Al-Manar: WikiLeaks Founder Assange: Google Working for NSA

ASSANGE WikiLeaks Founder Assange: Google Working for NSA Local Editor Julian Assange WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange made an alarming claim that internet search engine Google is working like an intelligence agency, collecting, storing and indexing the data of its users. Speaking to BBC and Sky News, Assange compared Google to a “a privatized version of the NSA,” referring to the US National Security Agency which was revealed to have been spying on millions of people worldwide by whistleblower Edward Snowden last year. “Google’s business model is the spy. It makes more than 80 percent of its money by collecting information about people, pooling it together, storing it, indexing it, building profiles of people to predict their interests and behavior, and then selling those profiles principally to advertisers, but also others,” Assange told the BBC. “So the result is that Google, in terms of how it works, its actual practice, is almost identical to the National Security Agency or GCHQ,” he said. Assange also went on to say that Google has been working with the NSA since 2002, and is included as part of the defense industrial base as of 2009. “They have been engaged with the Prism system, where nearly all information collected by Google is available to the NSA,” Assange said, adding “at the institutional level, Google is deeply involved in US foreign policy.” Assange, who has been trapped in London's Ecuadorian embassy since June 2012 after being granted asylum, risks being arrested immediately by British police who stand watch outside the embassy should he attempt to leave. http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?fromval=1&cid=31&frid=31&eid=171884

For information on PRISM program, a link to the Wikipedia - here. 

Briefly from Wikipedia:

PRISM is a clandestine mass electronic surveillance data mining program launched in 2007 by the National Security Agency (NSA), with participation from an unknown date by the British equivalent agency, GCHQ.

... The Prism program collects stored Internet communications based on demands made to Internet companies such as Google Inc. under Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 to turn over any data that match court-approved search terms.

Systems:

    PRISM
    ECHELON
    Carnivore
    DISHFIRE
    STONEGHOST
    Frenchelon

Agencies:

    ASD        (Australian Signals Directorate)

    BND       (German)

    CSIS       (Canadian) (Security Intelligence Service)

    CSEC      (Canadian) (Communications Security Establishment)

    DGSE     (French) 

(Direction Generale de la Securite Exterieure/ 

General Directorate for External Security)

    GCHQ  (British)

    GCSB   (NZ) (Government Communications Security Bureau)

    NGIA   (US)  (National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency)

    NSA     (US)  (National Security Agency)

    NRO    (US) National Reconnaissance Office

 
[Agencies listed are matched with subsequent look-ups.] 

VIDEO - Assange: Google has revolving doors with State Dept (EXCLUSIVE)

Assange: Google has revolving doors with State Dept (EXCLUSIVE)

ASSANGE - News Talk (Ireland) Article & Audio Interview

ASSANGE http://www.newstalk.com/-Julian-Assange-speaks-to-Newstalk Google's Stalinist views on providing whistleblower information to public -- think it should be mediated by govt -- http://goo.gl/WobbyC US had 2 admit under oath that NOT a SINGLE person was harmed as a result of #WikiLeaks whistleblower publication > http://goo.gl/WobbyC  COMMENT Assange AUDIO interview also @ link.  Following is my understanding of audio. The Guardian newspaper is an establishment newspaper. However, not the landed gentry or large corporations. Guardian is associated with the ‘Mandarin class’ – ie political advisors, MI6, the Foreign Office (aside:  they share office premises in London @ ‘Lego Building’, whatever that is), and the Commonwealth Office. As I understood audio, the Guardian was a most significant censor of WikiLeaks information, catering to this bureaucratic class of interests -- and due to fears of the cost of libel cases. Assange, who has been granted political asylum, has been the subject of the largest US investigation into a publisher – now spanning 4 years – and has been the subject of threats to his life (as has his family). The UK has indicated that it will arrest Assange irrespect of the outcome of the Swedish matter. It is unknown whether the US has issued a sealed extradition request.  However, the US may also phone in such a request (on the basis that necessarily paperwork may be lodged within 40 days of request). Therefore, it’s logical to conclude that any arrest of Assange by the UK authorities would manifest in Assange being handed over to the US by their UK ally. On a bright note, Assange is confident that – barring any geopolitical crises (eg action in Ukraine) intervening (which would grant special state powers on basis of national security) – the international law will inevitably be observed. That’s about it for the audio I think, but best to have a listen because I’m not familiar with all this stuff and may have misunderstood or missed bits.

