A small Nebraska company is helping law enforcement around the world spy on users of Google, Facebook and other tech giants. A secretly recorded presentation to police reveals how deeply embedded in the U.S. surveillance machine PenLink has become.
PenLink works closely with U.S. government agencies in tapping phones and in collecting data from interceptions of social media giants like Facebook, Google Snapchat and WhatsApp. The Lincoln, Nebraska-based company is often the first choice of law enforcement looking to keep tabs on the communications of criminal suspects.
Sometimes it takes a spy to get transparency from a surveillance company. Jack Poulson, founder of technology watchdog Tech Inquiry, went incognito at the National Sheriffs’ Association’s winter conference in Washington. He recorded a longtime PenLink employee showing off what the company could do for law enforcement and discussing the scale of its operations. Not only does the recording lift the lid on how deeply involved PenLink is in wiretapping operations across the U.S.
Jennifer Stisa Granick, surveillance and cybersecurity counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, believes the PenLink claims show how government might be overreaching when it comes to American privacy laws. The PenLink rep said that tech companies can be ordered to provide near-live tracking of suspects free of charge. One downside is that the social-media feeds don’t come in real time, like phone taps. There’s a delay – 15 minutes in the case of Facebook and its offshoot, Instagram.
Jennifer Granick, surveillance and cybersecurity counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, reviewed the comments made by Tuma. She raised concerns about the amount of information the government was collecting via PenLink. “The law requires police to minimize intercepted data, as well as give notice and show necessity,” she said.
Tuma described Apple’s iCloud warrants as “phenomenal.” “If you did something bad, I bet you I could find it on that backup,” he said. It was also possible, Tuma said, to look at WhatsApp messages, despite the platform’s assurances of tight security. Users who back up messages effectively remove the protection provided by the app’s end-to-end encryption. Tuma said he was working on a case in New York where he was sitting on “about a thousand recordings from WhatsApp.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Was a '400-Foot Ice Ship' Discovered in Antarctica on Google Maps?Conspiracy theorists claimed the 'ice ship' seen on Google Maps was linked to Nazis or was being built underground for the rich and powerful in the case of a massive disaster.
Leer más »
Houston area businesses say they’ve been targeted by Google review blackmail scamA fraudulent scheme that bombards Houston area restaurants with bad Google reviews appears to be part of a growing trend across the country.
Leer más »
Why former Google, Chanel, and PwC employees are building a crypto walletICYMI: Why former Google, Chanel, and PwC employees are building a crypto wallet
Leer más »
Harriette Cole: I’m afraid of what will happen when my kids Google my nameI made some mistakes that can’t be erased from the internet.
Leer más »
You may soon be able to sign documents right in Google Docs | Digital TrendsGoogle is working on increasing the privacy of eSignatures for its GoogleWorkspace professional version of Docs.
Leer más »
Three million+ Android users must delete these apps after Google left them lurking in the Play StoreICYMI: Because Google is not doing a great job of protecting Android users from malware, there are eight new popular apps you need to delete right away.
Leer más »