Wikileaks has released the first swathe of 'spyfiles' documents from security companies around the world, in an effort to shine a light" on a "secret industry worth billions".
In partnership with Bugged Planet and Privacy International, as well as media organisations including the Washington Post and The Bureau of Investigative Journalism in the UK, Wikileaks has released 287 documents from security companies in 25 different countries.
Revealing the names of surveillance companies including BAE systems, Thales and Siemens, the files offer an insight into the sophisticated technology which governments or organisations can purchase, spying on individuals or even as Wikileaks alleges, whole populations.
Apparatus that can record the key strokes on a Blackberry or iPhone can hold everything a person types, while other technology claims to be able take a picture of an owner sitting at their macbook.
"Who here has an iPhone?" Assange asked attendees of a press conference in London on Thursday. "Who here has a Blackberry? Who here uses Gmail? Well you are all screwed. The reality is intelligence contractors are selling right now to countries across the world mass surveillance systems for all of those products."
An interactive map shows the security companies operating in each country and the type of security invasion they pose: whether internet, GPS tracking or mobile phone recording.
Assange said the US, UK, Australia, South Africa and Canada are all developing the "spying systems", and the information is being sold to "dictators and democracies alike".
In total 160 companies across 25 countries are said to be peddling these invasive devices, either ignoring or bypassing regulation and turning a blind eye to dictatorial regimes that abuse human rights.
Through investigating these companies, Wikileaks in partnership with Owni, a Paris-based online magazine, claims to show how French security company Amesyssold equipment to Gaddafi, allowing him to spy on the people now running Libya.
Wikileaks has also released a new whistle-blowing platform to allow individuals to submit documents without fear of being compromised.
shazartist said
12:02 PM Dec 3, 2011
Interesting info Vic and it is scary, if you think too hard about it.
Although, the scariest part is people actually think this has just started happening. I believe it has been happening since the cold war and by all of our governments the technology has just got smaller and better....for the people and with the people seems a long time ago if ever.
Little people like us are just manipulated, as long as we don't get too far out of line know one really cares about us. If someone wants to find out about you, and they have the money and the inclination to do it, your life and your habits are an open book. iphone ...gmail or not.
I wish all our governments would put the same energy and money into governing that they do into gathering information on each other.
Thanks for posting this.
Hey, onto another heavy subject...hows the pop top going?
Have a nice Saturday.
cheers Sharon
Vic said
12:25 PM Dec 3, 2011
Yes it is scary Sharon. The poptop is fine now, all cleaned, lubricated and working ok and easier to put up etc. I put an update post about it on the thread. Like the play on words of "heavy" subject, lol
I really like your paintings Sharon, are they are particular style or just your own style, they are really appealing
-- Edited by Vic on Saturday 3rd of December 2011 12:27:04 PM
shazartist said
01:48 PM Dec 3, 2011
Vic wrote:
I really like your paintings Sharon, are they are particular style or just your own style, they are really appealing
Glad that one heavy item in your life has dissapeared..lol
Thanks Vic, I dont know that my style is unique. I do consentrate on colour and the application of it. I use a lot of transparent colours and overlay, creating colour on colour. I do this to create more vibration, depth and energy in my paintings. :)...I dont know if I succeed.. but I try.
cheers Sharon
-- Edited by Vic on Saturday 3rd of December 2011 12:27:04 PM
Vic said
02:14 PM Dec 3, 2011
Thanks Vic, I dont know that my style is unique. I do consentrate on colour and the application of it. I use a lot of transparent colours and overlay, creating colour on colour. I do this to create more vibration, depth and energy in my paintings. :)...I dont know if I succeed.. but I try.
cheers Sharon
You certainly do succeed Sharon, if I was in the market for paintings I certainly would consider them, I like bold paintings like that.
Best wishes,
Vic
Gerty Dancer said
03:06 PM Dec 3, 2011
Returning to the original topic.... now I'm depressed What I thought might be true, is! Thanks anyway Vic.
