Your television and cable box are spying on EVERY purchase you've ever made

image credit: Climateviewer

Cable companies are spying on your mortgage, car and student loans, etc.

According to Bloomberg Business:

"Using data from cable set-top boxes that track TV viewing, credit cards and other sources, media companies including Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal, Time Warner Inc.’s Turner and Viacom Inc. are trying to compete with Web giants like Google Inc. and Facebook Inc. and help marketers target their messages to the right audience."

What do they mean by "OTHER SOURCES" ? Could they mean our Ebay, Amazon and retail purchases to name a few?

"NBC is using cable set-top box data from parent company Comcast Corp., along with credit card data, automobile data and other sources, to tell advertisers which network, and even which program on that network, is more likely to include their target audience."

Reading between the lines, cable companies and advertisers are spying on your credit card data and automobile data. How much"automobile data" they're spying on is a mystery, but if you watch movies, Netflix or Youtube in your 'smart car' you can bet you're being spied on.

Advertisers will send you and your family ads based on EVERY purchase you've made with a credit or debit card.

Cablevision collects the following information from users if they’re a registered user of  Comcast Web Services:

"We use advertising networks to help us display ads to you. In addition, our content providers may have the right to sell ads in the content they distribute through the Comcast Web Services."

Registration Data: We ask you to provide certain information when you create an account for the Comcast Web Services, such as your first and last name, a user name you may create, a password, email address, mailing address, phone number, and your gender, and date of birth.

Profile Data: We may ask you to provide additional information the first time you choose to access a specific Comcast Web Service, such as: additional contact email addresses, lists of people to connect with through certain Comcast Web Services, movie genre preferences, and whether you would like us to communicate with you about other Comcast products and services.

Activity Data: If you’re a registered User and are logged in and using the Comcast Web Services, we can associate what you do on the Comcast Web Services (such as flagging or rating news articles, movies, television shows or other content, posting blog entries or comments, and sharing URLs) with your registration information.

"Personally Identifiable Information" or "PII" means information that identifies a specific person, such as the person's name, address, Social Security number, financial account number, or phone number.

Comcast claims they'll only share your PII information if you direct them to...

If you direct us to share your information with another website or company (for example, a social networking site), we’ll do so. We may also permit some companies that we hire to perform services on our behalf to access certain information, but these companies are not permitted to keep this information or use it themselves. They’re required by contract with us to use this information only to deliver the services they have been hired to perform, and they are required to keep all information about our users and our services completely confidential.

Comcast's first sentence is absurd! Who would direct them to share your personal information with advertisers? And their last sentence is also misleading, please read on...

Information that does not identify a person could be a non-personal record of online activity, or information you put in a profile - like your zip code, your age or your gender (when it's used without your name). We routinely collect this kind of information and use it to improve your experience, for example, by showing you content and advertising that may be more relevant and interesting to someone like you. Sometimes we share this kind of non-personal information with other companies that help us deliver and improve our services.

Your personal info. may be shared among Comcast companies...

The Web Services are provided by various companies that are part of Comcast. We may share your information among these Comcast companies so we can make it easier for you to use several Web Services seamlessly. Also, if you use the Web Services in connection with other Comcast services (for example, to set your DVR online to record a show on your television), we may need to share your information with the Comcast companies that offer those services, too.
 

So you're personal information is not kept confidential!

According to WIRED cable customers can allegedly opt-out, but for how long?

"The ads will be delivered in real time and matched to geography, the type of show being watched and the viewer’s history. Customers will have the choice to opt out of being shown ads based on their viewing history, much like users of Google’s web services can opt out of being targeted based on browsing history. It’s not clear what “viewing history” means, how granular that opt-out process will be, or whether this type of targeting will be available to both national and local advertisers."

Click here to opt-out of Cablevision's spying program.

Click on the names of these cable giants Viacom, Time Warner Inc., NBCUniversal and Netflix to learn more about how they are spying on our viewing habits.
 

A company called VisibleWorld offers cable companies the ability to spy on customers television viewing habits.

 

"Visible World empowers more than 300 advertisers to deliver more targeted, effective and accountable local TV ad campaigns to consumers in approximately 80% of U.S. cable homes in 210 DMAs and our household addressable footprint includes 3 million homes."

 

“TV has to move in this direction,” said Brad Adgate, head of research for the media-buying firm Horizon Media. “There’s a lot of concern about dollars migrating to digital from television. This is a way for TV to keep pace.”

Samsung's Smart TV Supplement reveals just how invasive television spying has become:

“By enabling SyncPlus or other marketing features, you may make the content and advertising that you receive on your SmartTV and other devices when you are watching SmartTV more interactive."

“ . . . To make these kinds of enhancements available, we provide video or audio snippets of the program you’re watching to third-party providers that use this information in order to return content or advertising “synched” to what you’re watching. These providers may receive information about your device (e.g., its IP address and device identifiers) and your interactions with the content and advertising they provide.”

Click on the names of the television manufacturers LG and Vizio to learn how they're spying on our viewing habits.

The technology being used to spy on our viewing habits is known as "Automatic Content Recognition" (ACR).

Here’s how ACR works: Companies such as Cognitive Networks, Enswers, and Gracenote collaborate with television manufacturers to embed ACR technology into smart TVs that monitors either the video or audio stream—and sometimes both—that the user is watching. The ACR creates a “fingerprint” of the on-screen content, then sends it to a remote server that uses that fingerprint to determine what programming is being watched.

According to Intrasonics another ACR manufacturer:

"We don't just identify the show or the particular episode, we identify the precise timepoint that the viewer has reached within that show, whether watching or listening live or via a catch-up service."

Audiblemagic another ACR manufacturer brags about their close relationship with cable network giants, Facebook and Verizon Wireless for starters...

"Audible Magic is the leader in automated identification of audio and visual content for web media platforms and social networks. Our content identification systems have been in production for years and are trusted by major customers such as Daily Motion, Facebook, SoundCloud, Twitch, Vimeo and Verizon Wireless."

"Audible Magic has built content relationships with the major studios, including NBCU, Fox, Viacom/MTV, Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, and Disney/ABC. Our database contains hundreds of thousands of titles including TV and film content, much of the new content is registered with Audible Magic pre-release/pre-broadcast. There is no cost of registration so most of our customers just refer content owners to Audible Magic and we take care of the rest."

