4 ms·

I'm not sure what your point is; the story is about PRISM and privacy not about writing jokes on public forums. Local authorities do stupid stuff sometimes.

ctdonath 13y ago
My point is while We have more freedom and more ways to talk than ever before thanks to PRISM we know those ways to talk are being copied, scoured, and sniffed for content to use against people whom authorities deem targets. The couple I referred to are upstanding law abiding citizens, but are vocal opponents of the local authorities. Not having any legal reason to shut them up, an obscure dark-humor posting by one of them was discovered and used as a pretext for totalitarian oppressive tactics (break into home without permission or warrant, confiscate lawful personal possessions (worth several months' pay) without adjudicated reason). It's akin to if you made some joke about observing the NSA like it observes you, a dozen armed-and-ready cops broke into your house and confiscated all your computers/phones/etc without a warrant. The more they know, the more they can act against you when they want to. ETA: I, like many, hesitate to say certain things on any recordable medium because we have reason to believe everything is recorded (and that which isn't can be derived from metadata). While my example used public data, the practical difference between public & private (chat board vs. PRISM) is becoming moot, and the consequences involving oppressive government acting without warrant is exactly the severity we are concerned about.
- javajosh 13y ago
  This sounds like a possible lawsuit against the local PD. As much as I despite our litigious society, sometimes you have to hit them in the pocketbook to teach them a lesson.
- trestles 13y ago
  Would be interested to hear more but that's not at all what PRISM is about which is what my original posting was. There are plenty of news media sources that would like publicize those types of abuses and I suggest that they pursue that.

ctdonath 13y ago

My point is while We have more freedom and more ways to talk than ever before thanks to PRISM we know those ways to talk are being copied, scoured, and sniffed for content to use against people whom authorities deem targets. The couple I referred to are upstanding law abiding citizens, but are vocal opponents of the local authorities. Not having any legal reason to shut them up, an obscure dark-humor posting by one of them was discovered and used as a pretext for totalitarian oppressive tactics (break into home without permission or warrant, confiscate lawful personal possessions (worth several months' pay) without adjudicated reason). It's akin to if you made some joke about observing the NSA like it observes you, a dozen armed-and-ready cops broke into your house and confiscated all your computers/phones/etc without a warrant. The more they know, the more they can act against you when they want to. ETA: I, like many, hesitate to say certain things on any recordable medium because we have reason to believe everything is recorded (and that which isn't can be derived from metadata). While my example used public data, the practical difference between public & private (chat board vs. PRISM) is becoming moot, and the consequences involving oppressive government acting without warrant is exactly the severity we are concerned about.

javajosh 13y ago
This sounds like a possible lawsuit against the local PD. As much as I despite our litigious society, sometimes you have to hit them in the pocketbook to teach them a lesson.
trestles 13y ago
Would be interested to hear more but that's not at all what PRISM is about which is what my original posting was. There are plenty of news media sources that would like publicize those types of abuses and I suggest that they pursue that.