Julian Assange - Political Prisoner on Google / Assange Media Distortion

ASSANGE GOOGLE & NSA Spying and storing: Assange says 'Google works like NSA' >>http://on.rt.com/k0icvc  >>> #FreeAssangeNow >> 'a privatized version of the NSA' /Google defense industrial base since 2009 /engaged w/ Prism system /info collected by Google available to NSA!! #surveillance POLITICAL PRISONER #UK over £3 MILLION surveillance outside Ecuador embassy - POLITICAL PRISONER - #FreeAssangeNow [src BBC video] - #ukPolitics #auspol #UK tax payer money WASTED http://govwaste.co.uk/  - US POLITICAL PRISONER - £7,398,105.00+ !! - #DavidCameron #ukPolitics #FreeAssangeNow #UK passed modifications to ban extradition without charge / Yet #Assange held WITHOUT CHARGE! -- POLITICAL PRISONER -- #ukPolitics MEDIA DISTORTION -  BBC @BBCNews This article is NOT correct: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29258834 Assange did NOT seek Ecuador embassy refuge 'to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning over alleged sexual offences.' #Assange sought & was granted POLITICAL ASYLUM by Ecuador, on the basis of #USA pursuit of #Assange over #WikiLeaks publications. Assange has been held WITHOUT CHARGE for 4 years by #UK. Assange remains a political prisoner at a high cost to #UK. #FreeAssangeNow #UKpolitics #Auspol #NZpol #svpol Facts: >> https://justice4assange.com/ ---------------------------------------- COMMENT The above is self-explanatory:  Assange is a political prisoner.  Check out what they're spending to deny him the political asylum he's been granted.  That's confirmation for you. Took exception to the BBC article because it seems to convey that he's done some dodgy number to avoid being questioned.  That isn't the case at all and the public should be made aware that Assange has been granted POLITICAL ASYLUM by Ecuador. The Google stuff, I don't know what to make of.   Unless you use anonymity services like Tor and inhabit the 'deep web' (or whatever it is), is there an alternative to Google? Wikipedia on Tor - here.

Summary

Summary of the Day's Online Travels

READ

WikiLeaks @wikileaks  ·  6h

#Reddit "shadowbans" user for asking #Assange a question about censorship on Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/2ghp54/i_am_julian_assange_ama_about_my_new_book_when/ … #GamerGate

#GamerGate'ers should know that the pattern of censorship & cronyism they see is mirrored at the very top. Level up:

WikiLeaks cable reveals how #NATO head got top job in corrupt deal with #Turkey + #Obama

https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09COPENHAGEN241_a.html#efmAcXAilAlwAn_AwcAxnA6VA8uA_sBGfBS4BUBB5gB67B9aB-1CAECE-CLgCNQCNuCP_CRrCTECTGCUUCV7CXzCb-CdM … & https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09COPENHAGEN206_a.html#efmCDhCRT …

Misc. Look-ups

" ... video game space has been so heavily politicized with a left-leaning, feminist-driven slant," >> http://goo.gl/bQtdF9

>> Why do ppl bother to use #Reddit when it's a censored platform?

"4chan in general is widely viewed as a nasty sort of place for anyone not straight and male" [Forbes] >>But 4Chan's heaps more interesting

"... capitalizing on a culture of victimhood" (Erik Kain) >> What a fantastic phrase. We see this happening ALL THE TIME in wider society!