"Together between music, motion picture, TV program and TV advertising content, we add on average over 250,000 new titles to our identification databases each month."

What does all this mean for us? Even if you opt-out of these spying programs, private corporations will still be collecting your personal data.
 
EVERYTHING you do, EVERYTHING you purchase and EVERYTHING you watch is being spied on. Private companies are making huge profits at the expense of EVERYONE'S privacy!

US Customs is collecting the personal information of every Amtrak passenger

image credit: national geographic

According to Papers Please:

Documents released by Amtrak suggest that since 2012, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has had direct access to Amtrak’s reservation system, possibly including access to reservations for Amtrak passengers traveling entirely within the USA.

The Amtrak documents Papers Please received are the fourth in a continuing series of long-overdue interim responses (1st interim response, 2nd interim response, 3rd interim response) to a FOIA request they made in October 2014 for records related to Amtrak’s data-sharing and other collaboration with DHS and other US and foreign law enforcement agencies.

You read that right, foreign law enforcement agencies have access to EVERY Amtrak passengers personal information!

"CBP inspectors have no more reason or authority to demand to inspect tickets than Amtrak conductors have to demand to inspect passports."

Back in March of this year I reported how DHS/Amtrak is spying on passengers and letting police access records without warrants:

Amtrak's reservation database is being collected by a PRIVATE CORPORATION that spies on you and forwards it to the govt!

The CBP/DHS knows you address, credit card numbers, telephone numbers and email address:

"CBP wanted access to additional data about cross-border passengers — such as telephone numbers, credit card numbers, or postal and email addresses — that’s included in ticketing and reservation records."

"CBP wanted the technical capability to access data about passengers on Amtrak trains that don’t cross the border."

Amtrak has given CBP staff members 'carte blanche' to spy on EVERY Amtrak passenger:

... "Only certain CBP staff members — we don’t know how many — were to be given user IDs for access to the Amtrak e-ticket system."  Amtrak/DHS has no restrictions on what the CBP can spy on.

Amtrak Police also have access to EVERY passengers reservation data through a special “Police GUI“.

 “To Identify passengers of interest, [redacted name of Amtrak Police officer under investigation] uses the Arrow system, CISPROD, and the manifest to predetermine which passengers should be targeted for closer scrutiny. By determining the traveler’s method of payment when purchasing the ticket, how soon before departure the ticket was purchased, their city of origin, destination, length of stay, and whether or not the traveler recorded a telephone number, one can better target travelers of interest. This information couple with site indicators helps an experience officer develop probable cause for a detention and often times, arrest.”

Amtrak's customer service employees have been issued guidelines that can allegedly identify a suspicious passenger:

Unusual calmness or straight ahead stare

Unusual nervousness of traveler

Looking around while making telephone call(s)

Position among passengers disembarking (ahead of, or lagging behind passengers)

Carrying little or no luggage

Purchase of tickets in cash

Purchase tickets immediately prior to boarding

To make matters worse, EVERY American is given a  'Risk Assessment" while traveling inside the country...

Police are using more than TWENTY EIGHT automated "risk assessment" programs on EVERYONE travelling inside the US!

And now Amtrak has begun TSA style searches of EVERY passenger...

“Passengers failing to consent to security procedures will be denied access to trains.”

“I don’t know if that level of security we have at airports would be practical at train stations,” said Vernon Herron, University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security. “

Internet surveillance revealed

Police question woman for wearing a protest T-shirt as she walked past the 9/11 memorial

image credit: teenreview

 

As Miru Kim walked past the 9/11 memorial, NYPD cops pointed to her shirt and asked her about the message on it!

 "He asked me what my shirt said," she recalled. "I told him it was an old T-shirt from a protest group. That got him going even more, and I had to explain that it was from an anti-Iraq War group from a long time ago. Like, 10 years ago."

The officer asked for Kim's apartment number and phone number, then asked for her ID, which she says she didn't have on her person. She proceeded to give him "all of my information," including her name and cellphone number.

 

"I thought it was kind of annoying getting all of my information taken down by police," Kim said. "I didn't ask why. I didn't really say anything. I basically just complied and explained that it's just a shirt from a long time ago."

In Kim's social media post she says:

 “Are they serious, NYPD? Are they gonna call me a potential terrorist because I am wearing a shirt with Arabic on it? When did NYC become so xenophobic?”

"No New Yorker should be targeted for a police stop or interrogation because they are wearing a t-shirt with Arabic writing on it," says Donna Lieberman, the New York Civil Liberties Union's Executive Director. She described the alleged incident as "inconsistent with free expression."
http://gothamist.com/2015/09/24/nypd_security_theater.php

In August 2006, two TSA officers at JFK barred Raed Jarrar from boarding a JetBlue flight until he agreed to cover up his "We Will Not Be Silent" t-shirt.

Jarrar won a $240,000 settlement against JetBlue:

 

Two weeks later, a TSA security and FOUR Coast Guard petty officers, stopped a college student who was wearing the very same t-shirt on the Staten Island Ferry.

Stephanie Schwartz, a student at Hunter College, was stopped October 9 while riding on the Staten Island ferry by a security guard wearing a Department of Transportation uniform. The guard had taken exception to her shirt, a black T-shirt with the slogan “We will not be silent” written in English and Arabic. Schwartz claims the guard told her that she’d “better not wear that shirt here anymore” and that it wasn’t appropriate for “high security places.”

"Schwartz and the Coast Guard differ on exactly what happened on the October 9 ferry boat incident. She claims that after the initial incident with the security guard she was surrounded by a patrol of four Coast Guard petty officers whom she had seen speak to the security guard earlier."

Laurie Arbeiter of The Critical Voice artists’ group said. “What they’re trying to do is create fear.”  

CCTV's are about to become quite scary

(At approximately 2:30)

 

"...CCTV's are about to become quite scary..." said Steve Jolly who works for the "No CCTV " in the UK.  Jolly warned, the public should be scared of the next generation of CCTV's.

