harmful condition: when an adult for whatever reason steps over the border between seeing and doing. It is in many ways parallel to the phenomenon that is called 'paranoid schizophrenia': most people have at least sometimes, a conversation going on in their head - like a voice that comments on what they do and see. They are not called schizophrenic, because they are able to distinguish between their inner voice and what happens outside their own mind.

    And being pedophile is not like being gay; pedophiles are made, not born. One can argue that honmosexual behaviour is something that strengthens male bonding and therefore would have been an advantage in a small hunter-gatherer community, whereas it is clear that children who have been sexually molested do not survive that unscathed. Whether the acutal damage is primarily due to the sexual element or the physical and mental abuse that accompanies it, or something different, is not really relevant - the bottom line is that pedophiles harm children; and in fact, one of the outcomes of child abuse is that the child is more likely to become a child abuser as well, which makes the problem all the more serious.

    No, it's easy, and that's because there is no logic; just a strong desire for more and more government control over what information is accessible to people.

    Playing the 'Evil Govt' card is just your form of voodoo. It is astonishing, the amount of power people can imagine "The Government" has; apparently they are also able to cover up all thes UFO landings all over the place.

  92. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    You're just trying to sell the myth that being pedophile is really just innocent, nothing to worry about.

    No, I'm correcting people because they have no idea what "pedophile" means, but you seem to have no problem spreading around myths.

    But that trivialises the problem to the extent that in fact, most people are 'pedophiles' because they can see the attraction in innocent beauty - what we call pedophilism is a much more sinister and harmful condition

    Correcting an improper use of the term "pedophile" trivializes the problem?

    I don't get it. Are you saying that all pedophiles rape? What *are* you saying?

    pedophiles are made, not born.

    A lot of people argue the same thing about gays. But it doesn't matter, because unless you can present credible, unbiased scientific proof that is overwhelmingly accepted in the scientific community that this is true 100% of the time (as your statement implies), then it doesn't matter what you believe. This is a matter of science, not of opinion, so get to presenting some science to back up that huge generalization you just made.

    But even if it is true, it is *still* irrelevant to the topic at hand.

    the bottom line is that pedophiles harm children

    No, rapists harm children. Get it right, imbecile. A rapist might be a pedophile, but that doesn't mean all pedophiles are rapists. If you're going to refer to something specific, then at least use the right term.

    Playing the 'Evil Govt' card is just your form of voodoo.

    No, it isn't, and that doesn't even make sense. I'm saying I oppose government censorship.

    It is astonishing, the amount of power people can imagine "The Government" has

    The fact is, right now, the government engages in censorship. Do you disagree with this? Because that's what I was saying. Here are some examples: Copyright and the prohibition of child porn. Your move.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  93. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    I think it sounds pretty silly, because it seems to suppose that all pedophiles are rapists are heart and will, in the absence of porn, rape children. *Maybe* this is true for an elite few, but I don't see pedophiles as fundamentally different from the rest of us, except in the sense that they're attracted to prepubescent children. So, then, I ask you: Would you go out and rape people if you couldn't find a sexual partner or did not have porn? I wouldn't.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  94. Re:The harm of the viewing by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    The knowledge that someone is viewing porn made of you as a child frequently causes psychological stress to child-porn victims throughout their lives.

    Well, they're going to have to get over it, because censorship does not work. They will *never* erase all the content. And not only does it not work, but I don't think it's right to prohibit content just because someone is offended by it, and that doesn't change just because the content shows someone being raped (or murdered, etc.). Yes, prohibiting rape is just fine with me, but people looking at/sharing images? No way.

    I can't understand people's obsession with children. What about normal rape porn? Content depicting real murder? Why is so much focus on the children? Irrational nonsense.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  95. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    What, if anything, can a dead person feel?

