The New Thought Police...

[Missourian]

The New Thought Police:The NSA Wants to Know How You Think—Maybe Even What You Think

by James Bamford

The National Security Agency (NSA) is developing a tool that George Orwell's Thought Police might have found useful: an artificial intelligence system designed to gain insight into what people are thinking.

With the entire Internet and thousands of databases for a brain, the device will be able to respond almost instantaneously to complex questions posed by intelligence analysts.

As more and more data is collected—through phone calls, credit card receipts, social networks like Facebook and MySpace, GPS tracks, cell phone geolocation, Internet searches, Amazon book purchases, even E-Z Pass toll records—it may one day be possible to know not just where people are and what they are doing, but what and how they think.

The system is so potentially intrusive that at least one researcher has quit, citing concerns over the dangers in placing such a powerful weapon in the hands of a top-secret agency with little accountability.

<More>from the PBS Nova series 'The Spy Factory'.

I think this is terrifying.

Your thoughts?

 

[Modbert]

Technology is the 2nd most dangerous weapon.

The first being Knowledge.

 

[random3434]

The New Thought Police:The NSA Wants to Know How You Think—Maybe Even What You Think

by James Bamford

The National Security Agency (NSA) is developing a tool that George Orwell's Thought Police might have found useful: an artificial intelligence system designed to gain insight into what people are thinking.

With the entire Internet and thousands of databases for a brain, the device will be able to respond almost instantaneously to complex questions posed by intelligence analysts.

As more and more data is collected—through phone calls, credit card receipts, social networks like Facebook and MySpace, GPS tracks, cell phone geolocation, Internet searches, Amazon book purchases, even E-Z Pass toll records—it may one day be possible to know not just where people are and what they are doing, but what and how they think.

The system is so potentially intrusive that at least one researcher has quit, citing concerns over the dangers in placing such a powerful weapon in the hands of a top-secret agency with little accountability.

<More>from the PBS Nova series 'The Spy Factory'.

I think this is terrifying.

Your thoughts?

You mean you can't read them yet?




You do know NOTHING you do is private anymore, right?


I have nothing to hide, (well, illegally that is) but for those who do, you WILL get caught someday!

 

[manu1959]

The New Thought Police:The NSA Wants to Know How You Think—Maybe Even What You Think

by James Bamford

The National Security Agency (NSA) is developing a tool that George Orwell's Thought Police might have found useful: an artificial intelligence system designed to gain insight into what people are thinking.

With the entire Internet and thousands of databases for a brain, the device will be able to respond almost instantaneously to complex questions posed by intelligence analysts.

As more and more data is collected—through phone calls, credit card receipts, social networks like Facebook and MySpace, GPS tracks, cell phone geolocation, Internet searches, Amazon book purchases, even E-Z Pass toll records—it may one day be possible to know not just where people are and what they are doing, but what and how they think.

The system is so potentially intrusive that at least one researcher has quit, citing concerns over the dangers in placing such a powerful weapon in the hands of a top-secret agency with little accountability.

<More>from the PBS Nova series 'The Spy Factory'.

I think this is terrifying.

Your thoughts?

You mean you can't read them yet?

You do know NOTHING you do is private anymore, right?

I have nothing to hide, (well, illegally that is) but for those who do, you WILL get caught someday!

totally agree..........

 

[RodISHI]

The corporates have been doing this for years. Why should it bother me if the government does to find criminals? Other than the fact there are some criminals within the government.

 

[michiganFats]

If this is what's gone public, I wonder what they have that isn't public knowledge.

 

[editec]

I think that anyone truly fearful that the government is going to know our thoughts might want to stop posting on boards like these.

OTOH, if one want to insure that the government is getting a sense of the zietgiest of the nation, then posting in places like this guarantees that your imput is in the mix.

My point?

Every word we write is stored for review, folks.

I don't doubt that technology is, or will be, devised to help the government (much like Santa) to make a list about who is naughty or nice.

The government may know that you're innocent, but the question they keep asking themselves is this:

Just what exactly are the people innocent of?​

 

[William Joyce]

Americans think?

