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Wikileaks’ Assange says Facebook is an 'appalling spying machine’
THE FOUNDER of Wikileaks, Julian Assange has described social notworking giant Facebook as an "appalling spying machine" and warned that it is building up an extensive database.
The Wikileaks leader was speaking exclusively to Russia Today when he made the comment. He warned Facebook users that they are volunteering to be part of a database that is readily accessible to US security agencies.
"Facebook in particular is the most appalling spying machine that has ever been invented. Here we have the world's most comprehensive database about people, their relationships, their names, their addresses, their locations and the communications with each other, their relatives, all sitting within the United States, all accessible to US intelligence," he said.
Assange added that Facebook is not alone in granting guest list entrance to US men in black, and he also fingered Google and Yahoo for indulging information requests.
"All these major US organizations have built-in interfaces for US intelligence. It's not a matter of serving a subpoena. They have an interface that they have developed for US intelligence to use," he added before side-stepping the suggestion that they were merely government shills.
"Now, is it the case that Facebook is actually run by US intelligence? No, it's not like that. It's simply that US intelligence is able to bring to bear legal and political pressure on them. And it's costly for them to hand out records one by one, so they have automated the process," he added.
"Everyone should understand that when they add their friends to Facebook, they are doing free work for United States intelligence agencies in building this database for them."
At the last count Facebook had over 500 million users worldwide. µ
Tags: Security
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It's not about caring or welcoming knowledge, simply by using the net you are leaving yourself open to intrusion facebook or no. No it's about perspective, from Assanges point of view I can see the point of limiting what you say on a social network site, as for you and me? well that's a different matter, unless you are an international man of mystery who in the hell gives and sh one T about what you do or don't do in your private life! You seem to think you really matter that much that the government has a department of people whose sole job it is to look through pictures on facebook just to see waht you or I had for tea yesterday! I'm all for a bit of privacy but for gawds sake lets all have a bit of perspective here.
Please include those with a shred of a sense of decency, as as those who those who simply see no interest in publishing one's uninteresting private life for all to see, and consider that those people may indeed have nothing to hide as well as no need to prove it, and I might agree with you.
The fact that people will allow or even welcome increasing government knowledge about their affairs, as can be seen on some of the comments here, shows that most of them don't know anything about history or civics. They are true sheeple.
I think Julian had been watching too much Onion News:
This video saids it all
http://www.theonion.com/video/cias-facebook-program-dramatically-cut-agencys-cos,19753/
Soon Assange quotes will need to come from a Swedish prison.
You mean 'informed decision' right? Because that's his point, he says people should realize what it is they are doing.
And he has experience since the spooks asked all info on people involved or subscribing to wikileak's twitter as you might recall.
And how does that equate to law and order, which the article makes reference to? Are your friends criminal masterminds? drug runners or international terrorists? then simply put no, they have nothing to hide, at least nothing that anyone outside of their social circle would give a toss about. If they are scientists at a nuclear or military nstallation (eg) then perhaps they might, but then if such things are of a personal nature (as you seem to allude to) then they should conduct themselves with more decorum and not post such things on sicial networl sites. in short what I mean to say is that nothing i have ever posted on facebook would be of the slightest interest to MI5 or the CIA or whoever and i would be willing to be 995 of the people who comment on these articles are in the same boat.
you are a slightly paranoid anarchist? i may aswell say that since you make an unfounded assumption about me and my age ;) living as i do in a rather more open society such examples as you provide lack real substance especially since the most current one you can provide was based in mcarthtys witchunt of communist spies. Had facebook existed then do you somewhow think that Mcarthy would have embarked on a different method? I mean even without facebook he accused innocent people of being communists, so where or how would having such things on facebook change those circumstances? with or without 'evidence' the charges were made. Facebook is only one of many ways that information on individuals can be found, if you don't want that information to go 'live' then may I respectfully suggest that your posting about it on the net was your first mistake? If you don't like it then please feel free not to use it, i mean it's not like the fbi or cia or mossad is forcing you to use these tools, we are all responsible for our own actions......oh and i'm 40.....so neeeeargh :P
The generally accepted maxim is that knowledge is power.
Logically then, knowledge specific to you, is power over you.
Often times, for even the most innocent of people, stealth is their best/only protection from predators. Even the most seemingly innocuous data, when combined with other such data, can put anyone at risk.
The "I have nothing to hide" is something that is commonly heard when privacy is the subject. There is nobody that has nothing to hide. Most people just don't recall every embarassing (or more devious hidden) detail of there life. The people I personally know very well saying they don't have nothing to hide ALL do have something to hide. Because when I ask them if I can make a certain peace of information I coincidentely happen to know public using Twitter or Facebook they suddenly disagree and you'll hear: well don't post that. Everybody has something to hide, even the greyest mouse has.
poor teenage Robbie living in Alabama is going to get his cover blown by the CIA that he's gay, and did meth once. MIBs gonna have a chat with his parents.whawhawha
So, someone says something in confidence and Assange thinks it should be public, but someone says something in public and Assange thinks it should be private.
This is not and never was about whether information should be public or private. It is about who makes that decision.
you are a very young person.
Assume you are in 1930 in Germany, and show pics on Facebook from your Jewish friend's Bar-Mizva, or talk about your other friend's homosexual encounter. 4 years later, you would be very sorry for what you did...
Fast forward to 1949 USA, writing about your cummunist friends, and then again being sorry in 1950 after one named Joe McCarthy came to power..
got more intense: a couple of years ago I established a dummy account on Facebook, using a one-time email address, to see a friend's listed pics. A year ago I checked and the account was still there. Last month the account was removed - Facebook said they "could not establish real person ownership", and for a new account they want either a cellular phone number or a pic of gov-issued ID "To protect the user-base for spam and bullying..."
Yes, now all the social relationship and data will be linked to a known, real person. Great day for the intelligence community...
I am guessing this most likely comes as no suprise to many. that being said i would guess that those with nothing to hide have nothing to really fear, those with something to hide....probably aren't on facebook.