AOL users beware: Big Brother Is Watching

[EnfantTerrible]

October 3, 2005
by Martin McKinney
The Financial Reporter (U.K.)
Washington- The American-based internet giant, AOL, wholly-owned by Time-Warner, has formed a working partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to permit unlimited surveillance of the millions of AOL online members, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
"AOL works 'closely with the DHS' to supply information on any AOL customer and allows agents from these entities 'free and unfettered' access to AOL Hq at Dulles, VA for the purpose of 'watching over and keeping surveillance' on the millions of AOL customers,' according to the report.
The legal basis for this is the recently Congress-approved Patriot Act which permits warrantless searches of persons and property. While information gleaned from delving into personal computer messages is supposed to be kept confidential, it appears that the DHS has exceeded their brief and obtained what appears to be strictly personal information which is then circulated to entities outside the DHS.
The Department of Commerce report also states that news of this surveillance has leaked out and is causing serious concern in the American, and European, business communities who are fearful that trade secrets may be given to other business entities, considered as "friendly" to the Bush Administration.

[YOY]

Obviously aiming for the low-technical-knowledge terr-wrists

A small laugh at the expense of AOL users...sorry guys!

[noahmijo]

3. Ha! but it takes a tech to freakin REMOVE it!!

Anybody ever delete aol before?

ahh if you think simply using the add/remove button you're gravely mistaken.

I'm a tech and it takes me sometimes about 20-30 min to FULLY remove all traces of easily the most evil software on the planet...yes even more evil than Microsoft (Windows has lots of uses at least)

[Theres-a]

25. God yes

I still have a stupid logon icon that pops up EVERY time I reboot.Does that mean they can spy on me,even if I only used AOL for 3 months,2 years ago?

[noahmijo]

27. If you have no internet connection than no you are safe from the outside

world.

So long as the machine is either unplugged or not in anyway connected to the internet it is completely impossible for anyone to hack into your system minus the possibility of someone breaking into your home and gaining access to your computer.

[walldude]

1. Why anyone would use AOL is beyond me....

[noahmijo]

2. me too....I'll never understand

It's not easier in fact it's harder.

If you're trapped with dial-up do yourself a favor switch to Earthlink.

[YOY]

6. Is it harder? Everytime I see someone use it I think it lives up to the

title: "The Internet with Training Wheels."

That and the most obnoxious commercials the planet has ever known. (SPAMITY CALAMITY)...ripped off of Ali-G.

I have heard nicer things about Earthlink.

[noahmijo]

9. Earthlink at least has great customer service and less crap

All dial-up has problems, but in AOL's case they are the WORST when it comes to getting spyware and spam. I've serviced people's computers for over 2 years now and AOL easily tops em all when it comes loading your comp up with so much unecessary CRAP and to boot being a magnet for spyware and spam.

I'd even recommend MSN over AOL.

[beltanefauve]

4. Seems to be the choice

of Conservatives, though. Must be a branding thing, like everything else "Conservative" or "Republican".

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. Becasue it is easy for the lest adept in the family

and quite frankly I am always assuming Big Brother is follwoign me, no need to remove AOL.. Echelon is good enough thank you

[intheflow]

5. I'm house-sitting and using AOL.

Older homeowner who uses her computer for email with her kids, and as a glorified typewriter. Now she'll probably get a file because I'm using her computer. :eyes:

[Skip Intro]

7. fuck aol. what is the isp that doesn't allow this bullshit? There are many

right?

[EnfantTerrible]

10. I'm on Road Runner for ISP

My email is a .Mac account. I've written to .Mac to find out there policy regarding unfettered Government spying... I'm awaiting a reply.

[noahmijo]

11. Any service that just gives you the bandwidth and nothing more

typically any broadband especially cable where you just take the bandwidth and work with your own settings and browser hence the only thing the service provider can really get from you is your MAC address from your modem which eh no one can do much damage with unless they're actually out to get you specifically. But that's where a good firewall router comes in :)

[melody]

8. Oh, like they haven't been doing this all along

What kind of lameass trade secrets could be traded over the Playskool Internet?

[EnfantTerrible]

12. I'm more worried about

government access to private and personal email. And of course they don't have to alert you to this invasion of privacy or even have a warrant...

[melody]

13. these people must be very bored

They definitely already do that, though I feel sorry for them. Can you imagine reading the vast majority of email accounts? "Lost" mailing list discussion, spam and personal email. *I* don't even like reading my *own* email.

[rman]

19. no need to read every email

It's trivial to filter on key words. If it works for spam, it works for HLS, just use different key words.
Also trivial is to keep track of who sends an email to who and when; that's just traffic data, not content. It's what analysis of 'chatter' is based on, which in turn is the basis for the terror alert level.

So, millions of people can be monitored mostly automatically. Of course it's inaccurate. But that's a worry for us, not for them - they don't mind casting a wide net. In their mind it's better to lock up a lot of innocent people then to let one possible terrorist go free.

[melody]

24. Oh, I realize that

But there is a live person at the end filtering through the accumulated data. When they cast a wide net, they're going to drag in a lot of fish. The idea of net effect planning on the basis of that kind of data field is mind-numbing.

[ShockediSay]

14. Time to get away from AOL ....OR

simply say, go fuck yourself; come get me you motherfuckin' prevert snoops!!!

If criticizing your war criminal BushyBoss&Co is a crime, I'M GUILTY!!!

[Rainscents]

15. I have a friend who use People to People internet service and she really

like it very much. She said, she only pay $9.00 per month.

[MsConduct]

16. Uh, you have a link? I know several people who use aol (not me!)

and they will want to check out the facts. thanks

[EnfantTerrible]

23. Here you go

http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a1902.htm#002

The story is on the bottom.

[Kurovski]

17. I got rid of AOL last year and the internet is a much better experience.

When I canceled, the offshore guy handling my call made the experience akin to breaking up with a clueless, creepy boyfriend.

"We've had all these years together!", "well, if you ever decide to come back...", "I'm gonna keep you on my speed dial for 6 more months."

Yeesh!

[RebelOne]

18. I'm an AOL user and I have no complaints.

And if they want to keep surveillance on me, I'm not worried, as I have nothing to hide. I also have PeoplePC as a back-up. I keep AOL because it would be a pain to notify the hundreds of e-mail addresses of any change.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

20. AOL? Big Brother? No way!

Aol has been the same way all the time. Government spying...haven't changed.

At work I work with computers. If someone needs work on there home PC( in my spare time :silly: ) the first thing I ask them is if they have AOL.. If they do then I don't!

Melonhawg

[Hubert Flottz]

21. Why did shit like 9/11 happen?

Because the G-men were watching us, instead of them! 50 FBI agents tied up at one time, on the Clinton case/witch hunt, I heard. That adds up to about one million dollars per agent, that the taxpayers paid out, for the Whitewater dog and pony show. If they're watching us, they're pissing up the wrong stump and wasting their time and YOUR money!!1!!1!!11!!11!

Hey Mike...Get a brain!

[SpiralHawk]

22. Don't forget: Ashcroft had the FBI in New Orleans on 9/11

Sniffing about for prostitution.

After months of intensive investigation costing thousands of taxpayer dollars, the crack team of FBI agents BushCo had in NO at the time of 9/11 actually found and arrested a couple of prostitutes.

Great work guys. Only took a couple of months to find and bust a couple of prostitutes in NO (most Republicans find them in 5 minutes). Too bad you -- and Bush -- were too busy sniffing panties to pay any attention to REAL THREATS.

My Pet Goat, my ass.