"If you're constantly tracked and monitored, if everything you do is going to be recorded. I don't think you can really say you live in a free society" said Jolly. (Steve Jolly's video has been deleted, click here & here to view more Jolly interviews)

Warning next generation surveillance cameras are already in place in America!

According to GoUpstate.com:

"Surveillance technology is a booming industry. The analytics company IHS projects the industry will grow globally by almost 11 percent this year. City surveillance systems for law enforcement and emergency management are the fastest growing segment of the market, with predicted sales growth of 18 percent."

"Just nine states have laws that regulate how long information can be stored or used from automatic license plate readers, a surveillance tool used in all 50 states that records a vehicle's time, date and GPS location along with a photo as it moves through the city."

Below are a few examples of DHS/Police using high definition cameras to spy on innocent Americans.

The South Carolina Police are using high definition cameras:

"High-speed cameras capable of capturing photos of passing license plates, paired with software that compares plate numbers with lists of wanted suspects, missing persons or stolen vehicles."

 

"Networks of high-definition cameras that can be coupled with software that recognizes faces or sends alerts on suspicious activities."

 

"Aerial drones with high-definition and night-vision cameras."

 

"Wide-area aerial surveillance capable of recording every movement across the scope of a small city for hours."

The Boston Police are using high definition cameras:

"This is a newer 30-times zoom," he says. "They want to end up looking at the medical tent. If something's happening, they can end up looking at the finish line, the bandstand, anything."

Savage works for Lan-Tel Communications, a Massachusetts company contracting for Boston Police and marathon organizers. At the company's office, workers link the cameras into the computer network while project manager Eric Johnson demonstrates that police can remotely watch feeds from and control the cameras.

"I'm zooming in on the infield of Fenway Park," he says while maneuvering a camera. He uses a laptop to swivel and zoom the HD video camera on a building hundreds of yards away from the ballpark. The zoom is so powerful, Johnson says it could probably tell whether a Red Sox pitcher has thrown a strike or a ball.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Arizona is also using high definition cameras:

"Maricopa needed an exceptionally reliable video surveillance system that could capture data in real-time, as well as store and process that information quickly," says Molly Rector, CMO at storage infrastructure vendor DataDirect Networks. "Other factors it looked for included reliability, alerting, user friendliness, standardization and faster access to footage and forensic quality images."

Also police in California and across the country have access to video cameras in shopping malls, banks, hospitals, schools, convenience stores and retailers...

"Fresno police chief Jerry Dyer said the department has entered into an agreement with the River Park shopping center for use of its cameras. Similar negotiations are underway with local shopping malls, banks, hospitals, schools, convenience stores and retailers. This would give the department access to thousands more surveillance devices."

Police, EMS and Fire Departments have also begun using 'PublicEye' mobile intelligence to spy on EVERYONE:

DHS is creating a nationwide boat tracking system

DHS/Coast Guard want to track EVERY boat to improve "navigational safety".

"The Coast Guard’s Nationwide Automatic Identification System (NAIS) enhances maritime domain awareness with a focus on improving security, navigational safety, search and rescue, and environmental protection services."

"The NAIS program exceeds the stated purpose of marine safety and constitutes an ongoing risk to the privacy and civil liberties of mariners across the United States."

The Coast Guard & DHS have been quietly spying on boats since 2004...

According to the Coast Guard, the NAIS Project was initiated and officially chartered in December 2004.

"NAIS facilities have now been installed in 51 major U.S. ports and nine coastal areas. Seven other ports and two coastal areas currently have an interim NAIS capability and will have full systems installed by the end of 2015. The NAIS system currently receives 92 million AIS messages per day from approximately 12,700 unique vessels."

There are over 200 VHF surveillance sites throughout the country, spying on boats in rivers and along the coast:

"The NAIS consists of approximately 200 VHF receiver sites located throughout the coastal continental United States, inland rivers, Alaska, Hawaii and Guam."

"The system combines AIS data — such as vessel location, source and speed — with other government information and sensor data to form a holistic view of maritime vessel traffic near the continental U.S. and its territorial waters."

According to the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC):

"A ship equipped with AIS broadcasts a regular stream of voiceless data, including the vessel’s name, course, speed, classification, call sign, registration number, and Maritime Mobile Service Identity. Most vessels over 65 feet that operate in U.S. waters are required to carry AIS, and owners of smaller craft can also opt to use it."

"Once NAIS transceivers receive AIS data from a vessel, that information is stored, processed, and transmitted to the USCG and other agencies and entities. The system currently receives about 92 million AIS messages a day from 12,700 unique vessels."

DHS is planning to transfer detailed location data on boaters to federal and state agencies and to foreign governments!

How long before DHS/Coast Guard require EVERY boat to have one?

In an attempt to justify their latest spying scheme to track EVERY boat, DHS, sorry I meant the Coast Guard attempts to justify it by using our governments' famous excuse 'it's for our safety'.

"Informed by a comprehensive view of traffic on the nation’s waterways, decision makers are better positioned to respond to safety and security risks. NAIS improves the safety of vessels and ports through collision avoidance and strengthens national security through detection, identification and classification of potential threats while they are still offshore."

According to EPIC:

BoatU.S., the nation’s largest organization of recreational boaters, said that the NAIS program “raises an array of confidentiality concerns with regard to the recreational boating public” and pointed out that few boaters would be aware that their boat location information would be made available to parties other than boaters and the Coast Guard.

DHS and the Coast Guard are creating a National Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA)program and DHS has EIGHT plans to spy on every boat in the country...

"The National Plan to Achieve Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) outlines the national priorities for achieving maritime domain awareness, drawing on the insights and expertise of a range of federal agencies and departments that came together to create this plan. It includes near-term and long-term objectives, required program and resource implications, and recommendations for organizational or policy changes. It is one of eight plans developed in support of the National Strategy for Maritime Security, as directed by National Security Presidential Directive-41/Homeland Security Presidential Directive-13."

"The Domestic Outreach Plan is one of eight plans developed to support the National Strategy for Maritime Security, as directed by National Security Presidential Directive-41/Homeland Security Presidential Directive-13."

