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DHS Deployed Plane Above San Bernardino To Scoop Up All Phone Calls After Attack (dailymail.co.uk)

schwit1 writes: Federal investigators looking into the San Bernardino massacre deployed a spy plane overhead after the attacks in an apparent attempt to find additional suspects. The Department of Homeland Security is said to have put up the single engine craft over the California city and ordered it to make repeated circles overhead. The craft would likely have been equipped with Dirtbox technology which can scan tens of thousands of phones in one go to identify suspects. The report adds to the intrigue about whether or not there were accomplices in the San Bernardino attacks, which took place last Wednesday and were the worst terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11.

68 of 147 comments (clear)

  1. During or immediately after the attack by Kohath · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Searching to see if there are more terrorists engaged in a coordinated attack? Seems like a reasonable and responsible thing to do.

    1. Re:During or immediately after the attack by Etcetera · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Searching to see if there are more terrorists engaged in a coordinated attack? Seems like a reasonable and responsible thing to do.

      Yeah, the notion that this is a bad thing to do *during* an emergency is a bit hard to swallow. Exigent circumstances are when we want these dragnets used.

      We can talk about pre-scanning metadata and background spying etc all we want, but in an active emergency I want those tools available If something wasn't justified. Feel free to sue after the fact.

    2. Re:During or immediately after the attack by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

      The problem is that they have reconstructed quite a bit of information that they already had or was already public (ie, facebook). They had been in contact with known terrorist suspects, it's just that the contact 'didn't meet a threshold'. So they have tons of information, but they don't want to use it. They just want to collect more information (various omnibus NSA programs).

      It's like those people who download every torrent known to mankind. It's a hoarder mentality. We need a thinking mentality.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    3. Re: During or immediately after the attack by zippthorne · · Score: 1

      Think about the message: "Any time a couple people shoot up a building, everybody's civil liberties and due process are forfeit for the next few days (months? years? )."

      Does that sound like a reasonable response and a good idea?

      That's what they did in Boston after the marathon bombing. To an even greater degree, even, as they basically house-arrested all of the residents of Watertown for over 24 hours. I have not heard or read very much outrage over the government's response, despite the fact that they only caught the suspect after the curfew was lifted and as pretty much a direct result of the curfew being lifted.

      --
      Can you be Even More Awesome?!
    4. Re:During or immediately after the attack by TheReaperD · · Score: 2

      I don't mind they used it on that day; where there's a real threat with a possible follow-up. My problem is what they do with tools like this the other 364 days a year. If anyone believes that this sits in a hangar waiting to be available during an emergency, I have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn.

      --
      "Be particularly skeptical when presented with evidence confirming what you already believe." -
    5. Re: During or immediately after the attack by zippthorne · · Score: 2

      The lockdown didn't seem to hamper his movement at all, so I'd guess the risk was the same either way. They would've found him sooner, though, as people would've been at the marina sooner and noticed something was amiss sooner, so in that sense the risk would've been less, as he would've spent less time not in custody.

      --
      Can you be Even More Awesome?!
    6. Re:During or immediately after the attack by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You clearly did not read the constitution, because it says no such thing. It protects people against "unreasonable search and seizure", but it does not make it a crime to violate that right (Congress had). Also, there's a lot of common sense exceptions that are consistent with the intent of the 4th amendment. E.g. if police are chasing you on foot and you run into your friend's house, they don't have to get a warrant.

      So basically, you're a moron.

    7. Re:During or immediately after the attack by Etcetera · · Score: 2

      I don't mind they used it on that day; where there's a real threat with a possible follow-up. My problem is what they do with tools like this the other 364 days a year. If anyone believes that this sits in a hangar waiting to be available during an emergency, I have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn.

      Well, that's the point. Ensure there are proper safeguards. Five directors, and a Deputy Assistant at the FBI or something. Hell, require five keys or the President to sign off.

