Big Brother

Comments about your favorite candidate, the newest PROPOSED law, and the FEMA camp near your hometown should go here.
Guardian
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon Jun 10, 2013 2:01 am

Re: Big Brother

Post by Guardian »

Recycling bins in the City of London are monitoring the phones of passers-by, so advertisers can target messages at people whom the bins recognize.

Renew, the startup behind the scheme, installed 100 recycling bins with digital screens around London before the 2012 Olympics. Advertisers can buy space on the internet-connected bins, and the city gets 5% of the airtime to display public information. More recently, though, Renew outfitted a dozen of the bins with gadgets that track smartphones.

The idea is to bring internet tracking cookies to the real world. The bins record a unique identification number, known as a MAC address, for any nearby phones and other devices that have Wi-Fi turned on. That allows Renew to identify if the person walking by is the same one from yesterday, even her specific route down the street and how fast she is walking.

The technology, developed by London-based Presence Aware, is supposed to help advertisers hone their marketing campaigns. Say a coffee chain wanted to win customers from a rival. If it had the same tracking devices in its stores, it could tell whether you’re already loyal to the brand and tailor its ads on the recycling bins accordingly. ”Why not Pret?” the screen might say to you. Over time, the bins could also tell whether you’ve altered your habits.

This kind of personalized advertising was famously envisioned in the movie Minority Report—except, in this real-life example, brands are scanning iPhones instead of irises. Retailers like Nordstrom have tested similar technology in their stores, the revelation of which sparked a minor outcry. Kaveh Memari, CEO of Renew, doesn’t think what his company is doing violates anyone’s privacy.

“From our point of view, it’s open to everybody, everyone can buy that data,” Memari told Quartz. ”London is the most heavily surveillanced city in the world…As long as we don’t add a name and home address, it’s legal.”

In the European Union, websites are legally required to inform users if a tracking cookie is placed on their computer. Tracking smartphones and other Wi-Fi devices isn’t nearly as regulated, in part because the technology is so new.

Renew would like to expand the technology to all of its recycling bins in London as well as those in New York City, Dubai, and Kuala Lumpur. In its test this summer, Renew installed the tracking devices in 12 of its London bins, most of them along a stretch of Cheapside, a busy street lined with retail stores:

The company still needs to sell retailers on the concept. Memari said he was working on a proposal for a bar that would install five tracking devices: one by the entrance, one on the roof, one near the cash register, and one in each of the bathrooms. That would allow the bar to know each person’s gender (from the bathroom trackers), how long they stay (“dwell time” is the official metric), and what they were there for (a drink outside or a meal inside). And targeted advertising for the pub could follow those people around London on Renew’s omniscient recycling bins.

In the first month after installing the trackers, Renew says it picked up over a million unique devices. On July 6, a record day, its bins identified 106,629 people, taking note of their presence 946,016 times, according to the company. This chart, provided by Renew, shows one recycling bin’s readings over the course of a week, with spikes during commutes and lunch:

Memari notes that MAC addresses, while unique, don’t reveal the owner’s name or other identifying information. He says companies like Facebook and Google collect more information about people. Of course, those sites have terms and conditions of use, even if few people read them. In theory, MAC addresses could be paired with other consumer data collection, like a supermarket loyalty card, which could reveal the person’s name. Memari says that would go too far.

It’s possible to avoid one’s phone being tracked by turning off Wi-Fi on the device or filling out an online form. Memari says 80% of people in London leave Wi-Fi on when leaving their home or office.

“The chances are, if we don’t see you on the first, second, or third day, we’ll eventually capture you,” he said. “We just need you to have it on once.”
prophecy
Posts: 99
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2013 1:59 am

Re: Big Brother

Post by prophecy »

They sure are going out of their way to suppress ALL information relating to the Edward Snowden revelations - what have they got to hide ??

Extract from Reuters :

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The British government has asked the New York Times to destroy copies of documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden related to the operations of the U.S. spy agency and its British partner, Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), people familiar with the matter said.
The British request, made to Times executive editor Jill Abramson by a senior official at the British Embassy in Washington D.C., was greeted by Abramson with silence ............ "

Full link to article : http://news.yahoo.com/uk-asked-n-y-time ... nance.html
prophecy
Posts: 99
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2013 1:59 am

Re: Big Brother

Post by prophecy »

Given the following information would recommend you remove Google Chrome and other Google products from your PC ( Personally I have never used and will not use Google products )

Google Chrome can be deliberately compromised by a new exploit which lets malicious sites turn Google Chrome into a listening device, one that can record anything said in your office or your home, as long as Chrome is still running.

How it Works

A user visits a site, that uses speech recognition to offer some cool new functionality. The site asks the user for permission to use his mic, the user accepts, and can now control the site with his voice. Chrome shows a clear indication in the browser that speech recognition is on, and once the user turns it off, or leaves that site, Chrome stops listening. So far, so good.

