3 ms·

"type of terrorism" what makes your example "terrorism" and not "crime"?

• XorNot 12y ago
  Why is any terrorism not just "crime"? Call it what you want: if we have no records of where mail was sent from and where it got delivered too over a medium-scale timeframe, we are seriously limiting any ability to deal wit this type of activity effectively. The term "letter bomb" is a real thing that was and still is really done.
  • DanBC 12y ago
    Do terrorists put a correct return address on the mail and use a local mailbox? Or do they forge a return address and use a distant mailbox? Mail data didn't catch the unabomber - has it caught anyone?
    • XorNot 12y ago
      You have to travel to the mailbox to send something from it. That mailbox is generally surrounded by other people who might notice it's comings and goings, or unfamiliar characters posting large packages. Frankly, the idea that metadata can't help us solve crimes but it can obviously be used to nebulously control a population is an oxymoron. Either metadata is useful, or it isn't. If it's useful, then why isn't it useful or potentially useful for dealing with crime? You can't have it both ways.