      We have nuclear weapons and have managed to not fire them off even though the power is there. A secure system can be built ensure it only happens when authorized by those who bear political responsibility for their use.

    8. Re:During or immediately after the attack by radarskiy · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Search ALL calls in a city of 200k residents? With no constraints, that's at best a waste of time. At worst, it's datamining for a witch hunt.

      Even in an emergency laws still exists. It's too easy to manufacture an incident if parallel construction is too hard for you.

    9. Re:During or immediately after the attack by swillden · · Score: 1

      Searching to see if there are more terrorists engaged in a coordinated attack? Seems like a reasonable and responsible thing to do.

      Maybe. Obviously it wasn't actually successful because there weren't any others to find. But do we have any reason to believe it would have found them if there were? And what was done with all of the data that was gathered?

      And perhaps even more important: What was this plane and equipment doing the day before the attack? And the day after? And the previous month? Etc. Why was this resource so readily available and what else is it used for?

      --
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    10. Re:During or immediately after the attack by niftymitch · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Searching to see if there are more terrorists engaged in a coordinated attack? Seems like a reasonable and responsible thing to do.

      Reasonable in this context, sure.
      Now that the data has been collected what else might they do with it?

      The unreasonable process of parallel reconstruction wins convictions and
      is so effective in scoring wins in court such that prosecutors and persecutors
      alike want access to the data. Juries expect a case to be airtight today
      because of the theater of TV crime fighting. The reality is that a total
      parallel reconstruction of fiction will appear more airtight and more convincing
      than the truth which depends on facts.

      Recently a local city was pondering the right of an officer to review all
      body and vehicle camera footage before they submit their action report.
      This was the union demanding it of the city.. Where is the union elected
      by the citizenship to demand closed door considerations...
      Does their report process also extend to phone metadata as well?

      I would note that the review of video evidence is not extended to the defendant. Any
      discrepancy is held up as a lie in court and in the media to the disadvantage of the
      defendant.

      In this case deploying an aircraft to slurp up conversations and other
      metadata makes a lot of sense on the surface. Further an aircraft may well
      allow improved communications so authorities can communicate with the public should
      terrorists attack cell service. Oh wait that is not part of the tool....

      Such tools are very much double edge knives. Why is it that double edge
      knives are so illegal?

      Today such tools are an omission under the law and the secrecy surrounding them
      sheds fruit from the poison tree to to a degree that some will regret.

      --
      Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't. Mark Twain.
    11. Re:During or immediately after the attack by niftymitch · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The big question is did they follow procedure?

      ....snip.....

      It is important to rewrite this to "The big question is did they follow a legal procedure?".

      I read too often that the department reviewed the incident and has ruled
      the official acted as per departmental policy. No one addresses the legality
      of departmental policy.

      Consider asset forfeiture related policies. If the policy is in effect
      see valuables especially cash, grab it, do not provide a receipt with the
      exact sum. Do not bring the individual up on charges, do this for the
      poor or out of town visitors.

      Consider policies in a training academy that that teach an officer to
      fire his weapon in concert with other officers to ensure fatalities. Such policies
      have evolved for many reasons one is to eliminate expensive hospital and life long care to the
      wounded and maimed. Death benefits are less expensive and the one
      witness that knows the truth is dead.

      Departmental review is not a legal action. It is law outside of the law and
      is fundamentally as illegal as the mafia boss sending his minions out to
      execute the competition for his illegal actions.

      --
      Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't. Mark Twain.
    12. Re: During or immediately after the attack by tompaulco · · Score: 3, Informative

      Does this involve white terrorists, like the one in Colorado, as well? Or is this one of those rules we apply to people whose beliefs or skin-color are outside of the norm?

      It appears that it is applied when some of the suspects got away from the scene of the crime.