 

[pegwinn]

Personally I think it is facinating. I'm not afraid of what the .gov knows since the IRS has info on all of us going back, in some cases, decades. That data alone can build a profile sufficient to eliminate you as a suspect in most cases.

I would not mind seeing such technology in court. You have the right to remain silent. But if you choose to speak, you don't have the right to lie.

 

[strollingbones]

could you imagine being the poor sucker who has to review all the posts on messageboards with "key" words in them.... i wonder what would happen if we all changed the signature to the words that cause big brother to key in...

 

[editec]

could you imagine being the poor sucker who has to review all the posts on messageboards with "key" words in them.... i wonder what would happen if we all changed the signature to the words that cause big brother to key in...

That isn't how it works, I think.

They can design algorithms to track down pretty much whatever they are looking for.

If anything this technology is useful for getting a social psychologic profile, more than for tracking down potentially dangerous people.

A meter to determine the internet population's zietgiest, if you will.

It probably beats the hell out of using test panels of citizens to determine the public mood (or it probably will in the future...who knows where they're at right now?

 

[dilloduck]

could you imagine being the poor sucker who has to review all the posts on messageboards with "key" words in them.... i wonder what would happen if we all changed the signature to the words that cause big brother to key in...

That isn't how it works, I think.

They can design algorithms to track down pretty much whatever they are looking for.

If anything this technology is useful for getting a social psychologic profile, more than for tracking down potentially dangerous people.

A meter to determine the internet population's zietgiest, if you will.

It probably beats the hell out of using test panels of citizens to determine the public mood (or it probably will in the future...who knows where they're at right now?

Hold on a sec now----I don't want ANYONE measuring my zeitgeist .

 

[Paulie]

Having nothing to hide is no reason to support allowing the government to have this type of authority.

 

[pegwinn]

Having nothing to hide is no reason to support allowing the government to have this type of authority.

Nice argument. True, relevant, and absolutely in line with how the more educated folks know that government is supposed to be.

Too bad that we didn't think of that back in the thirties, the sixties, and today. Of course that would require a populace that gave a damn.

 

[Againsheila]

I don't care what kind of machine they invent, it's never going to be able to read my mind. I have a friend who is currently a professor at Princeton University. He used to spend his nights reading books about Chess and planning move on top of move on top of move. He played a game with me once and I creamed him. He complained none of my moves were logical, I just smiled.

 

[Paulie]

Having nothing to hide is no reason to support allowing the government to have this type of authority.

Nice argument. True, relevant, and absolutely in line with how the more educated folks know that government is supposed to be.

Too bad that we didn't think of that back in the thirties, the sixties, and today. Of course that would require a populace that gave a damn.

I'm at a loss for understanding how people have come to advocate the government having this kind of authority. Our government was established to provide us with, and subsequently protect, the liberties we fought the most powerful nation on Earth to receive. We were warned adequately and abundantly by our founders that it is our RESPONSIBILITY to keep government in check to guarantee preservation of those liberties, because government's natural tendancy is to seek en ever-increasing amount of power. It's inevitable, and history ought to be enough proof of that.

I love the irony of someone wearing a shirt that says "freedom isn't free", when I'm sure many of those very people are about as lackadasical about their liberty as anyone.

Liberty isn't a cute slogan. We either live or die by it as a nation.

 

[Agnapostate]

Wariness of increasing government surveillance is a far greater virtue than droning speculatively about capturing criminals.

 

[Paulie]

Wariness of increasing government surveillance is a far greater virtue than droning speculatively about capturing criminals.

Apparently on some issues we can agree.

 

[pegwinn]

Me, I am far more worried about the antiLiberty abilities of the current .gov than in a science fiction scenario. So long as you leave me be within my home, papers, and effects we can get along. Public surveillance, technology that can entrap liars in court, and anything that will put us ahead of the whackjobs... I am pretty much all for that.

When it comes to your personal liberties, each case is unique. Each is worthy of argument. Each is worthy of a heckuva bar fight if need be.