
NSA assisting Minnesota with intercepted communications - monocasa
https://twitter.com/LucasFoxNews/status/1266743748769316865
======
totalZero
I saw an article saying that the government was conducting contact tracing of
people arrested at the protests.

At the time I wasn't sure what that meant, but now my guess is that it means
precisely what it sounds like: the authorities are using the same tools they
use against COVID-19, for the purpose of identifying looters and rioters.

Personally I think we must dismantle a large portion of our surveillance
apparatus.

~~~
thephyber
> conducting contact tracing of people arrested

I'm pretty sure this is standard when police think that more than one person
committed the crime. I don't think "contact tracing" in this case is any
different than just "investigate the crime and follow the leads".

The 50 states and many large metros have fusion centers that were already
gathering, collating, and redirecting national security info. If the NSA was
given authority to target the protests (probably, because the president and
DoJ are claiming other nations are agitators), this might be happening.

~~~
8bitsrule
Given the current admins' penchant for blaming others for what happens here,
pointing at other nations seems like par for the course by now. It's easier
than looking in the mirror, and a convenient distraction.

~~~
thephyber
I don't disagree with what you say, but I don't see how it's relevant to my
comment.

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billme
Fox News updated the story to say the MN Governor public statement that the
NSA was involved in interceptions of messages for the military supplied
intelligence report was in error, per the Governor’s office.

SOURCE: [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/minnesota-intelligence-
supp...](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/minnesota-intelligence-support-nsa-
riots)

~~~
Lammy
Read: Getting caught was the error.

~~~
Nasrudith
Yeah you cannot trust the NSA for anything. Especially related to your own
security. They would be do more societal good as fertilizer to water thirsty
ornamental plants in a minimally populated desert. Where maintenance of said
plants was paid for by taxpayers watered by contractors at extortionate rates
while the workers only receive minimium wage.

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pnako
It's quite likely there is foreign interference, but it would be nice to have
some solid evidence for once. The bets are open, I guess.

~~~
larcrimacida
In Romania we are used to have praceful protests turn into vandalism, it’s a
known thing already: agitators are brought in, chaos starts, police ram onto
peaceful protesters, including moms, kids , some grandmas and grandpas, some
disabled. They thus end the peaceful protests and more vandalism takes place.
This is a classic tactic form soviet opression and control manuals, since
we’re in their sphere of influence. I shouldn’t be surprised if Amerika has
mighty methods of control and supression, sure, not like China and Russia but
in an perverted way nonetheless

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silverreads
We all said this tech would be used for no good, and now here we are.

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easterncalculus
Already been denied by Minnesota Governor, and it's outlandish to begin with.
I'll believe it when it's written somewhere other than Twitter.

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olliej
Isn’t the nsa explicitly prohibited from operating in the US? Or is that just
the CIA?

~~~
thephyber
Another comment stated that Fox news retracted this story.

The charters prevent them from spying domestically, but there are a handful of
cases where domestic agencies are allowed to request their assistance.

~~~
redis_mlc
> The charters prevent them from spying domestically,

A long time ago that was the case, but I believe that hasn't been true (or
followed) for over 30 years.

The AT&T "splitter" rooms are one example. Tapping Google's WAN links is
another.

One of the fig leafs used for email gathering is if one recipient is not in
the US, then it's "international." But they could just say, "we thought one of
his contacts might have been foreign", and there's nothing anybody can do.

~~~
thephyber
Yes, sorry I didn't expand on this. The capabilities of the IC have changed
(during Cold War, after Church Committee, after 9/11, etc).

I'm aware of the evidence that you listed.

> But they could just say, "we thought one of his contacts might have been
> foreign", and there's nothing anybody can do.

I would argue the US military could invade another country and "there's
nothing you can do". We, as lowly citizens, have no standing in court and no
authority over the NSA/DoD/CIA (except through our elected representatives).

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harry8
Turn-key police state exists.

The race is on. Do we dismantle the apparatus before someone turns that key or
dues someone get there and turn it first?

This probably isn't it. This is just another warning, right? We still have
time, right?

I think Biden's handlers are more likely than Trump myself but it might be
singing that vibes after.

~~~
harry8
"singing that vibes after" from "someone that comes after"

Phone autocorrect is not something I'm working with very well nowadays...
Sigh.

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nojito
As long as the signals leave US borders the NSA looking into it is fair game.

Or if it started internationally before reaching the US.

