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NSA Turns Everyone Into 'Threat To National Security' By Classifying All Data

50 points by esalazar 13y ago

alttab 13y ago
It's not a problem now because there is a computation problem. All data isn't classified/sorted, but there are most likely rules behind what has been deemed "important" that create better results simply out of practical means. But like every other successful technology, its resolution goes up along with its ubiquity. Between electronic communication, GPS, video, and biometric data (coming to a Best Buy near you), when fully processed can document your every move, and measure it. Then predict it. Control.
darkchasma 13y ago
I'm confused as to how we went from 1984 being a cautionary tale to 1984 being secretly implemented; and no one seems to give a shit.
logn 13y ago
This isn't a very good article. I think the NSA is reasoning that revealing data via FOIA requests reveals its own capabilities which it wants secret. There's surely an argument to be made that we're all considered national security threats, but its responses to FOIA requests don't support that argument (at least not directly which this blogger seems to think). Can the journalists of our world at least do a little more analysis and extensive research? I think your average HN reader could put together a better article than this one. I guess it's time to automate journalism. Sorry for the rant. I'd love to discuss NSA more, but journalism or lack thereof is almost as much to blame for our country's woes. Obviously, this blogger has the right idea and goals, but probably spent all of 15 minutes writing this article. I think you could create a program which would accept topic sentences and then scour the web to find facts supporting that topic, hopefully facts from recent and relevant primary sources, instead of what bloggers do these days, which is regurgitate other articles.
raintrees 13y ago
This seems to be getting farcical. It makes me think of a potential (already done?) headline by the Onion: NSA Deemed To Be A Threat To National Security. And up after the break: Schrodinger's Cat - Denied FOIA Response Confirms State Without Opening The Box, Details at 11:00.

50 points by esalazar 13y ago

It's not a problem now because there is a computation problem. All data isn't classified/sorted, but there are most likely rules behind what has been deemed "important" that create better results simply out of practical means. But like every other successful technology, its resolution goes up along with its ubiquity. Between electronic communication, GPS, video, and biometric data (coming to a Best Buy near you), when fully processed can document your every move, and measure it. Then predict it. Control.

darkchasma 13y ago

I'm confused as to how we went from 1984 being a cautionary tale to 1984 being secretly implemented; and no one seems to give a shit.

logn 13y ago

This isn't a very good article. I think the NSA is reasoning that revealing data via FOIA requests reveals its own capabilities which it wants secret. There's surely an argument to be made that we're all considered national security threats, but its responses to FOIA requests don't support that argument (at least not directly which this blogger seems to think). Can the journalists of our world at least do a little more analysis and extensive research? I think your average HN reader could put together a better article than this one. I guess it's time to automate journalism. Sorry for the rant. I'd love to discuss NSA more, but journalism or lack thereof is almost as much to blame for our country's woes. Obviously, this blogger has the right idea and goals, but probably spent all of 15 minutes writing this article. I think you could create a program which would accept topic sentences and then scour the web to find facts supporting that topic, hopefully facts from recent and relevant primary sources, instead of what bloggers do these days, which is regurgitate other articles.

raintrees 13y ago

This seems to be getting farcical. It makes me think of a potential (already done?) headline by the Onion: NSA Deemed To Be A Threat To National Security. And up after the break: Schrodinger's Cat - Denied FOIA Response Confirms State Without Opening The Box, Details at 11:00.