

NSA Officers Spy on Love Interests - hype7
http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/BL-WB-40005

======
ghayes
What bothers me is that the NSA often acts adversarially with its oversight
committees. As Techdirt reported[1], the LOVEINT violations weren't reported
to the Senate Intelligence Committee until just a few days ago, despite
occurring over a period of years. Without a watcher, there's nothing to stop
more instances of operator abuse or expansive interpretations of the governing
legislation (despite the Constitution). The EFF has put out a good post on the
flaws of the investigations into the NSA[2].

[1]
[https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130823/18432024301/nsa-a...](https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130823/18432024301/nsa-
admits-okay-okay-there-have-been-bunch-intentional-abuses-including-spying-
loved-ones.shtml?cid=182)

[2] [https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/08/three-illusory-
investi...](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/08/three-illusory-
investigations-nsa-spying-are-unable-succeed)

------
droithomme
The vocabulary choice in this article is misleading. It mirrors terminology
LOVEINT given to the reporter by his source at the NSA, suggesting this
practice is a harmless or even positive activity controlled by warm and fuzzy
motivations of caring, sharing, "love" and romance.

But it is not about these things at all. It is about creepers with power over
their prey and a position of authority who are _stalking_ women they are
obsessed with. In many cases they are likely using that knowledge to
manipulate and control the targets of their obsession.

Stalking is not about romance, caring, sharing, nor love. Stalking is about
obsession, dysfunction, and control. When done by government agents with
power, control, and access to ubiquitous systems of global surveillance, it is
anything but harmless. It is predatory. The perpetrators of these acts should
be unmasked to the public by name, and held accountable for their actions. In
some cases that will mean registration as a sex offender so that the public
can be aware when there is a predator living among them.

------
emiliobumachar
"In each instance, the employee was punished either with an administrative
action or termination."

Am I the only one to think this is a slap in the wrist? Such abuse of power
should be more than enough for felony charges.

At the _very, very least_ , stalking.

~~~
pyre
Well, when all of the evidence is classified, that becomes an issue. The
prosecutor probably doesn't even have clearance to see the evidence.

~~~
runarb
Why can't they run the case in on of thus secret courts we keep hearing about?
Sure they must have prosecutors and judges with the correct security
clearances...

~~~
pyre
\- The "secret courts" aren't full courts for the purposes of holding a trial.

\- The "secret courts" only have a judge, there is no prosecutor, because no
prosecution happens.

------
pcunite
This is why you can't form a stable society based on a tier 1 group of
_watchers_ (they call it intelligence gathering) who make sure we don't do
things we're not supposed to. Because ... who watches them? Instead, you need
a _circle_ where we are all accountable to each other. Thus a government ran
by the people. If we were able to see into this secret world, well, it would
have never happened.

There is a way to educate and mobile every citizen to ensure the safety of our
country where we would not need the TSA, NSA, and CIA. I'm not talking about
vigilantism. No, but rather the safe and effect reporting they could train us
in.

We have dangerously passed over all our of responsibilities onto those who do
not seek the common persons best interest, rather they seek your enslavement
to heap luxuries upon themselves. Please don't blackmail me anymore. More tea
sir?

------
w_t_payne
I am I the only one to not give a damn about this?

It isn't really the NSA that gives me the heebie-geebies anyway - it's all the
others out there who are trying to do the exact same thing - with much less
(if any) oversight, and every incentive to act maliciously.

Now, it is not exactly like I am a concern-free zone as far as the NSA goes,
either, but the nexus of my stress and worry tends to centre around the
(presumably sanctioned, presumably legal) economic and industrial espionage
aspects of their mission.

In any case, the really scary stuff only starts happening when the IoT really
starts hitting it's stride ... so we have a few years yet to get our act
together.

~~~
michaelwww
_> I am I the only one to not give a damn about this?_

Sadly, no. People in my wider circle of friends and family either don't care
or don't know what to say. I wish everyone would realize it wasn't that long
ago the J. Edgar Hoover was keeping files on every person of interest (like
MLK, John Lennon, ..it's a big list) and the capabilities of today's NSA would
be his wet dream.

~~~
w_t_payne
Well, I am just waiting for the day when "fitness trackers" become mandatory
(for health insurance reasons, natch...).

Anyway, as I have said before ... no need for conspiracies in a world full of
opportunists. All you need to have is a group of people who make their living
from fear.

------
danso
If this is what they do to the people they love, imagine what they do to the
people they hate...

------
codex
Police with guns kill innocent civilians all the time, even with tremendous
oversight, and witnesses--and yet we still have police and give them guns.
People with power will occasionally behave badly. How is this any different?

------
RafiqM
"Most of the incidents, officials said, were self-reported"

Imagine the amount of people who have done this but not voluntarily admitted
to it.

------
walid
Not surprised. Are the love interests ex-girl friends?