    More importantly, I don't think that something should be banned merely because some people find it offensive, child porn or not. Everything in the world would be banned using that subjective standard.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  96. You get what you pay for... by DarthVain · · Score: 1

    Seriously, I do not see what the issue is. People using all these "free" services are suddenly astounded about being monitored? You get what you pay for, which when that is zero, equals not much privacy. All of them have EULA's which you don't have to read the 300 pages to know will allow them to rifle though your messages and spy on you (primarily for targeted ad content), etc... If you do not like it, do not use these services. Use something more secure, or as you say encrypt stuff. The probably with encryption has always been it is a two way street. So while you might do it, the jerks that send you stuff may not, and then all that data is up for grabs.

    Anyway it is good that criminals are idiots I suppose, but people getting their back up about free services which say (even if buried in 300 pages of legal gobbledygook) up front that they are going to effectively spy on you is a bit much.

  97. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by Nephandus · · Score: 1

    Technically, the actual diagnosis of the pedophilia disorder is explicitly an extreme. Ignoring the public idiot usage extending to attraction to adolescents, the shrinks (of both bibles IIRC) specify that it's only regarded as a disorder if it's nigh exclusive or compelling, so a more general category includes at least some minority of the officially non-pathological "general public".

    Considering how general rapists are very rarely those hard up for sex partners, child molesters very probably aren't acting due to mere sexual frustration either. People regularly ignore that parent molesters, as a particularly blatant example, often still have a sexual relationship with the other parent overlapping the molestation, even continuing decades past the end of the molestation period. They weren't just horny...

    --
    "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."
  98. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jandersen · · Score: 1

    You seem very upset that I dispute your claims - I wonder why? Or are you going to deny that as well?

  99. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by houindcon · · Score: 1

    Mod this up. There is so much logical fallacy in this thread, it disgusts me. I cannot believe that grown @$$ people cannot THINK. 1. Harming ANYONE is bad, not just children. 2. How does viewing the evidence of harm (without financial support) support the harming of the individual in question? If that were true, then we are ALL guilty of supporting crimes against people (murder videos, Rodney King beating etc) 3. Rape is rape, doesn't matter who the victim is. Stop trying to put child rapists in a class of their own. 4. Being attracted to ANYONE does NOT imply intent to rape. Get it through your head. Most of you are fscking retarded. Seriously...

  100. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by houindcon · · Score: 1

    I guess if I formatted this correctly, it would be easier to read... not that any of you will...

    Mod this up. There is so much logical fallacy in this thread, it disgusts me. I cannot believe that grown @$$ people cannot THINK.

    1. Harming ANYONE is bad, not just children.
    2. How does viewing the evidence of harm (without financial support) support the harming of the individual in question? If that were true, then we are ALL guilty of supporting crimes against people (murder videos, Rodney King beating etc)
    3. Rape is rape, doesn't matter who the victim is. Stop trying to put child rapists in a class of their own.
    4. Being attracted to ANYONE does NOT imply intent to rape. Get it through your head. Most of you are fscking retarded. Seriously...

  101. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    You seem very upset that I dispute your claims - I wonder why?

    I could say the exact same thing as you. Your problem seems to be that you're under the delusion that someone must be upset if they disagree with you or insult you; that is simply not so.

    Or are you going to deny that as well?

    Yes. But even if it were true, what is your point in making such a comment? Does it have some deeper meaning?

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  102. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    Yeah. That's all. Nothing more than that!

    Yes, exactly. Do you have a problem with that definition?

    I have bad news for you, but you have a serious mental illness.

    I have bad news for you, but you're not even part of the already dubious pseudoscience club. How can you scientifically diagnose random people over the Internet as having mental illnesses simply because they disagree with you? That's quite an interesting ability you have there. Even in the pseudoscience club, a lot of work goes into diagnosing people using certain criteria. Would you care to inform them of your amazing scientific shortcut?

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  103. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    Great, so you agree that closed source is a better solution, since "viewing source code" is really irrelevant to its value, and doesn't encourage production of more. Right?

    The ability to view and modify open source code supports the production of more in many cases, because that's what those freedoms allow people to do. It's inherent. It's encouraged.