      --
      If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
    13. Re: During or immediately after the attack by tompaulco · · Score: 2

      The lockdown didn't seem to hamper his movement at all, so I'd guess the risk was the same either way. They would've found him sooner, though, as people would've been at the marina sooner and noticed something was amiss sooner, so in that sense the risk would've been less, as he would've spent less time not in custody.

      Those pesky criminals. It's bad enough they break the felony laws, but then they go and break the lockdown laws and the "no guns" laws too.

      --
      If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
    14. Re: During or immediately after the attack by l0n3s0m3phr34k · · Score: 4, Informative

      The idea behind such a lockdown isn't to hamper the target's movements; it's to get everyone off the streets so the only ones left moving around are law enforcement or the "target". The whole thing could have been avoided by the FBI actually using the intel Russia had given us; but if we had done that there wouldn't have been any bombing nor the fear that followed.

    15. Re:During or immediately after the attack by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      > Yeah, the notion that this is a bad thing to do *during* an emergency is a bit hard to swallow. Exigent circumstances are when we want these dragnets used. ... except that there is no conceivable way to identify who is a terrorist and who is not, from just where their phone happens to be at the time.

      At the very best, the FBI could match the phones in the area to people who are on the "watch lists", and pretty much only after the fact. You know how much information we're talking about, right? We're not talking real-time analysis here.

      And you also know that the FBI and CIA are not above putting people on the "no fly list" to pressure them or their family members to ... do some spying for them, You think the No Fly List won't be used in that "looking for terrorists" analysis you're in favor of?

      And I note you've said nothing about how long the information gained from these "exigent circumstances" should be retained. Yay, you're labeled a security risk because you happened to be shopping not far from a terrorist act and your phone number went on a list and nobody thought to take it off.

      Lastly, information gained illegally is thrown out of court. (And thus, parallel construction to avoid having to tell the court you were using a Stingray without a warrant.

      So what I see being advocated is: actions that don't actually make people safer at the time, can't be used in prosecutions, harm innocents incidentally near the scene, and are in fact illegal. But it's okay because Terrorists!

      You will pardon me if I do not subscribe to the same view.

    16. Re:During or immediately after the attack by i.r.id10t · · Score: 1

      Exactly... I'm not even sure how it would do that. Locate phones? possibly... determine if a particular phone is in range? Sure... Actually scan the calls for keywords? No way... At least, nothing portable in anything less than a plane much bigger than a 4 seat cessna, or with a massive data pipe back to land-based crunching resources

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
    17. Re:During or immediately after the attack by stephanruby · · Score: 1

      Searching to see if there are more terrorists engaged in a coordinated attack? Seems like a reasonable and responsible thing to do.

      Sure, why spend $8 an hour on a rent-a-cop security guard on guarding the residence of the suspects when we could be spending millions of dollars on a spy plane and violating the privacy of hundreds of thousands of US citizens instead.

    18. Re:During or immediately after the attack by icebike · · Score: 1

      Searching to see if there are more terrorists engaged in a coordinated attack? Seems like a reasonable and responsible thing to do.

      I, and at least 12,000 others was listening on police band (over the internet from 3 states away), and was able to watch on TV while listening to the scanner traffic, both apparently delayed by nearly the same amount.

      On the scanner, several police units reported being "slow rolled by a car full of long beards". There were several different incidents of this with words to the same effect, "watching us closely", "seem way too interested", etc.
      They even passed these car descriptions and plate numbers to others to be followed, but that was before the two terrorists were engaged in a rolling fire fight, and killed, and everybody seemed to focus on that.

      So its clear the police believed at the time there were others (long beards) surveilling them. And it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for that to happen. Even the Paris attacker had returned to the scene to watch.

      Ok, so the radio plane was flying around 2:30 PM (14:30) local time, very soon after the event. An attack is still in progress, for all they know. Can't think of a single reason to complain about this, other than that you know they practice and train for it SOMEWHERE.

      --
      Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
    19. Re:During or immediately after the attack by ultranova · · Score: 1

      At worst, it's datamining for a witch hunt.