But who stands to profit by this? Not the public, even though our taxpayer dollars are being used to create another national surveillance program! If you guessed it's DHS "stakeholders" who stand to profit from this, give yourself a gold star, read more below:

DHS/Coast Guard began educating stakeholders about their strategy and asked for their support beginning in 2002 most likely through DHS grants.

- Maritime stakeholder feedback was crucial in ensuring that non-federal interests were addressed in the supporting plans. Domestic Outreach objectives relied heavily on coordination with a variety of public- and private-sector partners to identify and engage appropriate maritime stakeholders during each phase of outreach.

- Early outreach sought to gain fair, representative feedback on behalf of the broad range of individual stakeholders who have an interest in maritime security. During the development phase, outreach focused on key individuals and organizations representing the interests of hundreds of thousands of maritime stakeholders. Targeted activities, such as focus groups, made it possible for other working groups to gain fair, representative input from the private sector, the maritime industry, and state/local/tribal/ territorial governments.

Here's how these DHS  'schemes' work:

Private DHS stakeholders of which their are hundreds if not thousands, dream up new ways to spy on EVERYONE and claim it's for our 'SAFETY', trust them. Then, they pitch their plan to private companies and non-profits which stand to make millions in cash (grants) to develop and eventually implement new spying programs.

DHS and private companies work together to send lobbyists to wear down congress until they get what they want. Often times these corporations have no-bid contracts with DHS that are worth millions and 'poof' like magic we have another national surveillance program in place. Not soon after one of these DHS schemes is completed, the winning corporation(s) hire DHS personnel to secure future contracts etc. It's this vicious never ending profit driven monster that's responsible for destroying our privacy!

Click here, here, here & here to find out more about DHS stakeholders.

To discover more about DHS's plan to create a national boat spying program read:

"National Plan To Achieve Maritime Domestic Awareness" and DHS's"Domestic Outreach Plan."

Retired cop reveals the misconduct and corruption he witnessed on a daily basis

Police are allowed to spy on your cell phone's location without a warrant

North Carolina appeals court ruled cops don't need a warrant for mobile phone GPS location:

The American Civil Liberties Union filed an amicus brief arguing that police need a warrant:

“The vast majority of courts to consider the issue have concluded that the (Stored Communications Act) does not permit the government to obtain this type of prospective cell phone location information, and that prospective location information may only be obtained pursuant to a warrant supported by probable cause,” according to the brief. “These courts have identified numerous grounds for denying applications for prospective information under the SCA, most notably that the plain language of the statute does not allow it for at least four different reasons.”

The appeals court, in a unanimous opinion, disagreed.

“The trial court properly denied Defendant’s motion to suppress the cell tower site location information obtained by law enforcement,” according to the opinion. “These stored historical records were provided by AT&T, a third party, pursuant to a valid court order. Defendant had no reasonable expectation of privacy in these third-party records. … The procurement of this information was not a ‘search,’ and did not require the issuance of a warrant based upon probable cause."

image credit: Nathan Wessler, ACLU

Media group with ties to the CIA and DHS wants to create a 'global fact checking network'

image credit: Vtdigger

The Poynter Insitute claims to be starting up a 'global fact checking network' but they should be a little more transparent about who's really doing the fact checking.

The Poynter Institute also claims to be a global leader in journalism education but works with the Gannett Co., Inc., the nation’s largest news publisher.

Kawika Riley is a Fellow of the Poynter Institute and volunteers to work with DHS.

The Poynter Institute is supported by the Knight Foundation which has close ties DHS...

"Even in the fast-changing digital age, a survey of 1,118 newspaper journalists conducted by The Poynter Institute with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation shows that training varies wildly between newsrooms."

Caitria O’Neill, Knight Foundations Chief Executive Officer has close ties to DHS, click here to read more.

Sandra Ylisastigui, Knight Foundations Grant Associate worked with Immigration and Customs Enforcement with DHS.

The Century Foundation Homeland Security Project is a project of the Century Foundation, and is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the James L. and John S. Knight Foundation.

The Gannet company proudly boasts how their Sightline Media Group (SMG), formerly Gannett Government Media, works closely with DHS...

Dan Vetron works with SMG and founded "Homeland Security Television". The SMG also runs a website that works closely with DHS called the FederalTimes.

Funded by grants from eBay founder Pierre Omidyar of the Omidyar Network and a CIA front called the National Endowment for Democracy, the Poynter Institute will be 'FACT CHECKING' our news!

The misnamed National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is nothing more than a costly program that takes US taxpayer funds to promote favored politicians and political parties worldwide. The NED injects "soft money" into the domestic elections of foreign countries in favor of one party or the other. 

Is this another CIA/DHS sick joke on a gullible world?

The Ron Paul Institute calls the NED a new kind of CIA:

After covert CIA backing of Radio Free Europe and other organizations was exposed in the 1970s, a group of neoconservatives decided to create a new kind of CIA to do in the open that which had been done in secret: the National Endowment for Democracy. More than 30 years later, even though the Cold War is a distant memory, the NED is still a $100 million per year, taxpayer-funded worldwide "regime change" operation.

 

This shouldn't come as a surprise, back in February I wrote an article exposing how the CIA controls the mass media like the NY Times, Time Magazine etc.

FYI, the Gannett company employs the largest force of journalists in the United States. All they're really interested in doing is training thousands of Gannett’s journalists to fall into line and report only the way the CIA and DHS instructs them. Sorry I meant the way the Gannet company instructs them.

"The training supports a strategic transformation in Gannett’s newsrooms. Each news organization — and each job — has been reshaped and revitalized to serve readers better."

The Omidyar Network is also a leading investor in DHS's AltSchool which claims to "believe that every child should have access to an exceptional, personalized education that enables them to be happy and successful in an ever-changing world." 

"Exceptional education"? Yeah, if they want to be run by what appears to be another DHS front company.

San Francisco-based AltSchool is pioneering a new model of K-8 education with a proprietary technology platform that includes data analysis, wearable devices and small class sizes to emphasize individualized learning. In other words more spying!

AltSchool was founded in 2013 by former Googler Max Ventilla, the school has already raised $33 million in funding from Founders Fund and Andreeseen Horowitz. FYI, Ventilla is a co-founder of Aardvark.