    Assuming it does, of course. Now, what does looking at images have to do with being able to look at source codes to spot back doors, bugs, vulnerabilities, etc.? Nothing. You're just a moron. But also, merely *looking* at the code does not produce more code; that's absurd.

    Viewing *encourages* production for exactly the same reason that children will continue doing something obnoxious when they realize it's producing a response in someone else.

    Unless you have overwhelming, unbiased scientific evidence of your stupid claim, I suggest you stop making it. But you "for the children" idiots don't even know what science is, I bet.

    And even if you had such evidence, it would be irrelevant to whether or not child porn should be banned.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  104. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

    It doesn't take a psychologist to determine that someone has a mentall illness. There is a difference between recognizing someone has one, and diagnosing it as "this" or "that". I can look into someones home and see that they are or are not a hoarder, for example. You told the world about your mental illness in your post. Do you really think that only a psychologists can see it? If so, you can add severe delusion to your list of symptoms.

    --
    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  105. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    It doesn't take a psychologist to determine that someone has a mentall illness.

    If your definition of "mental illness" is sufficiently broad, I suppose that's true. But that just makes it useless and vague. Then there's also the problem that a "mental illness" simply describes a certain type of behavior or a mindset; it's not inherently bad, regardless of what it is.

    I can look into someones home and see that they are or are not a hoarder, for example.

    And that's part of the problem. You look into their house once, and assume they are a hoarder. Have you considered there may be special circumstances, and that all the stuff is there only temporarily? Have you considered that they simply don't often clean up? There are many possible factors and explanations, and it's so easy to fall prey to bias to reach a certain conclusion.

    You told the world about your mental illness in your post.

    No, I didn't. The part you quoted was simply a more accurate definition of what a pedophile is. The truth = mental illness?

    Do you really think that only a psychologists can see it?

    I think that psychologists are mostly pseudoscientists, and yet still put a lot more work into their jobs than your no-thought-put-into-it assessments.

    If so, you can add severe delusion to your list of symptoms.

    You seem to have a number of delusions, yourself. Maybe it's the sign of a mental illness? Definitely so. I can look into someone's home and see that they are or are not a hoarder, so I can also say with certainty that you, a random person on the Internet, has a mental disorder. Don't try to logic your way around it; you told the world about your mental illness in your post! I'm simply repeating what you yourself revealed to all of us!

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  106. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

    You are an idiot. Plonk.

    --
    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  107. Re: They will *never* erase all the content. by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    If the police get very lucky, the can find and erase all copies of a particular image.

    By "get lucky," you must be describing a very unlikely scenario. Even if it's not intentional, it's likely the images will end up in other hands. Regardless, censorship is wrong.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  108. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    And every bit of the evil you refer to is in human beings, and no human being is completely free of such evil.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  109. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    This isn't a web block list. All of those I've ever heard of are abused. This is a detection system for specific images that will trigger further investigation. Even if we were to oil the slope, we wouldn't get anywhere harmful.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  110. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    I'd love to have a real answer to that. Right now, what I've got is opinions based on people's gut reactions and validated by shouting loudly.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  111. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    That's an amazing ability to analyze jellomizer's thoughts. Where did you learn how to use telepathy that well?

    After all, jellomizer said nothing about sexual attraction to prepubescent children being normal or good. He's just trying to save a definition that provides a useful distinction between being a heinous criminal and having desires to commit a heinous crime. Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) undoubtedly had pedophilia in the descriptive sense, but he did his best to avoid even disturbing children, so he wasn't a rapist or child molester.

    Nor was he defending a right to have perverse sexual desires (perverse in the sense that they're definitely not normal and should not be acted on). I don't think he'd defend my right to have depression issues, either, but I doubt he'd find any moral significance in them.

    My attitude is that I want less child abuse (of any sort) going on. I don't care about child pornography except in that context (and in that I don't want anybody to ever show me any of the stuff). So far, the only thing I really know that's bad about the images is that it encourages people to make them, which harms children. I don't know whether pedophiles having such porn will increase or decrease the amount of child molestation.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  112. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    Drawings are not child pornography in all jurisdictions. A lot of underage sexting will not be child pornography in all jurisdictions. (I read the US and Minnesota statues a while back, in case my son got involved in such sexting.)