But what if that site is run by someone with malicious intentions?

Most sites using Speech Recognition, choose to use secure HTTPS connections. This doesn’t mean the site is safe, just that the owner bought a $5 security certificate. When you grant an HTTPS site permission to use your mic, Chrome will remember your choice, and allow the site to start listening in the future, without asking for permission again. This is perfectly fine, as long as Chrome gives you clear indication that you are being listened to, and that the site can’t start listening to you in background windows that are hidden to you.

When you click the button to start or stop the speech recognition on the site, what you won’t notice is that the site may have also opened another hidden popunder window. This window can wait until the main site is closed, and then start listening in without asking for permission. This can be done in a window that you never saw, never interacted with, and probably didn’t even know was there.

Full link to article : http://talater.com/chrome-is-listening/

To make matters worse, even if you do notice that window (which can be disguised as a common banner), Chrome does not show any visual indication that Speech Recognition is turned on in such windows - only in regular Chrome tabs.
oracle
Posts: 180
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 1:51 am

Re: Big Brother

Post by oracle »

Our brave new World of the future awaits - please inform Facebook users on what they greeing to when they sign up for the Facebook terms and conditions ....................

Facebook Messenger App

Cellphone users who attempt to install the Facebook Messenger app are asked to agree to terms of service that allow the social networking giant to use the microphone on their device to record audio at any time without their permission.


As the screenshot above illustrates (click for enlargement), users are made to accept an agreement that allows Facebook to “record audio with the microphone….at any time without your confirmation.”
The Terms of Service also authorizes Facebook to take videos and pictures using the phone’s camera at any time without permission, as well as directly calling numbers, again without permission, that could incur charges.

But wait, there’s more! Facebook can also “read your phone’s call log” and “read data about contacts stored on your phone, including the frequency with which you’ve called, emailed or communicated in other ways with specific individuals.”

Although most apps on Android and Apple devices include similar terms to those pictured above, this is easily the most privacy-busting set of mandates we’ve seen so far.
Since the vast majority of people will agree to these terms without even reading them, cellphone users are agreeing to let Facebook monitor them 24/7, green lighting the kind of open ended wiretap that would make even the NSA jealous.
Guardian
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon Jun 10, 2013 2:01 am

Re: Big Brother

Post by Guardian »

FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY COVERS HIS LAPTOP WEBCOM WITH TAPE

FBI Director James Comey drew the ire of privacy and security advocates after admitting to covering his laptop webcam with tape Wednesday during a speech at Kenyon College.

While being asked about the public’s growing awareness of surveillance during the Q&A portion, Comey stated he began covering his webcam after seeing the practice from “somebody smarter” than him.

“I saw something in the news, so I copied it. I put a piece of tape — I have obviously a laptop, personal laptop — I put a piece of tape over the camera,” he said. “Because I saw somebody smarter than I am had a piece of tape over their camera.”

Comments at 1:34:45 mark on the video transcript :

https://lawfareblog.com/fbi-director-ja ... on-college

Comey’s calm admission shows just how far society has fallen into a surveilled technological control grid which is controlled by powers "above" the Government
User avatar
Firestarter
Posts: 2365
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2016 3:02 pm

Re: Big Brother

Post by Firestarter »

When you’re dealing with computers, there’s no such thing as private or secret information. Computers decide based on authorisation if you can view information. The secret police has the authority to view information stored on computers (except of course for the lucky few who are above the law). In 1997 the FBI started using the Carnivore system, later renamed to DCS1000, to spy the internet, using data mining techniques.
This also applies to telephones. Whenever you hear about physically bugging a phone: this is nonsense, they (continously) tap the central server for information on the phones. If you walk around with your cell phone not only do they hear everything but even know your location. This I will explain in the following where the speed for the radiowaves is 200 m/s.
Example 1 – One dimension. One dimension is a straight line. There are two GSM-antennes A (location 0) and B (location 500 m), the Phone is at position x. The signal from the Phone reaches A 0.5 seconds (or 100 m) ahead of B. r(A) and r(B) are the distance of the Phone to A and B:
I: r(A) + 100 = r(B)
II: r(A) + r(B) = 500

Subsituting I in II: r(A) + r(A) + 100 = 500 or 2 * r(A) = 400, thus r(A) = x = 200 m and r(B) = 300.
Example 2 – Three dimension. Now you need the information of 4 antennas (A, B, C, D) to locate the Phone (position: x, y, z). I have antennas: A (0, 0, 0), B (500, 0, 50), C (0, 500, 50), D (500, 500, 0). The distance of the Phone to the antennas is: r(A), r(B), r(C), r(D). The signal of the Phone reaches A first at time t (t * 200 = r(A)), then the other antennas are reached at t + t(B), t + t(C), t + t(D), so you get the next equations:
I: r(A)^2 = x^2 + y^2 + z^2 = [t * 200]^2
II: r(B)^2 = (500 - x)^2 + y^2 + (50 – z)^2 = [t + t(B)]^2 * 200^2
III: r(C)^2 = x^2 + (500 - y)^2 + (50 – z)^2 = [t + t(C)]^2 * 200^2
IV: r(D)^2 = (500 - x)^2 + (500 - y)^2 + z^2 = [t + t(D)]^2 * 200^2

