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Yahoo Scan By US Fell Under Foreign Spy Law Expiring Next Year (reuters.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: A Yahoo operation in 2015 to scan the incoming email of its customers for specific information requested by the U.S. government was authorized under a foreign intelligence law, parts of which will expire next year, two U.S. government officials familiar with the matter said. The collection in question was specifically authorized by a warrant issued by the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, said the two government sources, who requested anonymity to speak freely. Yahoo's request came under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the sources said. The two sources said the request was issued under a provision of the law known as Section 702, which will expire on Dec. 31, 2017, unless lawmakers act to renew it. The FISA Court warrant related specifically to Yahoo, but it is possible similar such orders have been issued to other telecom and internet companies, the sources said. Section 702 of the FISA governs a program exposed by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden known as Prism, which gathers messaging data from Alphabet Inc's Google, Facebook Inc, Microsoft Corp, Apple Inc and other major tech companies that involves a foreign target under surveillance. Another type of spying the authority allowed under Section 702 is known as "upstream," and allows the NSA to copy web traffic flowing along the internet backbone located inside the United States and search for certain terms associated with a target. "The NSA has said that it only targets individuals under Section 702 by searching for email addresses and similar identifiers," Senator Ron Wyden (OR-D) said in a statement to Reuters on Monday. "If that has changed, the executive branch has an obligation to notify the public."
I am sure Congress will extend it
...and its sole and entire reason for being:
Non US Persons outside the US.
Foreign intelligence targets don't magically imbue themselves with US Constitutional protections simply because their communications enters, traverses, or otherwise touches something within the United States.
This company survived to the present day in part because their email systems were so ripe for abuse. You can guarantee a lot of account hacking and running scams were pulled on this service because very few other email providers made it so simple to open many email accounts. Their security was dismal and captchas were only added at one point because they were obviously getting a bit too overwhelmed by automated email accounts being.
It shows again that US-based services cannot be relied upon. Even if the US government does not intercept your data, the service provider will be compelled or forced to hand it over. Keep data under your own control if at all possible and avoid by any means storing it in the US or with
From the article:
"The collection in question was specifically authorized by a warrant issued by the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, said the two government sources"
Notice how Reuters just regurgitates the info they get from "anonymous government sources"? They don't even bother to cite the law, nor do they question it on Constitutional grounds. Anonymous sources say that the FISA court said it was OK, therefore it's OK? Thanks for the investigative journalism.
From The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:
"... no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized ..."
IANAL, but it would be impossible for the government to demonstrate "probable cause" to search the e-mail messages of every single Yahoo! user. The word "particularly" is also very relevant here as it contrasts to "general". It's illegal to issue a "general" warrant. The verbiage is very deliberate in meaning that the "particular" person or premises must be named in the warrant. "All Yahoo! e-mail users" or "All e-mail on Yahoo! servers" is not a "particular" description.
I'm not optimistic, but *maybe* there's a lawsuit here that will force a court ruling on this crap. If all Yahoo! e-mail users were affected, the government can't argue(as it has done successfully in the past) that the plaintiffs lack legal standing to sue.
On the article last week about Yahoo being hacked and 500 million accounts being stolen, then this week about yahoo allowing the US Federal government to do a dragnet, then the big-name tech companies denying they do the same, all of which we basically threw a party making fun of you guys because at this point, it's either that or we cry, we finally have the PR people saying effectively the following:
"Hay Guyz, It's perfectly legal!"
I say we make even more fun of them, and just like a playground bully, we continue to do so just to torture the PR people into coming up with new, interesting, and entertaining spin. We all know it's lies but at least we can get a smile with our morning coffee, eh?
I would really like a story about how illicit drugs and unicorns caused this. At least it wouldn't be so depressing.
Yahoo Scan By US Fell Under Foreign Spy Law Expiring Next Year
Can we get this translated to English?
Don't pay attention to the huge overreach of governmental powers, but let's instead be distracted by the dying tech company over here. Nothing to see here. Move along, citizen. And pick up that can while you're at it.
Anything after 'authorized by a secret court' are meaningless words. Once the US 'authorized' the use of 'secret courts', the entire premise of the US constitution disappeared. The US is no longer governed 'by the people'. That's very sad for me to say as I quite admired the US constitution & its attempt at 'enumerating people's rights' & putting the power of those rights in the hands of the people.
Obama? Live up to his legal obligations?!?!?!
BWAAA HAAA HAAA
That's a good one.
Why, we can all file a Freedom of Information Act request for the data, so "the most transparent administration in history" can ignore it.
Maybe he can given one more term in office.
I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
The same 702 that was set to expire in 2012? The same 702 that was enabled by the House and Senate in late December and signed by Obama on December 30, 2012, two days before expiration? The same one that many of us protested back in 2012? The same one that the government must be sure we've all forgotten by now so it can be quietly renewed next year by whatever muppet is installed as President? The one that was promised to target furriners only? The one in that bill there?
Well, color me surprised. And if this is news to anyone, then someone needs a Gingko enema.
a group of foreign individuals who would always identify their messages with a particular signature phrase, described as "highly unique" to the group in question
Was it "E. Pluribus Unum"? Or "Yes, Mister President"?
Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
It is still a criminal offense when seen from other countries. Basically, it shows again that an American-based company is not trustworthy.for storing any data at all.