Some Hackers Unknowingly Gathering Intel For the NSA

itwbennett writes As reported Wednesday by the news website The Intercept, the U.S. National Security Agency and its intelligence partners are sifting through data stolen by state-sponsored and freelance hackers on a regular basis in search of valuable information. A page from an internal wiki used by the intelligence agencies of the U.S., Canada and the U.K, which was last modified in 2012 and was among the files leaked by Edward Snowden reads: "Hackers are stealing the emails of some of our targets... by collecting the hackers' 'take' we 1) get access to the emails ourselves and 2) get insights into who's being hacked."

Comments

What I want to know is?

[Anonymous Coward]

Why aren't more Americans stepping up and demanding that the government grant Clemency to Snowden?

Snowden did the right thing, and we all benefited from it, so we all owe him a favor.

Re:What I want to know is?

[Anonymous Coward]

As Americans, there are some values we cherish above others, which you Eurotrash with your lack of a Bill of Rights or the fire of the Declaration of Independence, would never understand.

And among those American values that we try to live our lives by, and teach to our childen through constant example, there is only one that we hold higher and more idealistic esteem than cowardice. And that premiere value is apathy. If you care about anything, that's not cool, and so, you aren't cool. And if you care and are willing to speak up about it, that's even not-cooler.

Re:What I want to know is?

[mrchaotica]

Because most of those of us with the courage to post under our own /. ID...

Speak for yourself, fascist!

Snowden did nothing whatsoever to "damage" the USA; the NSA did all the damage itself. Snowden is a hero, period.

That said, the government should not "grant clemency" to Snowden because doing so still implies that he did something wrong and the government is merely being "merciful." Instead, what the government should do is exonerate Snowden and go after the real criminals, i.e., the treasonous fuckwads at the NSA.