      If a couple of witches have just murdered over a dozen people with magic missiles, then a witch hunt is not a witch hunt.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    20. Re: During or immediately after the attack by KGIII · · Score: 1

      Who gives a shit? That's what rights are for. Rights involve risks. Yeah, they might have harmed more people but that doesn't give them the right to take away your rights without due process or suspicion. Sorry, but that's the way the whole thing works.

      Stripping away my civil liberties is not an acceptable response to your cowardice. Yes, that means risks. Yes, that means that bad things might happen. Oh well... You'll get over it.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    21. Re:During or immediately after the attack by dave420 · · Score: 1

      It didn't help before the attack, why should it now suddenly work after the attack? Some sort of magic? A miracle, perhaps?

  2. *Cell* phones by sunderland56 · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Have we reached the point where "phone" refers to a cell phone? Or do we presume that terrorists don't have access to secure radio-free telephone technology?

    1. Re:*Cell* phones by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I"m charitably assuming you don't think landlines are secure.

  3. Re:That's the solution! by ganjadude · · Score: 2

    I wonder if this acknowledgement would be enough to bring just cause to court (being that in the past the argument was people didnt know whether or not their calls were sucked up in the dragnet or not)

    in other words, could someone who lives under where there plane was flying sue the court for unreasonable search and seizure?

    --
    have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
  4. Re: can't wait for the duplicity... by ganjadude · · Score: 1

    true but where is the line drawn?

    If i am having a fire on my property and some smoke goes over to your yard, is it now no longer "private"??

    --
    have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
  5. Re:worst terrorist attack since when? by ganjadude · · Score: 1

    id say boston bombing was the biggest since 9/11

    --
    have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
  6. N404KR by sillivalley · · Score: 5, Informative

    Look at the track for N404KR on that day (2015/12/02) -- it spent hours circling over the area. It's a Cessna 182T, so a smaller payload capability, but slower with more loiter time over a tighter area.

    And it's registered out of a P.O. box in Virginia, along with many similar companies and aircraft.

    Nothing suspicious here, move along citizen...

    1. Re:N404KR by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      other southern California spy planes
      FBI: N956D, LIM0053 (N239LF), N657TP
      DEA?: N48Q,N66W,N65U
      other: N145AF

  7. Re:worst terrorist attack since when? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    But their skin was brown, so this is a terrorist attack!

    Last week was from white people. Totally different!

  8. Re: can't wait for the duplicity... by zippthorne · · Score: 1

    Does the smoke affect your neighbor in any way?

    Perhaps your neighbor is asthmatic or sensitive to smoke or was trying to star-gaze that night or just doesn't like the smell of smoke.

    Of course your fire impacts your neighbor if its products escape your property.

    --
    Can you be Even More Awesome?!
  9. Re:That's the solution! by Legal.Troll · · Score: 1

    Without looking too far into it, I suspect the thing's stock operational parameters are carefully designed to withstand constitutional scrutiny.

    --
    "Outdated business models" is code for "I don't like paying for things, but want them anyway"
  10. Any Bright Spot? by JimSadler · · Score: 1

    Although I maintain that every individual has the same right to spy that any government has to spy upon the public I do think I see one bright spot in this. Criminals may get the message that they can no longer use phones to carry out their crimes or ways of life. It is getting harder and harder to be a criminal.

    1. Re:Any Bright Spot? by gweihir · · Score: 1

      Actually, it is getting easier and easier to be a criminal, as the bar for that is constantly lowered. It is getting even more easy to be a successful criminal if you are smart, because nothing of these technologies are useful to catch smart criminals. And law enforcement actually likes crime, as it gets them new shiny toys and more power. I am sure they are carefully selecting which criminals they catch, so as to not dry up the supply. They will of course keep catching criminals, otherwise what they do might become too obvious, but they have a host of well-tuned mechanisms to obscure where they truly stand.

