Flutterby™! : Not spying on Americans

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Not spying on Americans

2013-08-01 16:29:35.581778+00 by Dan Lyke 8 comments

Google "pressure cookers" and "backpacks", get a visit from the government.

[ related topics: moron ]

comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment Re: made: 2013-08-01 16:56:13.313193+00 by: Dan Lyke

More: https://medium.com/something-like-falling/2e7d13e54724

#Comment Re: made: 2013-08-01 17:23:11.808129+00 by: Dan Lyke [edit history]

The plot thickens. Forbes blogger Kashmir Hill has a Tweet saying:

FBI/Joint Terrorism Task Force say they were not involved in the Google search raid. It was a local police matter.

Which starts to really raise some questions: How did the local police learn about these searches? ISP snooping? Other?

RT Bill Humphries @whump:

Imagine someone in NC or Texas searching for information on abortion, and a Fusion Center calls a SWAT team on them. That's where this goes.

#Comment Re: made: 2013-08-01 18:35:54.131542+00 by: Jack William Bell

I think we should have a day when everyone in America googles for things on the NSA watchlist.

#Comment Re: made: 2013-08-01 19:12:28.989155+00 by: markd

If Google really is sending search results in real-time out that filter down to the local cops in no time, that's bad (having been on the inside there, I don't really believe it). This particular case sounds like someone posted something "suspicious" publicly https://plus.google.com/112961607570158342254/posts/FWAVRVaN64h

#Comment Re: made: 2013-08-01 21:10:22.983011+00 by: Dan Lyke

I'm definitely not sure I find the Facebook photo explanation any less disturbing. Though I am finding it curious and weird that nobody's managed to find an agency to fess up to the alleged visit now...

#Comment Re: made: 2013-08-01 22:25:49.284524+00 by: markd

Scraping of public facebook postings is pretty easy for anybody. Tapping into the google search stream going over https, that's a whole nother level of horror.

#Comment Re: made: 2013-08-01 22:46:24.352949+00 by: Dan Lyke

Well, yeah, but, assuming the story holds up, dispatching 3 SUVs full of armed LEOs over a posting an advertising shot of some fireworks to Facebook is raw idiocy.

#Comment Re: made: 2013-08-01 23:52:44.202963+00 by: Dan Lyke

Ah, Suffolk County police say it was a disgruntled former employer who warned them based on search logs.