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  113. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

    Shut the fuck up you ignorant douchebag.

    --
    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  114. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by hazeii · · Score: 1

    Two words: Parallel Construction.

    --
    All your ghosts are just false positives.
  115. Re:Glad to hear it by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    It seems reasonable to assume that every player on a football team is there more or less voluntarily. Now, consider a video of somebody, naked and restrained, screaming while being flogged. This could either be somebody into the hard stuff specifically allowing this, or somebody grabbed somewhere and forcibly stripped and tied up and whipped.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  116. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by amiga3D · · Score: 1

    I think that the sexual abuse and exploitation of children is so heinous as to require extraordinary measures. I don't think of pictures of some pervert sodomizing 8 year old boys as "free speech." It's an attack on society. Society has the right to defend itself. You have the freedom to disagree and vote for someone who feels that that kind of thing is okay to be published.

  117. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    I think that the sexual abuse and exploitation of children is so heinous as to require extraordinary measures.

    It's no more worse than the rape of anyone else. But then again, you've likely been indoctrinated to believe that it's some huge problem and that you should turn off your brain whenever children are mentioned. Typical of the "for the children" crowd.

    I don't think of pictures of some pervert sodomizing 8 year old boys as "free speech."

    Uh-huh. Anything you really don't like doesn't qualify as free speech. Nice No True Scotsman, there.

    It's an attack on society.

    Bullshit. What melodramatic, sensationalist nonsense. Please give me scientific evidence that society will collapse if pictures aren't censored. There is no actual harm when someone looks at an image, and it's certainly not an "attack on society" (whatever that nonsense means).

    Also, terrorism is an actual attack on society, yet I'm 100% opposed to the TSA and the NSA surveillance.

    Society has the right to defend itself.

    Not if it means infringing upon fundamental individual liberties.

    You have the freedom to disagree and vote for someone who feels that that kind of thing is okay to be published.

    But the government does not have the power to ignore the US constitution. "Congress shall make no law [...]" And no, newspeak-like nonsense that redefines speech will not help you.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  118. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by dave562 · · Score: 1

    That is why the time to fight this is now.

    I see this all the time. Fighting without a goal in mind is futile. Right now there are a small handful of people who are upset about some issues, but nobody is proposing an alternatives. Not only that, but nobody has come up with a concrete example of how their much better alternative reality is being hindered by censorship.

  119. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by gweihir · · Score: 1

    Well, you can either have a large war later, or a small one now. And not, this is not "without a goal" at all. Have a look at history.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  120. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by gweihir · · Score: 1

    The detector is a smaller part of the system. The larger part is what gets the data to it. And that is not tied to one purpose at all.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  121. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by amiga3D · · Score: 1

    Have fun with your absolutism.

  122. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by jeIIomizer · · Score: 1

    I will. 1 + 1 = 2.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  123. Re:Really? by Agripa · · Score: 1

    You can argue that the justice system might have an axe to grind against pedo's, and you're probably right, but they're still afforded due process.

    But if this is not a search for purposes of the 4th Amendment, then the NSA or FBI or whoever can just provide a list of things for service providers to search for in general. Why limit it to child pornography?

    And isn't that one of the current proposals to make current government searches legal in light of Snowden's leaks?

  124. Re:Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    With such eloquent rebuttal of my logic, it obviously follows that you want more child abuse.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  125. Re:VIrus possibilities by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

    When will we see the first virus that simply uploads a hash-matching file to your gmail, live.com, dropbox, drive, .... account and waits for the SWAT team to pounce?

    They're probably already in existence. General purpose ones, and toolkits for crafting targeted attacks.

    how do these "automated technologies" distinguish that?

    They don't ; they flag people (OK ; accounts) for human-based investigation.

    --
    Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"