      Hence your optimism (limited as it may be) is entirely misplaced.

      My apologies to all honest cops. I know they exist, but usually they do not raise to power and may just be as appalled at what is going on as I am.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    2. Re:Any Bright Spot? by spire3661 · · Score: 1

      "Criminals may get the message that they can no longer use phones to carry out their crimes or ways of life. It is getting harder and harder to be a criminal."

      You are either naive or being purposefully obtuse. Anything that can be used against others can be used against you. This makes it harder for EVERYONE, not just criminals.

      --
      Good-bye
  11. Re:worst terrorist attack since when? by Kohath · · Score: 2

    Race-divider squad activate! Set grievance-politics field to "social unrest"! Aim sites on people getting along! And ... Go!

  12. An in other news: Criminals turn off their pones.. by gweihir · · Score: 1

    ... before doing anything criminal, neatly making this a tool suitable exclusively for mass-surveillance and completely worthless for crime-fighting. But those that want this kind of tech have known that all along, because, rather obviously, mass-surveillance is what they want. My take is this use of the surveillance drone served exclusively to collect data to use for research into mass-surveillance, the actual crime on the ground just provided a nice pretext.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  13. Re:Disclosure of this information is a mistake by gweihir · · Score: 1

    Simple: This is not about fighting terrorism or crime at all. It is about demonstrating to "do something", justifying all the expenses for "law enforcement" and collecting some nice bit of surveillance data with a good pretext in the bargain.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  14. Re:Yet they missed her violent rants on social med by Legal.Troll · · Score: 1

    Can't collect any data till after people are already dead. Strong privacy for the win.

    --
    "Outdated business models" is code for "I don't like paying for things, but want them anyway"
  15. Re:Yet they missed her violent rants on social med by gweihir · · Score: 1

    Are you sure they did? I _think_ they did, because mass-surveillance is unsuitable for preventing terrorism or crime, but by now I have really started to wonder whether they are really that incapable.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  16. Re:That's the solution! by gweihir · · Score: 1

    Or alternatively, they will just lie about what it does. It has gotten very easy for the police to lie to the public in the US. And even when caught, nothing ever happens to them.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  17. Another reasonable thing by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 1

    Searching to see if there are more terrorists engaged in a coordinated attack? Seems like a reasonable and responsible thing to do.

    Another reasonable thing would be to get judicial approval afterwards, to ensure that exigent circumstances were warranted and that it was an appropriate use of the technology.

    You know, so that it doesn't ratchet into future phone sweeps for just any little thing?

  18. Re:Disclosure of this information is a mistake by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

    Maybe they won't find it quite so easy to text one another to plan and co-ordinate their attacks, like the ones in Paris did.

    --
    Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
  19. Re:That's the solution! by Legal.Troll · · Score: 1

    Your User ID is very impressive, but personally I think that my scenario is more likely and that the full details of this usage, if presented to a federal judge, would pass muster. From the description, it sounds like a goodly chunk of the thing's OS is devoted to ceasing surveillance of unlikely targets as quickly as possible. Of course, it could all be a smokescreen, but it's also quite possible for a reasonable surveillance algorithm to implemented. Not a constitutional scholar but as I recall, all that would be required is that the activity be reasonable and proportionate to the threat presented.

    --
    "Outdated business models" is code for "I don't like paying for things, but want them anyway"
  20. Re: can't wait for the duplicity... by ganjadude · · Score: 1

    lets change fire to having a bbq and the smoke from the grill floats over. Say the neighbor doesnt partake in meat products, are you saying your neighbor has a right to complain and stop me from grilling? im not sure i follow here

    --
    have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
  21. Re:worst terrorist attack since when? by Legal.Troll · · Score: 1

    Also, not to sound like a troll, but "kill the baby killers" is a little more principled and focused than "f*** Americans, kill them all indiscriminately". So long as we've got the Vice President of the United States rationalizing Charlie Hebdo as more *reasonable* than Bataclan, let's dish out that same sympathy for white boys, k?

