Carlton's Corner: National Operations Center’s Media Monitoring Initiative

Yet another revelation of intrigue-------


Carlton

"A most disturbing story has surfaced about the Department of Homeland security that under the National Operations Center’s Media Monitoring Initiative, government can retain data on users of social media and journalists for a period of several years." The Atlantic Wire reports:

It’s unclear exactly why, but the Department of Homeland has been operating a “Social Networking/Media Capability” program to monitor the top blogs, forums and social networks online for at least the past 18 months. Based on a privacy compliance review from last November recently obtained by Reuters, the purpose of the project is to “collect information used in providing situational awareness and establishing a common operating picture.” (Good gad, what is that suppose to mean?)


"Among the sites under surveillance? Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Drudge Report, Huffington Post, YouTube, and more . . .

Glenn also referenced a story out that the President was also collecting information about journalists.

What is it they’re collecting? Why is it that no journalist is asking this question? I’d be flipping out if George Bush was doing this. I’d be flipping out if Ronald Reagan were doing this, he added."

" . . . according to the DHS, the definition of ‘personal identifiable information’ can consist‑ and that’s what they are gathering on these journalists – can consist of any information of any intellect that, quote, permits the identity of an individual to be directly or indirectly inferred, including any information which is linked or linkable to that individual.”


I don't know about you, but I'm definitely disturbed by this . . .

Here are the 'news blips' on this:
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2012/01/homeland-security-monitoring-drudge-report-new-york-times/47300/

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/homeland-security-watches-twitter-social-media-183721483.html

http://www.glennbeck.com/2012/01/12/why-is-the-dhs-collecting-information-on-journalists-social-network-users/