Facebook Says Government Demands For User Data Are at a Record High (techcrunch.com) 31
Facebook's latest transparency report is out. The social media giant said the number of government demands for user data increased by 16% to 128,617 demands during the first-half of this year compared to the second-half of last year. From a report: That's the highest number of government demands its received in any reporting period since it published its first transparency report in 2013. The U.S. government led the way with the most number of requests -- 50,741 demands for user data resulting in some account or user data given to authorities in 88% of cases. Facebook said two-thirds of all of the U.S. government's requests came with a gag order, preventing the company from telling the user about the request for their data. But Facebook said it was able to release details of 11 so-called national security letters (NSLs) for the first time after their gag provisions were lifted during the period. National security letters can compel companies to turn over non-content data at the request of the FBI. These letters are not approved by a judge, and often come with a gag order preventing their disclosure. But since the Freedom Act passed in 2015, companies have been allowed to request the lifting of those gag orders.
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but... if you happen to have gotten yourself on the Presidential Enemy List, watch out!!
It's a failure (Score:3, Insightful)
Let's admit that social media is a failure. Bringing on partisan censorship (Eric Ciaramella) and surveillance all at the government and party fingertips.
What concerns me more is if this data is used as triggers for Red Flag Laws to take away the rights of citizens for wrongthink that have committed no crime.
I don't know what the future is but I know the present is already grim.
Re:It's a failure (Score:4, Insightful)
>Let's admit that social media is a failure.
It works fine.
I can message friends and family.
I am a member in closed groups where we discuss things on topic for the group.
Direct communications is whitelisted, unlike email where spam prevails.
If you put anything up on social media that you consider private then that's a mistake.
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>Let's admit that social media is a failure.
It works fine. ...
I can message friends and family.
So it doesn't bother you that if you say the wrong thing in public, you'll get in big trouble, either by the social media company or else by the gumbermint? You will have nothing at all to worry about until you do have something to worry about, but by then it will be too late. When you disappear and your organs harvested, Martin Niemöller, Evelyn Beatrice Hall, and Chyna will salute you as you slowly become soylent green!
That's a lot to infer from my words, which suggested nothing of the sort. I was responding to the assertion that social media has failed which is simply and obviously wrong. I'm not getting dragged into the discussion about the government spying, I have no special insights that I would share here. Yes it's bad, but that's hardly a unique insight. My day job involves making spying harder. My conscious is clear.
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So nothing to actually contradict my words. Just using them as a hook to start your screed on other matters.
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I did not. But failure is a very imprecise claim.
What exactly is social media a failure at?
Making money? No.
Connecting People? No.
Providing targeted ads? No.
Ensuring people's privacy? Yes
Distributing lies portrayed as facts? Yes
So social media is not a failure for someone using it while aware of the risks and thus using it appropriately.
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>Let's admit that social media is a failure.
It works fine. I can message friends and family. I am a member in closed groups where we discuss things on topic for the group. Direct communications is whitelisted, unlike email where spam prevails.
If you put anything up on social media that you consider private then that's a mistake.
So you replaced social media is a failure with private comms are fine? Not the same at all, but OK.
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>Let's admit that social media is a failure.
It works fine.
I can message friends and family.
I am a member in closed groups where we discuss things on topic for the group.
Direct communications is whitelisted, unlike email where spam prevails.
If you put anything up on social media that you consider private then that's a mistake.
So you replaced social media is a failure with private comms are fine? Not the same at all, but OK.
For private comms I use Signal or other forms of secure communication. I understand secure communication because I work in the field of cryptography. For channels like Facebook messenger, I avoid talking about matters I wouldn't want governments, criminals or corporations listening in on.
Social media is not private. Just treat it as not private, but it still has utility.
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The less facebook collects, the less they can give to the government. Unfortunately, facebook collects everything they can get their hands on because that's their business model. So you're connections with your family members get analyzed en connected to other information you (knowlingly or nog) divulge
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That's why I don't use Facebook to communicate information that must remain private. That includes things like passwords, corporate secrets and matters pertaining to government security/spying organizations that I brush up against in my job. In my job I make security physical primitives so people can secure their stuff. Without the security physical primitives (entropic random numbers, guaranteed unique IDs and nonces etc.) it's impossible to secure your information over open channels.
National Security Letter (Score:3)
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At this point the UN is nothing but a cover for a gigantic child molesting operation worldwide.
Not to mention the global fascist system you are practically salivating to implement. Keep power away from dangerous people like you.
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a joke? (Score:2)
Hilarious (Score:2)
This is how you know Facebook will never face any real penalties for their seemingly never-ending privacy problems.
The Government is far, FAR too addicted to the data access that Facebook can provide.
The same can be said for any corporation who has massive databases on the population at large.
Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Various Telecoms, ISP's, etc. etc.
transparency report (Score:2)
what about a transparency report from facebook on facebook itself?
I'll show you transparency... (Score:2)
An individual for the most part, has a level head to think with. However, put that same individual in a crowd of their peers,