Surprise, Surprise! DHS is Starting to Spy on Social Media!

[Moped]

Can't say I'm surprised really. DHS looks more and more like the Gestopo everyday.

Privacy Group Sues DHS Over Social Media Monitoring Program | Fox News

This statement pretty much sums it up.

"Though still in development, DHS is looking to establish a system for monitoring "forums, blogs, public websites and message boards." The idea is to gather and analyze publicly available information, and then use that information to help officials respond to disasters and other situations."

In other words, they are going to look at what we are saying and if they don't like it, we are going on a list somewhere that will restrict our freedoms even more. The more I read and see, the more I realize that we lost the war on terror and Osama won. We are losing our freedoms.

[mcurrier]

Mentioned this already -

Post # 7

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/national-politics-legislation/66822-tsa-expand-viper-additional-funding-approved.html

[bigwakes]

It always seems the liberals never have to follow the request for information act. From birth certificates, to Fast and Furious, to this. They should all be put in jail for not conforming to the law. The RFI act should of held a 10 year minimum sentence for noncompliance.

[DaveTN]

Why is this surprising? You can say whatever you like on social media; you just can’t do it with immunity or secrecy.

I’m sure the ATF has monitored gun forums.

What freedoms are we losing?

[Moped]

The surprise part was sarcasm. We lose our freedoms when the Government begins to monitor us, because at some point all of us are going to say something, regardless of how small it might be, that the monitors find offensive and then we will be placed on a list. Could be a "Don't Sell Firearms to this Person" List or a "Do Not Fly" List or the "Arrest this Citizen and Turn Him Over to the Military" List. But it will happen. Lists are always used for evil in the end. I'm sure the Germans thought their Lists were for the greater good back in the 1930s, but 6 million Jews + another 6 million others later and it sorta lost it luster.

As for Osama winning, he changed our country and not for the better. Our Government is becoming scared of it's people and beginning to take steps that could ultimately lead to our oppression.

[TMF]

Most law enforcement agencies have been doing this for a long time. In fact, there was a recent story about a suspect in the DC area that was arrested after he posted pics of himself on Facebook which gave police a description of what he was wearing and the area he was in. The PD regularly generated "social media" reports for suspects or folks with warrants on them. I'm certain that just about every major LE agency does this. It's using open source data to collect intel.

While the tactic does seem a little on the edge, it isn't violating any rights. If I wanted to come to this site and search certain keywords which might take me to "anti-gov't" posts I can do that. Same with FB or Jihadi sites. I guess the concern would be being put on some kind of list that is transferrable across agencies, but if such a thing exists or will exist we'll most likely not know until it gets leaked to the press or the ACLU gets wind of it.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

While the tactic does seem a little on the edge, it isn't violating any rights. If I wanted to come to this site and search certain keywords which might take me to "anti-gov't" posts I can do that. Same with FB or Jihadi sites. I guess the concern would be being put on some kind of list that is transferrable across agencies, but if such a thing exists or will exist we'll most likely not know until it gets leaked to the press or the ACLU gets wind of it.

The list is the concern. Police agencies have been using these for years. It's getting ramped up, now.

When DHS came into being law enforcement became the Gestapo.