FBI 'secretly spying' on Google users, company reveals

via foxnews.com

The FBI used National Security Letters -- a form of surveillance that privacy watchdogs call “frightening and invasive” -- to surreptitiously seek information on Google users, the web giant has just revealed.

Google’s disclosure is “an unprecedented win for transparency,” privacy experts said Wednesday. But it’s just one small step forward.

“Serious concerns and questions remain about the use of NSLs,” the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Dan Auerbach and Eva Galperin wrote. For one thing, the agency issued 16,511 National Security Letters in 2011, the last year for which data was available. But Google was gagged from saying just how many letters it received -- leaving key questions unanswered.

“The terrorists apparently would win if Google told you the exact number of times the Federal Bureau of Investigation invoked a secret process to extract data about the media giant’s customers,” Wired’s David Kravets wrote. He described the FBI's use of NSLs as a way of "secretly spying" on Google's customers.

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Some mobile advertisers are spying on you

via www.gadgetell.com">technologytell.com

According to LookOut, a company that makes security apps for mobile devices, in-app advertising is becoming overly aggressive and sometimes even crossing the line over to spyware.

Anyone that has an Android or Apple device is probably familiar with ad-support apps. At one time it was no big deal, just a small banner ad at the bottom or top of the screen. These days it’s gone much further. Some in-app ad networks push ads to your device’s notification tray, shove icons on to your homescreen, and even change your ringtone to a commercial! There are also some mobile ad networks that collect far more personal info than you think, including your phone number, location, mobile provider, and device IMEI and model number, and almost all of them are a drain on your battery.

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The FBI Is Now (Officially) Spying on Your Internet Activity

via gizmodo.com

The FBI has probably been monitoring the web activity of random citizens for quite some time, but today, as Cnet reports, the law enforcement bureau has formed a dedicated unit for the purpose of internet surveillance. But its end goal is a bit different than you may think.

According to Declan McCullough, the National Domestic Communications Assistance Center has a mandate to try and crack skype conversations, analyze internet traffic data, and build wiretapping hardware. But its not for investigations of its own; the goal is to develop new technologies to help make it easier for other law enforcement agencies to spy on us.

Here's what the FBI had to say to Cnet...

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Google Could Be Helping The Government Spy

via businessinsider.com

If Google is secretly helping the National Security Agency with its spying activities neither one of them has to say squat about it.
So rules a DC court.

The court turned down a request by the Electronic Privacy Information Center asking for information about Google's relationship with the NSA. The request was filed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) but the NSA fought the request and won.

Had the ruling gone the other way, it might have slowed down the controversial bill known as the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA).

The bill passed the House last month and would let companies like Google share information with government agencies like the NSA for all kinds of reasons.

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How military could spy anywhere on Earth

via msnbc.msn.com

If the U.S. military wants live video of a missile launcher vehicle halfway around the world, it must rely on spy planes or drones in danger of being shot down. Tomorrow, the Pentagon wants space telescopes hovering in geosynchronous orbit that could take real-time images or live video of any spot on Earth.

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U.S. Report Cites 'Persistent' Chinese, Russian Spying for Economic Gain

via online.wsj.com

The U.S. government accused the Chinese of being the world's "most active and persistent" perpetrators of economic spying, an unusual move designed to spur stronger U.S. and international action to combat rampant industrial espionage threatening U.S. economic growth.

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U.K. spy chief sees 'disturbing' volume of cyberattacks

via news.cnet.com

A significant but unsuccessful cyberattack was launched on the U.K. Foreign Office and other government departments this summer, according to the head of the country's communications spy agency.

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Giant US Defense Spy Blimps to Roam Afghan Skies

via technabob.com

While this massive blimp looks pretty awesome, I’m just sad that it’s a spy drone and not a passenger airship, allowing people to take leisurely trips around the world (à la Fringe). The awkwardly-named Blue Devil Block 2 dwarfs a nearby 18-wheeler, allowing you to fathom its gigantic size.

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