Use Tor or 'EXTREMIST' Tails Linux? Congrats, you're on an NSA list

[Art_X]

Not sure how to take this, but if it's true, then it seems that everyone is fair game

 

 

Alleged leaked documents about the NSA's XKeyscore snooping software appear to show the paranoid agency is targeting Tor and Tails users, Linux Journal readers ? and anyone else interested in online privacy.

At the heart of the claims is this sample configuration file for the XKeyscore system.

The top-secret documents were apparently obtained and studied by members of the Tor project and security specialists for German broadcasters NDR and WDR.

 

 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07/03/nsa_xkeyscore_stasi_scandal/

[+John Teacake MVC]

Everyone's a suspect. 

[Alwaysonacoffebreak]

Oh god noobs.

[Max Norris]

Not really surprised.  Spy agencies want to be able to view all Internet traffic. I highly doubt they'll leave this sort of thing alone, doubt the NSA is alone there too.

[Art_X]

Wouldn't surprise me either, I bet they are all at it

[123456789A]

I'm not surprised. The people who believe they have something to hide would be the ones they'd want to monitor.

 

The NSA is welcome to view pictures of my cat, but I highly doubt they would ever bother to.

[123456789A]

Oh but they will bother and that's the problem, they lost sight of the original "spy the entire world" initiative.

 

I'd be honored if they monitored my cat. Maybe then the NSA could alert me when she is out of food.

[Art_X]

I'd be honored if they monitored my cat. Maybe then the NSA could alert me when she is out of food.

Just name your cat something Arab sounding, or post on facebook how your cat is good at finding oil and I am sure they will monitor her for you  :shifty:

[sanctified Veteran]

they lost sight of the original "spy the entire world" initiative.

You say that as if something to be proud about

[DConnell Member]

I'm not surprised. The people who believe they have something to hide would be the ones they'd want to monitor.

 

The NSA is welcome to view pictures of my cat, but I highly doubt they would ever bother to.

 

That depends on how cute your cat is.

[+Red King Subscriber²]

They are just collecting people's porn habits. What a waste of tax payer dollars.

[NEVER85]

Should I care if I'm in Canada? :p

 

I don't use Tor nor do I even know what that particular distro of Linux is, but still.

[JonnyLH]

Meh, I'm involved in a lot of traffic shaping, management at work so this is something which I'm rather controversial on compared to the general census. Although, it's good to have discussion.

 

You'd be surprised how many ISPs have the potential capability for what the NSA is doing. For example, I can filter traffic by user, website, activity. For example see the total bandwidth being used for XBL, P2P activity for example and look at each user using those services.

 

What I want to know is how the NSA is logging/collecting this data. If the NSA is somehow monitoring Tor for example, then they should flag traffic by the parameters they need and only log information which deems needs investigating. If the information is indeed nothing, it should be erased without any trace. Although, if the NSA is blanket data collecting and keeping the majority of the information pouring through, then I'm strictly against this.

 

In fairness though, Tor and Tails will be used more than likely by people who may be cause for national/international concern. So I can understand why they're trying to look into it.

[dead.cell]

I'd be honored if they monitored my cat. Maybe then the NSA could alert me when she is out of food.

I get that you're trying to be funny, but that's exactly how this sort of stuff is born. By offering conveniences at the cost of our privacy (see social media, Google, etc), we set ourselves up for a future that was thought to only be science fiction.

 

Suddenly, we go from holding our ground to, "I have nothing to hide, and if this new monitoring system helps me keep up with my [person/object], then by all means!"

 

Meh.