-----------------------------------------------

#Russia - Lavrov's trip #Zimbabwe - platinum deposit, Darwendale, project - w/ Russia's Rostec & others http://goo.gl/4pG2D1  >

-----------------------------------------------

 #PoliceState - UK government made 1,535 requests for citizens' information from Google - http://goo.gl/D88J1L 

Irish authorities - x10 requests this year - Gmail, Google Docs, YouTube or other Google - http://goo.gl/D88J1L  - reasons unknown #Ireland

#Denmark - x52 requests for citizens' information from Google. http://goo.gl/D88J1L 

#Belgium -   x213 user data requests from Google >> http://goo.gl/D88J1L 

#Portugal -- x338 user data requests from Google -- http://goo.gl/D88J1L

-----------------------------------------------

 

#UK - C6 Intell Info Systems Ltd (“C6”) - global intelligence info - both individuals & companies

worked 4 City / London Fraud Squad - have access to ‘dark web’ http://goo.gl/7WBt6e  - stolen perso records traded #hacker

-----------------------------------------------

#auspol >>NSW Police cyber hacking could be breaking the law, warns civil liberties lawyer>> http://goo.gl/HefliG  - #WikiLeaks #Assange

>>warrants *don't allow generalised software computer hacking* - premises-based / search computers + 2 access other networks.

-----------------------------------------------

#USA & #Israel used Stuxnet computer worm 2009 to control #Iranian nuclear facility’s computer sys & destroy 1/5 country’s uranium supply!

- “zero-day” exploit -- http://www.wired.com/2011/07/how-digital-detectives-deciphered-stuxnet/all/ …

The Stuxnet 2009 worm & Iran destruction uranium info is from New York Times. Wired info good but hard to follow (4 me).

#Surveillance - NSA Secretly Trying To Map The Internet — Including All Devices Connected To It — In Real-Time - http://goo.gl/D0tYHS

>> "a bird’s eye view of the planet’s digital arteries" -- #Snowden

“...agencies successfully infiltrated major German telecommunications providers Netcologne and Telekom, the latter of which runs service to Britain and the eastern U.S.”  [DailyCaller]

“... Stellar, a German satellite communications firm revealed to have been hacked” [DailyCaller]

#surveillance - NSA Big Brother program, entitled Treasure Map - http://goo.gl/UD6yIG  - Five Eyes hacks & monitors - #auspol #nzpol #ukpol

>> NSA + Five Eyes (UK, AU, NZ, CA) alliance essentially have access to all communications in the world. [ibtimesco.uk]

“More German tensions: Among the “autonomous systems” Treasure Map penetrated in order to create this global map, according to Snowden documents, is Deutsche Telekom, which is partly owned by the German government, and Netcologne, a regional German telecom. That’s sure to cause even more friction between the U.S. and Germany, which expelled the CIA’s Berlin station chief in July over NSA spying revelations, including that the spy agency allegedly tapped Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone. Deutsche Telekom told Der Spiegel it conducted an extensive investigation after the magazine alerted it about the possible infiltration but found no suspicious hardware or data leaving its networks.”

Source: http://www.politico.com/morningcybersecurity/0914/morningcybersecurity15290.html

#Surveillance #Germany #SpyScandal

-----------------------------------------------

 ISRAEL

 

"Israel has built “an Iron Dome of cybersecurity that parallels the Iron Dome against the rockets,” Netanyahu said ..."

"Netanyahu said the majority of attacks stem from Iran, including cyberattacks that are ostensibly from Iran-allied groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas."

"“Iran and its proxies take advantage of the security and anonymity of cyber space” to attack Israel and other countries, he said."