NeilandRaine said
04:07 PM Dec 3, 2011
And Elvis is still alive............ So what, if you lead a dull boring law abiding life you have nothing to fear. Governments have been able to track people in one way or another for years
JRH said
04:17 PM Dec 3, 2011
NeilandRaine wrote:
And Elvis is still alive............ So what, if you lead a dull boring law abiding life you have nothing to fear. Governments have been able to track people in one way or another for years
I still feel it is an invasion of privacy and should be stopped.
03_troopy said
04:55 PM Dec 3, 2011
NeilandRaine wrote:
And Elvis is still alive............ So what, if you lead a dull boring law abiding life you have nothing to fear. Governments have been able to track people in one way or another for years
Which is all very well and good... As long as the information doesn't get into the wrong hands. Or we don't eventually have a government that isn't as benevolent as the ones we get these days.. Or corrupt people with access to the data don't try using it to make a few bucks. What? it couldn't happen?.. haha it already has, it's just that they used pen and ink and took a lot longer to sort it than they do nowadays. And that's not even taking into consideration the ingenuity of organised crime gangs.
Vic said
06:49 PM Dec 3, 2011
Gerty Dancer wrote:
Returning to the original topic.... now I'm depressed What I thought might be true, is! Thanks anyway Vic.
Don't let it get you down Gerty, I don't think too many would be interested in small fry like us, unless we were budding terrorists or something.
Like has already been said, all sorts of interests (government, commercial etc) have plenty of data on us already, too late to turn back the clock, not that it makes it right but the way of the world today!
gordon_adl said
10:15 PM Dec 3, 2011
Really...you've got nothing to fear. You can bet your bottom dollar the indian telemarketar knows more about you then the government.
Have a reward card...guess what, the only reason for them is targeted advertising. Sign onto a web forum, bugga you're tracked. Honestly, if you look deep enough into anything in life, you'll find some type of conspiracy. Google, yahoo, any search engine tracks everything you do. Your credit card tracks what you spend your dollars on, as do your atm card. You're bank know's your deposit history and withdrawals. Take money out on thurs for the weekend, they know your spending habits. Use your atm\cc and they know what and where you like to shop. Run out of cash at a pub, they know where you ate your last dinner.
Best advice is just live your life, be a good person and you'll die a happy decent person.
Boroma577 said
10:22 PM Dec 3, 2011
gordon_adl wrote:
Really...you've got nothing to fear. You can bet your bottom dollar the indian telemarketar knows more about you then the government.
Have a reward card...guess what, the only reason for them is targeted advertising. Sign onto a web forum, bugga you're tracked. Honestly, if you look deep enough into anything in life, you'll find some type of conspiracy. Google, yahoo, any search engine tracks everything you do. Your credit card tracks what you spend your dollars on, as do your atm card. You're bank know's your deposit history and withdrawals. Take money out on thurs for the weekend, they know your spending habits. Use your atm\cc and they know what and where you like to shop. Run out of cash at a pub, they know where you ate your last dinner.
Best advice is just live your life, be a good person and you'll die a happy decent person.
Very true Gordon in what you say, good perspective and very good advice you give as well.
Webmaster said
11:18 PM Dec 3, 2011
Hi Everyone, Unfortunately, I've had to delete a few posts on this string which is not something I like to do. Can I remind everyone that this is a friendly forum and that pointless and petty bickering is not the way forward. If anyone has a problem with a post or a poster, could they please PM or email me and I'll try to sort things out.
Wikileaks has released the first swathe of 'spyfiles' documents from security companies around the world, in an effort to shine a light" on a
"secret industry worth billions".
In partnership with Bugged Planet and Privacy International, as well as media organisations including the Washington Post and The Bureau of
Investigative Journalism in the UK, Wikileaks has released 287 documents from security companies in 25 different countries.