Andreeseen Horowitz works closely with the Department of Defense:

"He's one of us, he understands our language," Margit Wennmachers, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, said of Ash Carter U.S. Secretary of Defense. "He's trying to make the walls between Silicon Valley and the DOD a bit more porous. That's just a really smart way to go, because the next big thing in security will likely come out of a startup, not a big company."

More about AltSchool:

From AltSchool's "in the top talent joins AltsSchool" section they brag about DHS's involvement...

"Michael Ginty was previously Head of Global Security at Uber, the lead for executive security at Apple and a consultant with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Michael possesses a prescient ability to get to the heart of security concerns and quickly implement new systems to create a safe and secure environment. He brings expansive experience from years spent as a military officer and federal agent, alongside tenure at leading technology companies. Michael joins AltSchool to roll out a whole new vision for keeping children safe in the classroom – both for AltSchool and for all schools."

"This fall, AltSchool will open new schools in California and New York to accommodate 500 students in 2015."

Where does it stop? In case after case we see numerous 'innocent' programs, companies etc., that have ties to the CIA or DHS.

Can anyone really trust any media group with apparent ties to the CIA and DHS?  How will Americans and the world find out what's really going on when the CIA & DHS have their hands in what's being passed off as independent news?

Cartoons expose the American police state

Image credit: Brian McFadden

 

DC Comics’ Dark Knight Batman confronts cop over shooting of an unarmed black teen:

 Click here to read more.

(Updated) Auto insurance companies and car dealerships are spying on you

image credit: CTV News

Warning, if you used the DealerApp you've just given approximately 500 car dealerships all your personal information!

"The personal information collected by the apps and allegedly transmitted to DealerApp included the consumer’s name, email address, telephone number, and the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the vehicle purchased, among other data. The state alleged that DealerApp failed to disclose to consumers that this data was being transmitted by DealerApp, in violation of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act. Some of the data was provided to third-party data analytics companies, again without disclosure, the state charged."

According to Consumer Affairs.com "About 500 dealers world-wide, including 38 in New Jersey, are DealerApp clients."

“The number of threats to online privacy appear to be growing by the day,” said Steve Lee, Acting Director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. “No one should be able to profit from the personal information of others that has been obtained through cyber fraud or violations of privacy.”

Here are a few new car apps that might be also spying on you, "TrueCar," "Cars.com," "CarChecker ," "Edmunds," "CarMax ," "Kelley Blue Book."  Keep in mind anytime you voluntarily give away your personal information, anyone & everyone will have access to it.

Remember car dealers had to be forced to keep most of our information private, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act was designed to stop car dealerships shady business practices. Click here to read the "FTC's Privacy Rule and Auto Dealers" and here to read the "A Dealer Guide To The FTC Privacy Rule and Model Privacy Notice."

Car dealerships have also been known to install GPS devices in their cars so they can locate them more easily when customers fail to pay back their loans...

"If you have a low opinion of  car dealerships thanks to their 20 percent interest loans, bi-monthly payment requirements and aggressive repossession tactics, wait until you hear about their latest strategy for getting cars back from owners who fall behind on payments."

"They don't want the customer to know that if they don't pay, they can come find it," said Duane Overholt, an industry critic who runs the website stopautofraud.com.

GPS services like OnStar spy on you everywhere you go even if you cancel the service, click here to read more.

Location privacy issues in car sharing services, like Zipcar are also a concern...

"This could be used to build a predictive model and expose some privacy issue on drivers’ behaviors and habits."

The irony of course is car manufacturers have been making cars that spy on us for years.

Allstate Insurance wants cameras to spy on other drivers and identify any distractions:

 

Allstate's “Traffic-based Driving Analysis" patent uses sensors and cameras to record potential sources of driver distractions inside your car like a cell phone, pets or unsecured objects in vehicle.

 

It'll also spy on the number and types of passengers inside the car!

Quoting from the American Police State party line, Allstate says it's all for driver "SAFETY" which is B**LLSH*T!

It's about spying on everyone and turning a huge profit...

“Most of the Allstate patent provides more detail on the company's potential vision for developing driver safety ratings based on such factors as vehicle speed, acceleration and adherence to stop signs. For example, operation of the vehicle without headlights and changes in vehicle direction without turn signals might be recorded.”

 

Did you catch that they want to spy on whether you come to a complete stop at a STOP sign and whether you use your TURN signals!

This is an admission by an insurance CEO of complete and total surveillance which will ultimately result in higher insurance rates and tickets or driver's license suspensions in the near future!

“Usually the drill is to create as broad a patent as is defensible so the company can monetize it if someone else wants to license it,” said Harold J. Krent, dean of IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. “But on the other hand, if they apply the patent at its broadest, there’s huge implications in term of who gets the information, who it’s shared with – will the information go to health insurance companies, will it go to police authorities, to child custody attorneys? We simply don’t know right now.”

Of course we know, soon EVERY police department will want access to this technology.

Updated 10/26:

Irish police want car manufacturers to install tracking devices in EVERY new vehicle...

A motor industry body has backed a suggestion by a Fine Gael backbencher that all vehicles should have tracking devices fitted to help gardaí (police) find them when they are stolen or used in crime.

Noel Harrington, a TD for Cork South West was speaking in the Dáil on the topical issue of car theft late last week.

“We need to find a legislative solution for implementing a technological framework that would revolutionize the capacity of the Garda Síochána to combat crime, particularly mobile crime, by taking the legs from under the criminal.”
Insurance companies want to sell your driving habits to the government, potential employees, banks, credit card companies and that's just for starters!

Allstate's Chief Executive Tom Wilson then raised the question of whether Allstate could or should "sell this information we get from people driving around to various people and capture some additional profit and, perhaps, give a better value proposition to our customers that we're not giving today?"

"The recorded data may also provide an objective behavioral data collection system for third parties, e.g., health insurance companies, lending institutions, credit-rating companies, product and service marketing companies, potential employers, to evaluate an individual's behavioral characteristics in a real-life and commonly experienced situation, i.e., driving a motor vehicle," the patent said.

The future of American policing is staring everyone in the face, it's no longer about safety it's about balancing their budgets, paying for the 2.3 million in our jails and the untold millions who have been ticketed and fined by police.