The story from the Jerusalem Post: http://bit.ly/1tRBvlL

[Politico/com]

#Israel #Iran #Cybersecurity

United Nations Disengagement Observer Force Zone - costs $64 million per year to run as of 2014 - http://goo.gl/TNgP0E  ... #Israel    #Syria   ... Golan Heights

-----------------------------------------------

#Hacker #cybersecurity - Involvement of a major US carrier in Border Gateway Protocol hijacking http://goo.gl/L8uLm1  misrouting #Bulgaria

Germany-based spyware firm FinFisher facing more troubles w/ publication on #Wikileaks / http://bit.ly/1s2FrUp + http://politico.pro/1kvMmSz

-----------------------------------------------

United Kingdom profile - Timeline - A chronology of key events - http://goo.gl/jyqCgu 

>1945 Labour intros welfare state + UN Security Council perma memb/ 1949 UK a founder member of Nato / 1973 EEC / end. by refer. 1975

----------------------------------------------- 

RUSSIA / BALTIC

#Russia >>> Baltic States of suppressing the rights of Russian speakers >>> http://goo.gl/OmCCdf  >>> #Latvia, #Lithuania, #Estonia

This some of the information I looked at today.  

As usual, it's easier to just copy over where I've been than it is to try to recall.

Ran off a copy of the massive Stuxnet article because I find it impossible to focus on something long and involved, staring at a screen.  Find it better to have a hard copy for mark-up and ease of reading.

At the end of my day of checking things out, I'm wondering why I've bothered running off the involved Stuxnet hacking article when I'm not a techie and really don't need to know anything in depth.

On the other hand, it's supposed to be some techie (or surveillance) big deal, so I might have to force myself to get through the information -- even if it's just skimming over it.

RUPERT MURDOCH - on redtape & stifled economic growth

uk.news.yahoo.com

Murdoch tells G20 governments to take a back seat for growth
By Jane Wardell | Reuters – 15 minutes ago

By Jane Wardell

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Media mogul Rupert Murdoch ... criticised excessive financial regulation as stymieing free markets and urged Group of 20 governments to "take a back seat" to allow businesses to drive economic growth.

Murdoch also said U.S. President Barack Obama was penalising businesses by cracking down on so-called "profit shifting" by major corporations to countries with lighter tax regimes, a technique that is also in the sights of the G20.

"My blood pressure goes up when I think of the number of local, state and federal regulations we have in our lives today," Murdoch told a meeting of the Business 20 leaders in Sydney...

"That is just in America. Don't even get me started on the European Union."

The B20 was set up in 2010 to give policy recommendations on behalf of the international business community to the G20. Business leaders meeting here are looking to influence the outcome of the G20 Leaders Summit in Brisbane in November.

"I believe that business does have a role in shaping public policy, mainly in helping limit the size and scope of government," Murdoch said.

"... too much red tape, too many subservient politicians stifling economic growth and entrepreneurism."

...G20 is tackling corporate "profit shifting", which has allowed multinationals such as Starbucks Corp, Google Inc, Apple Inc and Amazon.com Inc to avoid paying taxes.

G20 finance ministers ... endorsed a set of common standards for sharing bank account information across borders, with automatic exchange of information among G20 members to take effect by the end of 2015. [WORLDWIDE POLICE STATE???]

Obama ...  proposed tightening restrictions on U.S. multinationals that shift their tax domiciles abroad ... Obama wants to raise the minimum level of foreign ownership in a newly inverted holding company to 50 percent from about 20 percent, making the deals more difficult to carry out.

"Do we really expect overseas companies to voluntarily bring profits back to be taxed at 35 to 40 percent in the United States, when the corporate tax rate in Ireland is 12.5 percent?" Murdoch said. "This is not the way to achieve economic growth."
...

SOURCE - uk.news.yahoo.com - here.

-------------------------------------------------

COMMENT

So US is a corporate free-for-all.  BUT with a proviso -- keep it in the US?

The 'international' bank account sharing is getting a bit much.

 [WIKIPEDIA]

Wider concerns

The G-20's transparency and accountability have been questioned by critics, who call attention to the absence of a formal charter and the fact that the most important G-20 meetings are closed-door.

The cost and extent of summit-related security is often a contentious issue in the hosting country... 2010, the Toronto G-20 summit sparked mass protests and rioting, leading to the largest mass arrest in Canadian history.

He's right about the red-tape.

Also, all these extra-national gangs are just another step to world totalitarianism -- or something like that.  LOL.  

It just doesn't seem right - all this global ganging up, bullying, controlling, prying etc.