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Twitter Blocks Government 'Spy Centers' From Accessing User Data (theguardian.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Twitter has blocked federally funded "domestic spy centers" from using a powerful social media monitoring tool after public records revealed that the government had special access to users' information for controversial surveillance efforts. The American Civil Liberties Union of California discovered that so-called fusion centers, which collect intelligence, had access to monitoring technology from Dataminr, an analytics company partially owned by Twitter. The ACLU's records prompted the companies to announce that Dataminr had terminated access for all fusion centers and would no longer provide social media surveillance tools to any local, state or federal government entities. The government centers are partnerships between agencies that work to collect vast amounts of information purportedly to analyze "threats". The spy centers, according to the ACLU, target protesters, journalists and others protected by free speech rights while also racially profiling people deemed "suspicious" by law enforcement. Records that the ACLU obtained uncovered that a fusion center in southern California had access to Dataminr's "geospatial analysis application", which allowed the government to do location-based tracking as well as searches tied to keywords. That means the center could use Dataminr to search billions of tweets and monitor specific demographics or organizations.
NT
Some companies are more equal than others.
and it is good to hear that they have been.
Since there are supporters of all colors, I don't think it is fair to call it racial profiling though, they are violent criminals that disrupt order, call for the killing of cops and white people.
Stop giving them a free pass.
The agencies will simply create a corporation and have it do all of the data mining and then sell the information to the government for a fee. Not going to stop this behavior at all.
Creative Spelling Copyright (2002). May use without Persimmons
I hope you learn to read.
Is anyone else slightly worried by this?
Like... if government and law enforcement aren't allowed access to that data, who else are they having as customers at their datamining company?
bickerdyke
Note how they didn't shut the operation down, they just cut off a few of the data subscribers. The analytics company is still running doing exactly the same thing and giving out exactly the same information.
The article states Dataminr was in volition of Twitter's ToS. Was Dataminr blocked? Sued? Taken to court for the federal crime of unauthorized computer access (which happens to individuals when they break someone's ToS)? Nope. Dataminr and Twitter are still close friends. Twitter still gives it a live feed of all its data. Why care about laws then you're buddies with the people who decide how selective their selectively enforce will be? Something you do is illegal but you're friends with high people? No worries, you'll never be targeted. Those laws aren't for you while I stay in charge, best you help keep me here.
please go back on your meds
So you're in support of allowing more Muslims to enter the country so they can go camping. That's real nice of you. Our national parks are great places to visit.
No "Crooked Hillary" emoji, and now failing to help spy on muslims and mexicans. Trump is going to shut these fuckers down for sure.
It's a racist!
The American Civil Liberties Union of California discovered that so-called fusion centers, which collect intelligence, had access to monitoring technology from Dataminr, an analytics company partially owned by Twitter.
The English language already has a word for government information gathering fusion aggregation and analysis centers: panopticon.
The most important guiding principle behind the design of the US constitution is not allowing the government to build the tools of tyranny to begin with. If it doesn't exist, it cannot be abused. That is the only principle that seems to work historically, and, more specifically, relying on "the vote" to prevent government from going into the dictatorial weeds has been shown full of failure in various historical democracies. Indeed, said vote more often than not is the end downfall as "emergency powers" are issued to a charismatic demagogue who never relinquishes it.
No panopticons. And no emergency powers to use to build the panopticon's data gathering. Stop giving these things to government.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
one by one, these "social media" companies should be drained -- of their dollars -- by responsible individuals who refuse to use (be used) by their service
Game over.
Cacaw cacaw!
Fly away now back to your fortress of doom!
They've banned anyone who's vagina aches, and soon twitter will have no one left to block :)
You do realize all of this information can be seen by anyone on the Internet? It is publically available information and government is allowed by legal and policy to use it for authorized purposes?
Twitter is for all users rights. Jack isnt a tyrant at all. Everything is fine. Wrongthink is removed for your safety. Twitter does not manipulate trending topic lists, or hand any data over to Oceana.