    --
    "Outdated business models" is code for "I don't like paying for things, but want them anyway"
  22. Trash article by stevez67 · · Score: 1

    Unrelated stock photos and innuendo. I love the "is to to have deployed" ... said by who? And the spy device that was "likely" used, if used at all, might have been blah blah blah. A troll article for the uber paranoid followed by 52 messages from people with nothing to add.

  23. Was Sandy Hook really not terrorism? by damn_registrars · · Score: 3, Interesting

    A lot of terror was brought to the society, a lot of innocent people were killed. Just because the shooter wasn't an Islamic radical doesn't mean it wasn't terrorism; a lot of people place the federal building attack in Oklahoma City under the label "domestic terrorism", there is a strong argument for placing Sandy Hook in the same category.

    --
    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
    1. Re:Was Sandy Hook really not terrorism? by phantomfive · · Score: 3, Interesting

      A lot of terror was brought to the society, a lot of innocent people were killed. Just because the shooter wasn't an Islamic radical doesn't mean it wasn't terrorism;

      Terrorism: the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims.

      It can't just be "something that scares people" otherwise lightning and thunder would be terrorism. The Sandy Hook shooter was crazy, he didn't seem to have any political motive as far as anyone can tell. Oklahoma City might be called terrorism, since it had a political goal (and indeed, McVeigh even feels his goals were somewhat achieved), but McVeigh wasn't trying to scare or kill average people. He later said he wished he had done targeted assassinations instead of a mass bombing, since it would have avoided needless casualties. So OK city is kind of in a grey area.

      I don't know why I am discussing this, an argument about a definition of a word is kind of silly thing to do, but oh well.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    2. Re:Was Sandy Hook really not terrorism? by khallow · · Score: 1

      Oklahoma City might be called terrorism, since it had a political goal (and indeed, McVeigh even feels his goals were somewhat achieved), but McVeigh wasn't trying to scare or kill average people.

      But he was targeting civilians (I gather either to target the ATF office present there or generic federal employees). That's average enough.

  24. Surprised the acted this fast by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Surprised a government agency acted this fast. But still there is no need to reveal to the terrorists all the tools we have at out disposal.

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    1. Re:Surprised the acted this fast by birukun · · Score: 2

      They did not 'act so fast' if they were already in the air, in an area close by...........

      Meaning, they don't sit around waiting, they are already scooping up calls all the time.

      --
      Self Defense - A Human Right www.a-human-right.com
    2. Re:Surprised the acted this fast by Lumpy · · Score: 1

      Luckily terrorists in general are pretty darn stupid and can not think of alternatives.

      The police have always been lucky that the bulk of baddies are really dumb.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  25. There is probably cause by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 2

    I think there is enough justification and probably cause to collect such information. It is no different than setting up a cordon and road blocks and stopping all motorists in the vicinity.

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    1. Re: There is probably cause by pegasustonans · · Score: 1

      What about setting up roadblocks for a city of 200,000 people based on one localized shooting incident? It's not like San Bernardino is some tiny village, after all.

      It'd be like closing down five blocks surrounding a liquor store hold-up. Either the government is grasping at straws, or their purpose for this survellance is pretty much unrelated to the incident.

      --
      And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. --Will
    2. Re: There is probably cause by Overzeetop · · Score: 1

      (1) not a liquor store holdup, a terrorist action
      (2) you really know nothing about perimeters for manhunts, do you?

      --
      Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
  26. Re: can't wait for the duplicity... by Predius · · Score: 1

    It's not the first time that idea has been floated: http://kxan.com/2015/04/02/cit...

  27. Re: can't wait for the duplicity... by Kohath · · Score: 2

    Does the smoke affect your neighbor in any way?

    He says it slows down his WiFi and gives his goldfish panic attacks.