Revealing the names of surveillance companies including BAE systems, Thales and Siemens, the files offer an insight into the sophisticated
technology which governments or organisations can purchase, spying on individuals or even as Wikileaks alleges, whole populations.
Apparatus that can record the key strokes on a Blackberry or iPhone can hold everything a person types, while other technology claims to be able
take a picture of an owner sitting at their macbook.
"Who here has an iPhone?" Assange asked attendees of a press conference in London on Thursday. "Who here has a Blackberry? Who here uses Gmail?
Well you are all screwed. The reality is intelligence contractors are selling right now to countries across the world mass surveillance systems
for all of those products."
An interactive map shows the security companies operating in each country and the type of security invasion they pose: whether internet, GPS
tracking or mobile phone recording.
Assange said the US, UK, Australia, South Africa and Canada are all developing the "spying systems", and the information is being sold to
"dictators and democracies alike".
In total 160 companies across 25 countries are said to be peddling these invasive devices, either ignoring or bypassing regulation and turning
a blind eye to dictatorial regimes that abuse human rights.
Through investigating these companies, Wikileaks in partnership with Owni, a Paris-based online magazine, claims to show how French security
company Amesyssold equipment to Gaddafi, allowing him to spy on the people now running Libya.
Wikileaks has also released a new whistle-blowing platform to allow individuals to submit documents without fear of being compromised.
Although, the scariest part is people actually think this has just started happening. I believe it has been happening since the cold war and by all of our governments the technology has just got smaller and better....for the people and with the people seems a long time ago if ever.
Little people like us are just manipulated, as long as we don't get too far out of line know one really cares about us. If someone wants to find out about you, and they have the money and the inclination to do it, your life and your habits are an open book. iphone ...gmail or not.
I wish all our governments would put the same energy and money into governing that they do into gathering information on each other.
Thanks for posting this.
Hey, onto another heavy subject...hows the pop top going?
Have a nice Saturday.
cheers Sharon
Yes it is scary Sharon. The poptop is fine now, all cleaned, lubricated and working ok and easier to put up etc. I put an update post about it on the thread. Like the play on words of "heavy" subject, lol
I really like your paintings Sharon, are they are particular style or just your own style, they are really appealing
-- Edited by Vic on Saturday 3rd of December 2011 12:27:04 PM
Governments have been able to track people in one way or another for years
I still feel it is an invasion of privacy and should be stopped.
Which is all very well and good... As long as the information doesn't get into the wrong hands. Or we don't eventually have a government that isn't as benevolent as the ones we get these days.. Or corrupt people with access to the data don't try using it to make a few bucks. What? it couldn't happen?.. haha it already has, it's just that they used pen and ink and took a lot longer to sort it than they do nowadays. And that's not even taking into consideration the ingenuity of organised crime gangs.
Don't let it get you down Gerty, I don't think too many would be interested in small fry like us, unless we were budding terrorists or something.
Like has already been said, all sorts of interests (government, commercial etc) have plenty of data on us already, too late to turn back the clock, not that it makes it right but the way of the world today!
Have a reward card...guess what, the only reason for them is targeted advertising. Sign onto a web forum, bugga you're tracked. Honestly, if you look deep enough into anything in life, you'll find some type of conspiracy. Google, yahoo, any search engine tracks everything you do. Your credit card tracks what you spend your dollars on, as do your atm card. You're bank know's your deposit history and withdrawals. Take money out on thurs for the weekend, they know your spending habits. Use your atm\cc and they know what and where you like to shop. Run out of cash at a pub, they know where you ate your last dinner.
Best advice is just live your life, be a good person and you'll die a happy decent person.
Very true Gordon in what you say, good perspective and very good advice you give as well.
Hi Everyone,
Unfortunately, I've had to delete a few posts on this string which is not something I like to do. Can I remind everyone that this is a friendly forum and that pointless and petty bickering is not the way forward. If anyone has a problem with a post or a poster, could they please PM or email me and I'll try to sort things out.