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Police hire private spies to snoop online


Vegan Joe
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http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/security/police-hire-private-spies-to-snoop-online/2008/11/26/1227491580370.html

 

THE internet communications and websites of anti-war campaigners, environmentalists, animal rights activists and other protest groups are being secretly monitored by state and federal agencies.

 

A Melbourne private intelligence firm specialising in "open-source intelligence" has been engaged by Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police and the federal Attorney-General's Department to monitor and report on the protest movements' use of the internet.

 

The monitoring, which has been secretly conducted for at least five years, includes exploring websites, online chat rooms, social networking sites, email lists and bulletin boards to gather information on planned demonstrations and other activities. Many of those monitored have not broken any laws, but it is ...

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I think it's funny they are out sourcing these days...

They have always done this sort of thing in house....

The police know most of the major Animal Rights Groups activists by name anyway,

so you would think they would be better at this sort of thing...

Oh well.

I've heard it's reasonably easy to hide your IP and MAC addresses if you want too.

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I'm not surprised that they're outsourcing. In a capitalistic system many formerly state-run departments are outsourced. Most of the U.S. defense budget is spent on private firms and I'm sure other countries are not far behind.

 

The worst part about being spied upon, IMO, is that you never have time to adjust your hair before someone snaps a surveillance shot.

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I grew up in communism where everyone was watching everyone else. It was one big circus. "Commarade X has not washed his underwear this week." Who cares? If they lag your internet and you can't play online games, go to their office and break their noses:P If they don't lag your internet, what do you care? Just don't send important business offers on the internet cause they are gonna sell the info to the competition. (That's how it works in post communism - the state is spying on us and the corrupt employees sell the info to the mafia). But pretty much, if you are doing something secret, you shouldn't ever consider the internet safe. Use codes, encrypt!

And laugh at the people who have nothing better to do in their lives but sit in a dull office spying on others

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