Here's the breakdown from Insurance Business America on what Allstate wants to spy on:

 

Who is riding in the car, including the number and age of passengers

Driver’s phone use while driving

Eating habits of the driver

“Potentially distracting” objects in the car, including animals trash or bags

Seating position

Driver’s eyeline

Stereo volume

Heart rate

Blood pressure

Alcohol content in the air (which should come as no surprise to my readers, click here to find out more)

Allstate also has patent called "Motor Vehicle Operating Data Collection and Analysis" system.

A new 'intelligent car seat' can detect a driver's stress level:

The "Active Wellness" seat is the world's first health-monitoring car seat. It uses a biometric sensing system built into the seat lining that can detect if the driver has a drop in energy levels or is under stress and responds with a specific massage pattern, along with air flow through the seat's ventilation system.

"The Active Wellness seat is Faurecia's vision on the next level of personalized comfort," said Olaf Biedermann, director of innovation at Faurecia. "What we basically do is to monitor respiration rate and heart rate in the seat, and we derive stress and energy level from that. Then, having this kind of wellness being information, we now can offer a closed-loop comfort system; so in case you are stressed you get a relaxation massage, in case you have low energy levels you get a very energizing massage."

"The Faurecia Active Wellness seat adapts to the needs of each individual. It capitalizes on the car seat’s distinct position as a location for capturing occupants’ emotional status and enhancing their wellbeing."

Major auto insurance companies including Allstate, Progressive and State Farm are trying to get drivers to install “telematic devices” in their cars. These surveillance gadgets are marketed under various names and are plugged into your vehicle’s onboard diagnostic port.

FYI, car insurance companies are using Facebook and social media to spy on you...

In the past five years, the use of social media has exploded within the insurance industry, says Frank Darras, an insurance attorney in Ontario, California, who represents plaintiffs in suits against insurance companies. Because social media Web sites provide a real-time examination of users' lifestyles, insurance companies, claims adjusters and attorneys have begun to monitor and mine them as a valuable source of claims-investigation evidence. Insurers are reviewing information found on such social media sites as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Foursquare, Google Plus and Pinterest, and applying it to auto claims, says Chicago personal injury lawyer Michael Helfand.

"This happens all the time," he says.

Facebook is used in almost every claim now, especially when there is an injury. "Checking social media accounts has become one of the first things an insurance company or adjuster will do when you file a claim," adds Darras. Especially when any injuries stem from the accident.

The Connected Car: Who's In The Drivers Seat?

Most car companies have connectivity systems, that constantly ping your whereabouts to the automakers, police and of course you!  Here are some examples: “HondaLink,”“BlueLink,” "Subaru Star Link," “AudiConnect,” “MazdaConnect” and “uConnect.”

A car’s data is an absolute treasure trove of information on individuals and can be accessed by a surprisingly large number of organizations said Vincent Gogolek, Freedom of Information and Privacy Association's executive director.

The latest in-car entertainment systems provide GPS navigation and instant two-way communication to motorists. But they can also be used to relay information about a car's systems to automakers. And that can invade consumers' privacy, as General Motors found out last year.

Nissan's new Leaf electric car lets owners and Nissan know every drivers location; speed and distance; driving habits; battery use, charging history and deterioration; electrical system functions; software version; "and other spot data to assist in identifying and analyzing the performance of the Nissan Leaf." Owners must give their permission. The data are stored on a computer in Japan by vehicle identification number, or VIN, without personal information.  Click here to read more.

In 2012, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that 96% of 2013 model vehicles have event data recorders  which can track when the airbags are set off, if brakes are applied before a collision and even whether the seatbelts were buckled.

Chevrolet’s 2016 Malibu will feature a system called "Teen Driver" that lets parents SPY on their kid’s driving habits.

It allows parents to set speed alerts, limit audio volume, and even receive vehicle reports “so parents could use it as a teaching tool with their kids—they can discuss and reinforce safe driving habits.”

Teens drivers will also get an audible and visual warning if a vehicle travels over pre-set speeds (between 40 and 75 miles per hour!

There are more spying devices in our cars...

The 2015 Corvette comes with a new illegal spying feature, called the "Data Performance Recorder."

The 2015 Corvette “industry-exclusive Performance Data Recorder,” collects stats about a particular drive as well as audio and video!

According to Chevrolet’s website: “You can even capture video and data when someone else is driving the car with Valet Mode, giving you extra peace of mind.”

Electronic Control Units which are in every vehicle, keep track of everything from how fast you drive to how long your car idles and how suddenly you brake, the report says. Your car’s GPS system, for example, also keeps track of your exact location, sending that information to the car’s manufacturer, or possibly a third-party call center or an insurance agency.

Detailed information about where a person spends their time paints a disturbing picture of their life!

“Such data can be used to embarrass or blackmail a person, to stalk individuals, to steal identities, to facilitate robberies, or to create a profile that can then be used by commercial entities in unexpected ways.”

New York City, Tampa FL, & Wyoming are getting wired with traffic signals that can talk (spy on) to cars...

"There's no federal rule in place for requiring V2V yet, but the US Department of Transportation is hoping to get those rules in place by the end of this year — and in the meantime, it's rolling out huge new pilot programs in NYC, Florida and Wyoming. In the New York City traffic signals will be equipped with V2I hardware, while up to 10,000 city-owned vehicles will be outfitted with V2V. (It's unclear whether drivers of these vehicles will have access to the data through instrumentation, or whether it's just being collected as part of the DOT's ongoing V2V research.) Click here to read more.

Somewhere in the not too distant future..

You and your family take a 3 1/2 hour drive. As you're driving down the highway you notice you're going 15 miles over the speed limit not to worry you think, you haven't seen a cop for miles. As you exit the highway, the road appears deserted so you come to a rolling stop at a few intersections. And finally just as you get close to your destination you get stuck behind a slow moving vehicle, frustrated by the long drive you pass the vehicle without using a turn signal in a no passing zone.

When you finally arrive at your destination, you think to yourself, we were lucky we didn't see a single cop. Upon arriving home from your trip you get a notice of numerous traffic violations totaling hundreds of dollars from the police in EVERY town where you committed an infraction. And you also got a notice informing you that your auto insurance plans to deduct drivers license points, resulting in higher insurance premiums.

