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N.S.A. Collecting Millions of Faces From Web Images
The New York Times ^ | May 31, 2014 | James Risen and Laura Poitras

Posted on 06/01/2014 3:59:56 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

The National Security Agency is harvesting huge numbers of images of people from communications that it intercepts through its global surveillance operations for use in sophisticated facial recognition programs, according to top-secret documents.

The spy agency’s reliance on facial recognition technology has grown significantly over the last four years as the agency has turned to new software to exploit the flood of images included in emails, text messages, social media, videoconferences and other communications, the N.S.A. documents reveal. Agency officials believe that technological advances could revolutionize the way that the N.S.A. finds intelligence targets around the world, the documents show. The agency’s ambitions for this highly sensitive ability and the scale of its effort have not previously been disclosed.

The agency intercepts “millions of images per day” — including about 55,000 “facial recognition quality images” — which translate into “tremendous untapped potential,” according to 2011 documents obtained from the former agency contractor Edward J. Snowden. While once focused on written and oral communications, the N.S.A. now considers facial images, fingerprints and other identifiers just as important to its mission of tracking suspected terrorists and other intelligence targets, the documents show....

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: liberalagenda; nsa; obama; privacy; surveillance; yeswescan
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To: Catmom

I hocked up a big hairball right after the 2008 election.


21 posted on 06/01/2014 8:01:40 AM PDT by Maurice Tift (Never wear anything that panics the cat. -- P.J. O'Rourke)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Considering they have access to probably every DMV photo that has been taken for decades along with all the personal info, “What difference does it make now” if they pull a few off of the web? And the only pick they will pull of the web for me is my dogs facebook page pic.


22 posted on 06/01/2014 8:07:20 AM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: exnavy

Nasty Satanic Allies


23 posted on 06/01/2014 10:22:33 AM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: Grampa Dave
"23andMe Is Terrifying, But Not for the Reasons the FDA Thinks ... www.scientificamerican.com/.../23andme-is-terrifying-but-not-for-reasons-fda/ - 82k - Cached - Similar pages Nov 27, 2013"

You nailed that one. This should scare the living daylights out of everyone.

You can change your appearance, your IP address, your accounts, your passwords, even your driver's license and ssn ("identity").

But you can't change your DNA, fingerprints, retinal scans or other biodata. Those are permanent markers. Once anyone has that stuff you have lost your ability to be anonymous in any way for the rest of your life.

I'm amazed at how casually people give up their privacy for convenience.

24 posted on 06/01/2014 10:25:55 AM PDT by MV=PY (The Magic Question: Who's paying for it?)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Just remember this little fact folks. This idea of keeping databases on private citizens legal and law abiding activities was the brain fart of a GW Bush United States Attorney General. Never, Ever, forget both parties hate your rights and freedom as much as they hate the Constitution of the United States they willingly ignore.


25 posted on 06/01/2014 10:43:20 AM PDT by cva66snipe ((Two Choices left for U.S. One Nation Under GOD or One Nation Under Judgment? Which one say ye?))
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Why even waste money on a NSA when Obama releases foreign criminals by the 10’s of thousands, gives up 5 Top Terrorist commanders for an AWOL soldier, orders the BP to back off and retreat, coddles and protects members of the Islamic cult, ignores foreign terrorist warnings, backs off security of foreign installations during 911 anniversaries and arms and trains terrorist all over the world ? The NSA apparently failed to stop any of those extreme dangers.
26 posted on 06/01/2014 10:45:51 AM PDT by justa-hairyape (The user name is sarcastic. Although at times it may not appear that way.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I’ve maintained for some time that social media is evil. Here’s another example. It’s not the media per se, it’s the way(s) the media gets used.

AFAIK, my pic is nowhere. Gonna stay that way, too.


27 posted on 06/01/2014 10:52:10 AM PDT by upchuck (Support ABLE, the Anybody But Lindsey Effort. Yes, we are the ABLE!!)
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To: Mastador1; 2ndDivisionVet
Considering they have access to probably every DMV photo that has been taken for decades along with all the personal info, “What difference does it make now” if they pull a few off of the web?

They have access to DMV photos and in addition, even more personal information on passport applications.

28 posted on 06/01/2014 10:57:57 AM PDT by LucyT
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Best defense is a good offense.

29 posted on 06/01/2014 11:01:17 AM PDT by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
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To: MV=PY

You are correct on all aspects.

There is a couple of more scary things re a central storage repository of your DNA and others:

1. Insurance companies and other people in the medical business would have access to your DNA profile. Then, they can cancel policies, never sign policies and charge you even more. After a couple of years of DNA collection, only the perfects might be able to get insurance.

2. Some of us might have a DNA code that is worth billions of $’s to some big DNA pharma company. They might offer you a lot of money to patent and copyright your DNA if they were reputable. Others might just monitor you and use your DNA when you have regular blood tests done with your blood or worse to get your blood/DNA.

So as of now, we have NSA monitoring all of our phone calls, internet interactions and communication sites, all of the social sites, banks with credit reports going back for decades, Facial identification data basing and probably millions of DNA samples, including ones we don’t know about. When, we have blood tests, urine tests or what ever tests using our body fluids or tissues, is that lab sending DNA results to a central collection spot for NSA?


30 posted on 06/01/2014 11:03:15 AM PDT by Grampa Dave ( Herr Obama will not divert resources from his war on Americans to help Veterans!)
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To: Mastador1

This includes all the children as well. Not many children have passports or DL’s.

My inlaws are forbidden to put pics of my children on facebook.


31 posted on 06/01/2014 11:03:40 AM PDT by Black Agnes
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To: Maurice Tift

"NOTE: Subversive Tift owns a savage man-killing pit bull. Lethal force advised when apprehending."

32 posted on 06/01/2014 11:50:12 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows (You can't have Ingsoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The speculation that the FBI and the DoD are complicit in this is false. They comply with federal law with regard to US persons.

I hate to say, “Take my word for it”, but take my word for it.


33 posted on 06/01/2014 3:01:40 PM PDT by FreeInWV (Have you had enough change yet?)
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To: null and void

Neva-duh!


34 posted on 06/01/2014 7:38:44 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Of COURSE bacon is good for you!!!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I should upload the picture of the ugliest person I could find onto my social media accounts. When they come across my accounts, the image will break their equipment! Mwu-hu-hw-ha-ha-ha-haaaa!


35 posted on 06/01/2014 7:40:17 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Of COURSE bacon is good for you!!!)
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To: null and void

Ah Alice......sometimes I forget how wonderful the Brits are at illustrating their books.

As to the NSA....yup we figured


36 posted on 06/01/2014 8:05:59 PM PDT by Nifster
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To: Nifster

Sir John Tenniel got knighted in part for the Wonderland illustrations, even though he drew Alice Liddell as a blond...


37 posted on 06/01/2014 8:32:34 PM PDT by null and void (Fascists never think they're fascists. They just think everybody should obey them.)
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To: null and void

oooo thank you for that information. I like learning new things


38 posted on 06/01/2014 8:59:41 PM PDT by Nifster
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Let’s see that pretty smile, Citizen! [click]


39 posted on 06/03/2014 5:06:10 PM PDT by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is...sounding pretty good about now.)
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