WebProNews

Tag: NSA spying

  • ‘Angry Birds’ Doesn’t Share Data With the NSA, Says Rovio

    Revelations of the extent of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) spy programs were an ongoing story during 2013, creating rifts between politically-aligned nations and creating a mess for diplomats around the globe. The situation doesn’t look to be dying down any time soon, though, and now even some unlikely companies are having to deny cooperation with the NSA.

    Rovio, the Finnish video game developer behind the popular Angry Birds series, this week released an official statement denying any involvement with the NSA. The company’s games were mentioned in recently leaked documents as a target for the NSA’s data collection programs.

    Rovio insists that it does not “share data, collaborate, or collude” with any spy agency, including the NSA and the GCHQ. However, the company does admit that Angry Birds user data may have been collected through third-party advertising networks. The NSA may have been able to access this information through such ad networks, though Rovio’s policy is to forbid ad networks from sharing user data.

    “Our fans’ trust is the most important thing for us and we take privacy extremely seriously,” said Mikael Hed, CEO of Rovio. We do not collaborate, collude, or share data with spy agencies anywhere in the world. As the alleged surveillance might be happening through third party advertising networks, the most important conversation to be had is how to ensure user privacy is protected while preventing the negative impact on the whole advertising industry and the countless mobile apps that rely on ad networks. In order to protect our end users, we will, like all other companies using third party advertising networks, have to re-evaluate working with these networks if they are being used for spying purposes.”

  • Edward Snowden Can’t Go Home, Blames Legal Gaps

    “Intelligence agencies do have a role to play, and the people at the working level at the NSA, CIA, or any other member of the IC are not out to get you.”

    Perhaps this answer given by Edward Snowden during a recent Q&A session seems a bit ironic, but it at least shows he still has faith in the purpose of American intelligence agencies. Snowden’s primary concerns, concerns that led to his whistleblower status, involved “unaccountable senior officials” who would abuse their position to authorize “unconstitutional programs“. In addition to the misuse of intelligence, Snowden felt that there were certain programs that were simply unnecessary.

    Says Snowden, “Collecting phone and email records for every American is a waste of money, time and human resources that could be better spent pursuing those the government has reason to suspect are a serious threat.” He noted that even the president agreed with him.

    Unfortunately for Snowden, he is still in a world of trouble and so he remains a world away in Russia.

    Edward Snowden initially fled to Hong Kong last year after the unlawful disclosure of various government activities. He then went to Russia where he was granted asylum for at least a year.

    Should Snowden return to the United States, he faces charges of theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national security information and giving classified intelligence data to an unauthorized person. In addition to criminal prosecution, Snowden has responded to alleged threats on his life by unnamed U.S. intelligence officials.

    Snowden says he would like to return to the United States, however does not see it as a possibility at present.

    “Returning to the US, I think, is the best resolution for the government, the public, and myself, but it’s unfortunately not possible in the face of current whistleblower protection laws.”

    He also feels that given the circumstances, a fair trial would be virtually impossible.

    Still, Snowden doesn’t view “all spying” as bad. He just hopes that the light he shined on government activities will encourage a greater focus on very real threats and not include the abusing of the trust of American citizens.

    Image via The Guardian Youtube

  • Author of the PATRIOT Act: NSA Abuses Its Power

    On Veteran’s Day, US House representative Jim Sesenbrenner was in Brussels, Belgium, testifying before the European Parliament at the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs about the ongoing abuse of the bill he wrote, the Patriot Act. There, he unveiled his true feelings, protesting the NSA’s mass spying, saying James Clapper should be terminated and put on trial, and that Dianne Feinstein’s Fisa Improvements Act is a “scary” lapse of judgment since it allows the government to, without a warrant, search through data collected by the NSA.

    Sesenbrenner said in his speech (PDF) to the EU parliamentarians that he never thought the Patriot Act would be used against the public so intrusively.

    “Congress knew the country needed new tools and broader authorities to combat those who meant to harm us, but we never intended to allow the National Security Agency to peer indiscriminately into the lives of innocent people all over the world.”

    Sesenbrenner defended the Patriot Act for its ability to foil terrorist schemes. However, he went on to state that those in power have abused the law, infringing on the rights of the public; the checks and balances are out of balance.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqHoobjmpps

    “I firmly believe the Patriot Act saved lives by strengthening the ability of intelligence agencies to track and stop potential terrorists, but in the past few years, the NSA has weakened, misconstrued and ignored the civil liberty protections we drafted into law.”

    “Worse, the NSA has cloaked its operations behind such a thick cloud of secrecy that, even if the NSA promised reforms, we would lack the ability to verify them.”

    To combat such offenses, Sesenbrenner paired with Senator Patrick Leahy, the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, in introducing the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ending Eaves dropping, Dragnet-collection, and Online Monitoring Act (USA FREEDOM Act).

    “The USA FREEDOM Act would end the NSA’s bulk collection of data under the Patriot Act whether it pertains to Americans or foreigners. The US Government would still be able to follow leads and obtain data when it has a reasonable suspicion that someone is connected to terrorism, but it would no longer be able to collect data indiscriminately in bulk from innocent people.”

    Sesenbrenner had “worked under strict time constraints” when penning the Patriot Act and getting it passed. He said that the NSA “ignored restrictions painstakingly crafted by lawmakers and assumed a plenary authority we never imagined.”

  • NSA Washington March Calls for Reducing Spying

    Reuters and CNN reported today on an anti-NSA march that took place in front of the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

    Hundreds of protesters turned out for the march, many carrying signs that bore slogans like “Thank You, Edward Snowden,” “Stop Mass Spying” and “Unplug Big Brother.” Although the Capitol Police were asked, they declined to give an estimate on attendance; the protest organizers said over 2000 protesters were there.

    A statement from Snowden, which was provided to American Civil Liberties Union, was read: “We’ve learned that the U.S. intelligence community secretly built a system of pervasive surveillance. Today, no telephone in America makes a call without leaving a record with the NSA. Today, no internet transaction enters or leaves America without passing through the NSA’s hands. Our representatives in Congress tell us this is not surveillance. They’re wrong.”

    The protest was a bipartisan effort, of sorts: Tea Party members showed up alongside left-wing privacy advocates, with everyone in agreement that the government is unlawfully spying on both American citizens and the rest of the world.

    Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) had introduced a bill of his own attempting to limit the NSA’s info-grabbing programs, but his effort was defeated by a seven-vote margin. “We’re going to keep fighting and we’re going to pass something to rein in the NSA,” he said of the defeat.

    The rally was scheduled to happen on the 12th anniversary of the PATRIOT Act, which expanded the United States’ capacity to wage a war on terrorism. Additionally, the recent Snowden leak involving German Chancellor Angela Merkel seems to be adding to the growing wildfire.

    “This isn’t a partisan issue. This is for Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, conservatives and liberals, everyone in between,” Amash added. A new bill, the U.S.A. Freedom Act authored by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and supported by Amash, may stand a better chance on the floor.

    [Image via ThankYouSnowden.org]