All this thanks to the numerous spying technologies that are in use right now. One's like traffic and highway cams, Fast Lane transponders, insurance surveillance gear and auto manufacturer black boxes.

This the future of driving in America!

DHS will soon decide whether you'll be granted the privilege to drive in America

image credit: AcademyFordAdvantage

According to Papers Please:

A sickening Calif. bill is set to pass in October unless the governor vetoes it. Bill A.B. 1465 is just another example of police state America gone crazy.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles shall require an applicant for an original driver’s license or identification card to submit satisfactory proof of residency and that the applicant’s presence in the United States is authorized under federal law.

The bill is silent on what would constitute evidence of “California residency and that the applicant’s presence in the United States is authorized under federal law”, and on what standard of “proof” would be required. It would be up to the DMV to decide what this means.

We didn’t receive “authorization” to move to California from other states. Did you? Did anyone?  How would we satisfy our burden of showing such “authorization”?  And what about native Californians? We thought our right of residence anywhere in the USA was one of our human rights as US citizens, not dependent  on any “authorization” from the government.

Does anyone trust DHS? How long before RMV's everywhere are instructed to deny issuing driver's licenses to people that speak out against the government?

DHS outsourced state drivers licensing and ID's to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) through a no-bid contract.

"The breakdown of awards, obtained by HSToday.us, signifies that AAMVA effectively gains a no-bid contract under the awards, as DHS designates it the sole national centralized database of driver’s license information under REAL ID through a grant award to the state of Missouri."

The AAMVA works with DMV's nationwide to identify 'problem drivers'...

"The Problem Driver Pointer System (PDPS) is a system that allows jurisdictions and other organizations to search the National Driver Register (NDR) data. The NDR is a repository of information on problem drivers provided by all 51 U.S. jurisdictions. Based on information received as a result of an NDR search, PDPS "points" the inquiring jurisdiction to the State of Record (SOR), where an individual's driver status and history information is stored. Based on the information received from the SOR, the issuing state decides if the applicant is eligible to receive a new or renewed driver license."

You might as well replace that last sentence with, DHS will instruct the DMV if the "applicant is eligible to receive a new or renewed drivers license."

What's more disturbing knowing DHS & the DMV know everything about you or letting a private company have all that surveillance power to shape political agendas, laws, courts, law enforcement etc.? The potential for abuse is all too real!

Still think that's crazy, our politicians would never let that happen? Here's a telling example of what it's like to get a drivers license in America right now.

Below is an excerpt taken from the National Driver Register Problem Driver Pointer System page.

The National Driver Register Status:

 - No Match: The individual does not have record a on the NDR.
- Licensed (LIC): Licensed means the individual holds a license in that State and the privilege to drive is valid.
- Eligible (ELG): The individual privilege to drive or apply for a license in a State(s) is valid.
- Not: The individual privilege to drive in a State(s) is invalid.
- NEN: The individual privilege to drive in a State(s) is invalid due to a non-moving violation.

image credit::DUI attorney

What have we learned so far? DHS, the DMV and police think our government has the right to grant Americans the privilege to drive.

But wait it gets worse...

EVERY police encounter, whether you've been arrested or not and EVERY driving infraction you've ever had is recorded by DHS/RMV.

Below, is an excerpt taken from NDR's website "Recording, Sharing, and Using Information" section...

"Arrest records and records of police contact. These records, kept by police, reflect an individual's previous arrests and any other episodes involving the individual that resulted in police contact but may not have resulted in an arrest."

Records of prior diversions. These records may be kept by police, prosecutors, or the court.
(Click here to find out about court ordered diversions.)

Records of prior alcohol and other drug abuse treatment history.

School records involving alcohol- or drug-related incidents.

Since they've already acknowledged they have records of EVERY police encounter you've ever had, you can bet they have your entire school records as well.

DHS & the RMV are also keeping a record of any DUI dismissals an individual might have had, "first, such a system should track all offenses, from arrest through dismissal or sentence completion."

They even have a section that claims to show you how you can get your name removed from the NDR. But all it really says is good luck, contact each state and ask them to remove your name. We all know what the odds of that are.

Below are a few suggestions that might get your license restored and you record cleared...

1. Get your National Driver Registery File Your National Driver Registery file will tell you which states have reported your records to the NDR.  Even though you may think only one state has your record, it's a good idea to check your NDR file to guarantee that you know all of the states that you will need to get your records from.

Get your National Driver Register File Check Forms Here
  

2. Get Your Driver Record from each state listed in your National Driver Register File
Once you have your National Driver Registery file, you can come back to this website to get the forms that you need from each respective state that is listed in your file.  You will need to get the form for each state, complete the forms entirely and then mail them in.

Get your State Driver Record Request Forms Here

3. Contact Each State and Resolve All Outstanding Issues
Once you have your State Driver Record(s), contact each individual state that has listed you on the NDR and find out what you need to do in order to get your record cleared with each respective state.  In many cases, the state(s) will include this information with your state driver record.

"Our mission [NDR] is to improve traffic and transportation safety by providing a nationwide database of problem drivers that assists State driver licensing agencies in identifying these individuals and assists employers in making hiring and certification decisions."

Not only will you be denied a drivers license in the near future, you could be denied a job...

The AAMVA is also helping DHS institute E-Verify nationwide:

E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment eligibility.

The Records and Information from DMVs for E-Verify (RIDE) initiative is an enhancement to the E-Verify program that verifies the validity of driver’s license and ID card information by matching the data entered by employers against jurisdiction records. 

How to avoid smartphone surveillance

Smartphone data encryption: What's protected, what's not and how it effects law enforcement:

  

DHS and judges want alcohol ignition interlock devices installed in every vehicle

image credit: Draeger Interlock

A truly disturbing picture is emerging about how interwoven judges, prosecutors and private corporations are working to install 'Alcohol Ignition Interlocks', in every vehicle. A detailed look reveals how they also want 'Automated Traffic Enforcement' and 'Automated Speed Enforcement' installed at EVERY intersection and HIGHWAY across the country!

