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What's with the uncritical pro-CIA tone throughout this whole article? Quotes like this go completely unchallenged: > Karen, the O.S.B. supervisor, later reca

What's with the uncritical pro-CIA tone throughout this whole article? Quotes like this go completely unchallenged: > Karen, the O.S.B. supervisor, later recalled. “That information getting out into a forum like that can hurt people and impact our mission. It’s a huge loss to the organization.” What about the people who could be hurt as a result of the intelligence the CIA collects via the spyware?

dylan604 4y ago
>What about the people hurt as a result of the intelligence the CIA collects via the spyware? How exactly was someone "hurt" because of said spyware? >How did they reach this conclusion The CIA (or any TLA) does not comment on ways & means of investigations. That's just silly to think they would as it would expose those ways & means. I'm all for being critical of anything spoken out of which ever side of the mouth the CIA PR people are speaking, but I'm not sure you're arguments are really effective here.
- Ansil849 4y ago
  > How exactly was someone "hurt" because of said spyware? What do you think the information gleaned from the targets is used for, if not to harm the targets or others? This is beyond the fact that you don't think the mere act of having spyware installed on your devices is hurtful?
  - dylan604 4y ago
    I equate this to those that say that downloading warez is not hurtful as it's just some electrons shifting around, so nothing was actually stolen. Having spyware sucks, and I do the best of my ability to not let it get installed. However, random internet thiefs vs nation state operatives are not the same and I do not humor myself to think I am adequetely equipped to prevent it. If the CIA plants stuff on my, a US citizen's computer, then that is absolutely something to be pissed off about and they need to be punished for this behavior. However, I know in my personal life there is nothing they will find of value and it is ultimately an absolute waste of their time and resources. If some random internet thief also can make use of the US Gov't agency's spyware in a way that is harmful to me (stealing money, etc), then it's even worse as they TLA probably think "secret" backdoors are safe.
- whimsicalism 4y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Iranian_nuclear_scientists https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Iranian_nucle...
imwillofficial 4y ago
Because it’s true? Leaked operational secrets = people killed.
- Ansil849 4y ago
  > Leaked operational secrets = people killed. Correct. Leaked operational secrets, like say via spyware installed on devices, = people killed. Which brings me back to my original question: > What about the people who could be hurt as a result of the intelligence the CIA collects via the spyware? So why is the fact that this leak could also save lives not pointed out?
  - imwillofficial 4y ago
    I agree

dylan604 4y ago

>What about the people hurt as a result of the intelligence the CIA collects via the spyware? How exactly was someone "hurt" because of said spyware? >How did they reach this conclusion The CIA (or any TLA) does not comment on ways & means of investigations. That's just silly to think they would as it would expose those ways & means. I'm all for being critical of anything spoken out of which ever side of the mouth the CIA PR people are speaking, but I'm not sure you're arguments are really effective here.

Ansil849 4y ago
> How exactly was someone "hurt" because of said spyware? What do you think the information gleaned from the targets is used for, if not to harm the targets or others? This is beyond the fact that you don't think the mere act of having spyware installed on your devices is hurtful?
- dylan604 4y ago
  I equate this to those that say that downloading warez is not hurtful as it's just some electrons shifting around, so nothing was actually stolen. Having spyware sucks, and I do the best of my ability to not let it get installed. However, random internet thiefs vs nation state operatives are not the same and I do not humor myself to think I am adequetely equipped to prevent it. If the CIA plants stuff on my, a US citizen's computer, then that is absolutely something to be pissed off about and they need to be punished for this behavior. However, I know in my personal life there is nothing they will find of value and it is ultimately an absolute waste of their time and resources. If some random internet thief also can make use of the US Gov't agency's spyware in a way that is harmful to me (stealing money, etc), then it's even worse as they TLA probably think "secret" backdoors are safe.
whimsicalism 4y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Iranian_nuclear_scientists https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Iranian_nucle...

imwillofficial 4y ago

Because it’s true? Leaked operational secrets = people killed.

Ansil849 4y ago
> Leaked operational secrets = people killed. Correct. Leaked operational secrets, like say via spyware installed on devices, = people killed. Which brings me back to my original question: > What about the people who could be hurt as a result of the intelligence the CIA collects via the spyware? So why is the fact that this leak could also save lives not pointed out?
- imwillofficial 4y ago
  I agree