  28. Contradiction - can they record calls or not? by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 1

    From the article:

    [Caption] Spy plane: The operator is able to locate a person's location quickly but cannot listen to calls

    The operator is able to locate a person's location quickly although they are not able to listen to calls.

    [Caption] Inside look: Customized controls in the spy plane allow operators to listen in on tens of thousands of phone conversations in one go around

    So which is it? Can they capture conversations or not?

    They also don't seem entirely sure if their facts are facts:

    It was equipped with 'Dirtbox' technology which can scan tens of thousands of phones in one go to identify suspects

    The craft would likely have been equipped with 'Dirtbox' technology which can scan tens of thousands of phones in one go to identify suspects.

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    1. Re:Contradiction - can they record calls or not? by currently_awake · · Score: 1

      In order to locate unknown accomplices of attackers, you need to be able to link them to the attack. You do that by listening to them giving status reports or talking about the attack, and by listening for voiceprints of people on watch lists. In order to accomplish that you must be able to listen to calls. Meta data will only tell you about the IMEI number of phones in an area, not what they are doing.

    2. Re:Contradiction - can they record calls or not? by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 1

      That doesn't answer the question of whether they are actually capable of doing it or not.

      Besides, meta data can (presumably) tell you which phones are calling which other phones. It also gives you the phone's location. That's plenty of useful info.

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  29. Snoop planes by __aagigi1968 · · Score: 1

    We have a set of 3-4 islander aircraft based at r.a.f northolt that take it in turns,most days and nights to circle over London at 10.000ft max,sucking up all phone calls,data links etc etc.. I can set my watch by them,they are that regular overhead on way in and out..when something big kicks off in London etc,they have had at least three in the air at once...are easy to spot,grey,and bristleing in twigs..

  30. Terrorist Checklist by nehumanuscrede · · Score: 1

    If planning future attacks, make sure to create, purchase or smuggle a device capable of downing aircraft in the area first. In the US, just point a laser pointer at it. The pilot will freak out and land citing blindness and numbness in their right arm or something :| Or, activate a high powered jammer near the tower to disrupt ALL cellular traffic. This will pretty much kill the sniffer planes purpose as well as create chaos on the ground when comms go out. I suppose just blowing up the nearby towers would suffice as well. It's like the US is only interested in going after the stupid terrorists who will plan ahead via Facebook or Twitter and / or keep in touch with cell phones. ( and we can't even stop those with all our super double naught spy agencies and their toys ) If our spies are no match for the home grown amateur, my faith in their ability to prevent a pro-unit from doing anything is pretty much non-existent. We'll learn about them the day after they turn a city into sub-atomic particles. Murica. All talk, no walk.

  31. ~0.5% by DesertNomad · · Score: 1

    While any murders are awful, the number of people killed in SBD was incomparable to the number killed at 09/11. Please stop comparing the two in attempting to imagine that it's become worse, or using the more recent to justify further destruction of our rights and of our country.

  32. Re:That's the solution! by gweihir · · Score: 1

    There is lying and lying. Unless an independent expert gets access to the software without them being warned before, they can just come up "accidentally" with and "older version" of the software that does indeed pass muster as you say.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  33. Re: That's the solution! by pepsikid · · Score: 1

    Any phone calls or metadata collected during this operation will be ATTRIBUTED to the airplane. Understand citizen?

  34. Re:Yet they missed her violent rants on social med by jafiwam · · Score: 1

    Are you sure they did? I _think_ they did, because mass-surveillance is unsuitable for preventing terrorism or crime, but by now I have really started to wonder whether they are really that incapable.

    Re-frame your reference.

    The truth is, they don't WANT to stop this type of violence. They USE those events to further steal rights away from regular law-abiding citizens.

  35. Not all of them by Lumpy · · Score: 1

    DHS is hoping your terrorists are stupid and uses standard cellphones.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.