Facebook is a CIA Databank
November 12, 2011
Remember when Mark Zuckerberg called his users ''dumb f****''?
by Sandeep Parwaga
(henrymakow.com)
In my Feb. 16 article ''Facebook & Google are CIA Fronts,'' I argued that Facebook and Google data mine information about you. This is now public knowledge.
The Associated Press reported November 4 that the CIA has an entire center dedicated to monitoring Facebook and Twitter. They also monitor TV stations and print newspapers [2] and [3].
"The Open Source Center," established in 2005 by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence [4], has been operating since the 9/11 Commission's call for foreign counterintelligence.
Though the CIA claims it only monitors foreign activity, I am skeptical. Not only been the CIA been using proxies, but has devoted an entire center for that operation.
Facebook A Privacy-Eroding Network, Not Social Network
Remember when Mark Zuckerberg called his users ''dumb f****''? [5] If that is not a clear sign of the disdain for the Facebook users, consider these new disturbing facts.
Nik Cubrilovic, an entrepreneur, hacker and writer, revealed that Facebook tracked and stored the Internet browsing of its 750 million users even after they had left the site. [7]
This blog story gained mainstream attention and Facebook conceded it had happened, but denied it was intentional and used for tracking.
In my last article, I mentioned that you should avoid clicking on trivial buttons on Facebook, for example the ''Likes'', because I assumed there was something shady about it.
I discovered recently that when you click on any Like button, you are opening yourself up to being tracked by Facebook. [8]
When Zuckerberg announced the ''Like system'' during a conference (called F8) in 2010 promoting it to make the web more ''social'' and ''smarter'', cnet.com reported '' What Zuckerberg didn't point out is that widespread use of the Like button allows Facebook to track people as they switch from CNN.com to Yelp.com to ESPN.com, all of which are sites that have said they will implement the feature.'' [8]
According to the article, ''Even if someone is not a Facebook user or is not logged in, Facebook's social plug-ins collect the address of the Web page being visited and the Internet address of the visitor as soon as the page is loaded--clicking on the Like button is not required. If enough sites participate, that permits Facebook to assemble a vast amount of data about Internet users' browsing habits.'' [8]
So for example, if you visit CNN.com, ''the Like system'' is able to track your move on that site simply because CNN.com is part of that system. If you then go to ESPN.com you are still being tracked by the Facebook plug-ins, so you don't really need to be a user of Facebook.
Another interesting issue I have discovered was the so called ''cloud computing''. Cloud computing refers to '' the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility (like the electricity grid) over a network (typically the Internet).'' [9]
In an article from the Wall Street Journal, Bruce Schneier reports that cloud computing ''Is one of the fastest growing IT market segments -- 69% of Americans now use some sort of cloud computing services - '' [10] Facebook also uses this cloud computing system. [11]
Mr. Schneier links articles that outline the fact that the cloud computing system is anything but secure and private. According to Mr. Schneier, Google's Terms of Service ''explicitly disavow any warranty or any liability for harm that might result from Google's negligence, recklessness, malevolent intent, or even purposeful disregard of existing legal obligations to protect the privacy and security of user data.'' [10]
Facebook does exactly the same through its Statement of Principles and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. Apple has also launched the cloud computing system recently.
If you thought that was enough, check this out. Facebook has started a system that can recognize faces so it makes it easier for ''friends'' to tag you. There is not much to say about this, except that it is a very creepy technology. This system has gained funding from the government to track so called ''terrorists''. Now Facebook does that for the government as well. [12]
CONCLUSION
If we think about it, Facebook is nothing but a big Orwellian spy grid. All Facebook's offerings ultimately lead to being tracked. A few months ago I decided to ''delete'' my Facebook account for good. Besides all the Orwellian reasons I ''deleted'' my account, I also considered Mark Dice's Youtube clip ''Defriend Day''. [13]
Dice aays that people's homes got robbed when they post a vacation status or kids got busted for underage drinking. [14] and [15]
The Open Source Center director admits that overseas individuals are being monitored [3] which I suspect is only half the truth. Let's not forget the tremendous amount of lies that have come from the establishment in the past years regarding monitoring and privacy.
For example, it was well known that the FISA law (Foreign Intelligence Service Act) not only spied on foreigners, but on domestic citizens as well. [16]
If you have any concern for your privacy, I would recommend what I recommended before: 1) Try to keep a low profile. 2) Don't reveal anything personal or don't click on trivial buttons, for example the ''Likes'' 3) Use alternatives to make contact if you can, e.g. email or other messengers. 4) Get rid off it for good.
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[1] http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/07/exclusive-google-cia/
[2] http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/ap-exclusive-cia-twitter-facebook-14878904#.TrdNCtRfauI
[3] http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/11/the-cia-is-following-twitter-facebook.php
[4] https://www.cia.gov/news-information/press-releases-statements/press-release-archive-2005/pr11082005.html
[5] http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/09/20/100920fa_fact_vargas?currentPage=all
[6] http://nikcub.appspot.com/logging-out-of-facebook-is-not-enough
[7] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2042573/Facebook-privacy-row-Social-network-giant-admits-bugs.html
[8] http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20006532-38.html
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing
[10] http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123997522418329223.html
[11] http://gigaom.com/cloud/facebook-data-growth-data-center/
[12] http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/how-facebook-and-facial-recognition-are-creating-minority-report-style-privacy-meltdown-080511
[13] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBrfgSiJew4
[14] http://privacy.org/archives/003873.html
[15] http://www.switched.com/2009/11/21/facebook-photos-lead-to-underage-drinking-fines/
[16] http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/us/16nsa.html?pagewanted=all
Sandeep Parwaga is 23 yr old Indian who studies in the UK
Ellen said (November 13, 2011):
I think the author missed a really obvious precaution: When you sign out of Facebook, or other social sites, run something like CCleaner, and clean out all the cookies and junk that they deposit into your computer. They cannot track you, if their cookies are gone.
Also, keep pictures and mentions of your family to a minimum. If someone wants to discuss those topics, ask them to e-mail you, and keep the information totally off FB.