For example: II: 250000 – 1000 * x + x^2 + y^2 + 2500 – 100 * z + z^2 = 40000 * t^2 + 80000 * t * t(B) + 40000 * t(B)^2;
Substitute I in II: 252500 – 1000 * x – 100 * z + [t * 200]^2 = 40000 * t^2 + 80000 * t * t(B) + 40000*t(B)^2
<=> 252500 – 1000 * x – 100 * z = 80000 * t * t(B) + 40000 * t(B)^2

By substituting you eventually can get a formula like: a * t^2 + b * t + c = 0. Which can be solved by the abc-formula: t(1,2) = {-b +/- SQRT[b^2 – 4 * a * c]} / 2 * a. When you know t, it is easy to solve the equations for the location of the Phone (x, y, z).
To make it more easy you could pick a point and then perform the calculation. In reality for the computerprograms you need a general method, which is more difficult.

You could also look at it financially: as a rule of thumb old technology is cheaper than new.
If I want my (old) house telephone connected I pay at least 12.50 per month. I pay administrative costs of 35 euro to get connected, need to buy a telephone and pay for each conversation (0.13/0.26 euro per minute plus startingcosts of 0.06 euro per call).
I can get a cell phone for 3.95 euro per month for 2 years, with 50 minutes and 50 SMS-messages a month included (I can even listen to music and make photos). I pay additional for postage and adminstative costs of 23.90 euro and need a memory card (including cardreader for 15 euro).
If I would call 30 minutes in 8 telephone converstations per month for two years. With my (old) house telephone (0.20 euro per minute): 491 euro. With my (new) cell phone:s 134 euro (including new telephone, memory card, cardreader, camera and music player).

In 2001 the Israeli companies AMDOCS and Comverse Infosys were suspected of spying on the American police. AMDOCS makes the bills for most of the American telephone companies. Comverse Infosys supplies the American government, with automatic tapping equipment. In 2001 it became clear that Comverse Infosys created a backdoor so they could tap in on the telephone information.
http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/spyring2.html
For some reason internet “search” engines block my posts: http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread ... orld/page2

The Order of the Garter rules the world: viewtopic.php?p=5549#p5549
User avatar
Firestarter
Posts: 2365
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2016 3:02 pm

Re: Big Brother

Post by Firestarter »

There are even commercially available apps for the cell phone, so employers can spy on their slaves and little brothers can spy on their loved ones: http://ziskje197qs2k43u.gq/cell-phone-t ... d-control/

The Information Awareness Office (IAO) of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is even more interesting than Carnivore: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informati ... ess_Office
Because the IAO prevents terrorism and doesn’t know who the (future) terrorists are, - to be on the safe side - they spy on everybody. There have been outcries in the USA, that this is a violation of constitutional rights. The government simply told us, they stopped financing the IAO (and continued the program by a different name) and only spy on other countries (of course Americans wouldn’t mind if other countries are spied upon).
The IAO gathers all information in one giant database, including analysis of friends, family, hobbies and medical history, and uses data mining to classify everybody by a danger level (1 for a good patriot and 10 for a dangerous terrorist that must be eliminated ASAP). There are nice features like: speech to text transcription, translating languages and predicting future events. IAO even helps the people in charge to make decisions and let these be carried out.

There is still one place where we have privacy: our brain. Our brain functions on waves of different frequencies. You could see a brain as a small area where continously a multitude of radio transmitters and receivers transport messages.
Of course Big Brother is trying hard to read our brain. Ideally this would be a listening device that tunes in to our thoughts (like a radiostation). Before Big Brother can achieve this, he has to recognise the unique wave pattern for every word. This means that cell phones have been equipped with sophisticated devices to map the part of the brain were we think (words).
At the time we speak, they know what (words) we think. One day it might not be science fiction for computers to read our mind.

Who could possibly object to the government violating privacy to prevent terrorism? What comes next: doubts about your freedom or even thoughts that 11 September, 2001 was an inside job?
We all love the allmighty dollar. Is it farfetched to think Big Brother’s face looks like the all seeing eye on top of the pyramid? See the logo of IAO.
Attachments
Logo of the Information Awareness Office
Logo of the Information Awareness Office
Information Awareness Office.jpg (10.4 KiB) Viewed 22224 times
For some reason internet “search” engines block my posts: http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread ... orld/page2

The Order of the Garter rules the world: viewtopic.php?p=5549#p5549
Post Reply