Since 2000 the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has given testimony 33 times in support of 'Automated Speed Enforcement/Red Light' cameras and 'Alcohol Ignition Interlocks'

FYI, ignition interlock laws now exist in every state but they're not MANDATORY yet!

Ignition interlock devices is going to happen its only a matter of when!

In June of this year, I warned how the Feds want cars to come standard equipped with alcohol sensors. And in April 2015, I wrote an article warning everyone that our government wants cars to come standard equipped with interlock devices.

Now DHS and judges are trying to make it a reality...

Would you be surprised to know there is actually an annual "Alcohol Interlock Symposium" that's been going on for 15 years or since 2000!

DHS provided a speaker at last year's symposium:

"Christina Abernathy works as a privacy technical assistance (TA) provider through several programs, such as the joint DOJ and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Fusion Center Privacy TA Program. Ms. Abernathy guided and formalized the Fusion Center Privacy Policy Development: Privacy, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Policy Template. She has also provided privacy TA to fusion centers and reviewed more than 100 center privacy policies for compliance. Previous work includes privacy policy development assistance to statewide justice information sharing systems on behalf of the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the National Governors Association."

DHS was kind enough to publish their "Interlock Data Privacy And Security" presentation written by Christina Abernathy.

"The 14th International Alcohol Interlock Symposium held in Washington, D.C. has now concluded. This event attracted more than 150 attendees representing 13 countries from six different continents, making it one of the largest and most successful to date. The North American presence was strong with representation from more than 15 jurisdictions."

The Symposium featured four judges, two NHTSA representatives two MADD representatives a World Health Organization representative and many more:

California Superior Court Judge Richard A. Vlavianos, click here to read his presentation.

Judge Mark D. Atkinson is the Executive Director of the Texas Center for the Judiciary, click here to read his presentation.

Chief Judge Harvey Hoffman of 56-A District Court in Charlotte, Michigan, click here to read his presentation.

Retired District Judge Michael Kavanaugh works for the National Center for DWI Courts, click here to read his presentation.

David J. Friedman is the Acting Administrator of the NHTSA but didn't want the public to see his presentation but you can bet it's nearly identical to Maureen Perkins.

Maureen Perkins is a Program Analyst in the Impaired Driving Division of NHTSA, click here to read her presentation.

Debbie Weir is the Chief Executive Officer of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), click here to read here presentation.

Andrew Murie has been MADD Canada's Chief Executive Officer since 1997, click here to read his presentation.

Jonathon Passmore works for the Western Pacific Regional Office, World Health Organization (WHO), click here to read his presentation.

Click here to read about past Alcohol Interlock Symposiums, ironically Anheuser Busch is one of their sponsors.

There's even an Association of Ignition Interlock Program Administrators (AIIPA) that's been working with the NHTSA since 2001 to put 'Alcohol Ignition Interlocks' in every U.S. vehicle. Click here to read the numerous 'Alcohol Ignition Interlock' articles they've published. Click here to go to the Ignition Interlock Device website.

There's also an American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, Ignition Interlock Working Group and which just produced the "Ignition Interlock Program Best Practices Guide".

And as if that wasn't enough there's even a Coalition of Interlock Manufacturers (CIIM), who stand to make huge profits once they're installed in EVERY vehicle.

"The CIIM is an ad-hoc organization formed by three of the nation’s leading ignition interlock manufacturers to combine members expertise and experience and speak with one voice to reduce the carnage caused by alcohol impaired drivers. With its “one-voice,” CIIM strives to bring the most credible, factual information on ignition interlock devices to public policy discussions."

Let's see how factual CIIM really is, below are excerpts taken from CIIM's Ignition Interlock page :

Lobby Congress to maintain strong provisions in all highway legislation to responsibly expand the use of ignition interlock devices.

Partner with NHTSA to provide guidance and other resources to assist with implementation and compliance issues.

Work with NHTSA to develop a plan to update the agency’s ignition interlock Technical specifications, and to develop model service delivery and reporting standards.

Collaborate with State Highway safety agencies, and NHTSA to underwrite and participate in workshops for continuing education to Judges, Probation Officials and Prosecutors as laws, technology, and research improve the options to use technology to safely manage impaired drivers.

Seek to strengthen DWI courts by joining other stakeholders in advocating that Congress provide funding so DWI courts can provide ignition interlocks and/or alcohol monitoring technology at subsidized costs for indigent and long-term users.

Provide expert, technical assistance on ignition interlock devices and how to effectively implement a successful ignition interlock program.

Work with judges to understand the benefits of requiring offenders to use an ignition interlock.

So let's recap what CIIM is saying...

1.) They're lobbying congress EVERY year to pass a bill making it MANDATORY that every vehicle in the U.S. come standard equipped with an 'Alcohol Ignition Interlock' device!

2.) They've partnered with the NHTSA/DHS to implement 'Alcohol Ignition Interlock' devices.

3.) Perhaps the MOST SHOCKING, they collaborate with Judges, Probation Officials and Prosecutors to implement 'Alcohol Ignition Interlock' devices!

4.) CIIM 'strengthens DWI courts' in other words they raise the penalties and fines so EVERYONE profits. Who stands to profit? Why the courts, police, judges, automakers, NHTSA, AIIPA and the CIIM to name a few!

5.) The AIIPA and the CIIM will provide their own EXPERTS to police and the courts! No one said you'd receive a fair trial now did they?

This is the corrupt American justice system at it's worst, private corporations wear down Congress year after year until they get what they want. Have you ever wondered why our courts uphold driving is a privilege not a right in America? Well now you have your answer. Too much money is riding on ticketing and arresting American motorists, state and local budgets would come crashing down if anything changed and the justice system would be seriously affected.

If only it ended there, TEN automakers have agreed to install automatic emergency brakes in all their vehicles:

"Ten major automakers — Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo — have each committed to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that they would include automatic emergency brakes in their vehicles!"

Automatic emergency braking will happen automatically if a driver doesn't not apply the brakes to avoid a rear end collision! The systems uses on-vehicle sensors such as radar, cameras or lasers to detect an imminent crash and warn the driver.

Safety advocates say its a backroom deal that allows automakers to avoid the possibility that the Transportation Department will make it a law in the near future.

The commitments were made to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Insurance Institute for Auto Safety (IIAS).