DLA For Sunday 021212

Standing up for Freedom and The First Amendment is ALWAYS Logical.

Hey folks,

I have been warning you about this for some time. I told you when it began. I told you that it was continuing. I told you HOW. Now, there is a group that is attempting to stop it.

The Winner of the Display of Logic Award is the person who said this..

“The Department of Homeland Security’s monitoring of political dissent has no legal basis and is contrary to core First Amendment principles. The language in the documents makes it quite clear that they are looking for media reports that are critical of the agency and the U.S. government more broadly. This is entirely outside of the bounds of the agency’s statutory duties.”

She is 100 percent right. It is a Direct Violation of the Constitution. It IS outside the bounds of the Agency's Authority. It is flat out Illegal. Where are all those that were so "outraged" with Bush's Warrantless Wire Taps? This is ten times worse.

According to Infowars.com - Group Forces Congressional Hearing On Big Sis’ Twitter, Drudge Spying By Steve Watson Infowars.com February 9, 2012

A privacy advocacy group has swayed Congress to hold a hearing next week into the Department of Homeland Security’s practice of monitoring social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as media reports and organizations, including The Drudge Report.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) recently obtained close to 300 pages of documents, as a result of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, detailing the federal agency’s “intelligence gathering” practices on the web.

Among the documents were guidelines from DHS instructing outside contractors to monitor the web for media reports and comments that “reflect adversely” on the agency or the federal government.

As Reuters reported last month, in early 2010 contractors were asked to spend 24 hours monitoring news media coverage on popular websites, including Facebook, Twitter, Hulu, WikiLeaks, as well as news sites including the Huffington Post and The Drudge Report.

Yeah, I told you about this also. It was not reported by most in the Mainstream Media. Many on Talk Radio even missed it. But YOU, being a true OPNer, were fully informed.

The contractors were required to provide the DHS with feedback on any potential “threats and hazards”, as well as “any media reports that reflect adversely on the U.S. Government and the Department of Homeland Security (D.H.S.) ability to prevent, protect and respond, to recovery efforts or activities related to any crisis or events which impact National Planning Scenarios.”

The documents also state that the program should highlight “both positive and negative reports on FEMA, C.I.A., C.B.P., ICE, etc., as well as organizations outside of D.H.S.”

The documents obtained by EPIC indicate that following the exercise, a procurement official awarded an $11.3 million contract to General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems in order to carry out the monitoring on a “24/7/365 basis”.

EPIC director Ginger McCall notes that monitoring what people are saying about government policies goes too far and has a chilling effect on free speech.

“The Department of Homeland Security’s monitoring of political dissent has no legal basis and is contrary to core First Amendment principles,” she said.

“The language in the documents makes it quite clear that they are looking for media reports that are critical of the agency and the U.S. government more broadly,” said McCall. “This is entirely outside of the bounds of the agency’s statutory duties.”

DHS officials have admitted that monitoring of social networks for negative opinion was undertaken by the agency, but claim that the operation was a one off test and was quickly dropped as it did not meet “operational requirements or privacy standards,” which “expressly prohibit reporting on individuals’ First Amendment activities.”

{Laughing} Translation? "Yeah were were doing it, but, uh, we were caught, so we 'dropped it.' Honest. Trust us."

EPIC argues otherwise and has presented evidence that suggests the practice is being held up by the DHS an an example that should be emulated.

“They are completely out of bounds here,” McCall said. “The idea that the government is constantly peering over your shoulder and listening to what you are saying creates a very chilling effect to legitimate dissent.

Yup. Any Russian friends out there? Remember whispering in the Bathroom? You get the point.

The Congressional hearing, DHS Monitoring of Social Networking and Media: Enhancing Intelligence Gathering and Ensuring Privacy, will be held Thursday February 16th.

However, it is already apparent where the House subcommittee for intelligence and counter-terrorism stands on the matter. As reported by Reuters, the top two members of the subcommittee, Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-PA) and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), wrote to DHS Intelligence Chief Caryn Wagner last month, pressing her to more carefully monitor users’ posts on sites such as Facebook and Twitter, in order to help detect “current or emerging threats.”

As we have also previously reported, The DHS has openly announced that it is actively monitoring social media for signs of “social unrest”, in a bid to pre-empt any sign of social dislocation within the United States.

Folks, this is what I'm warning you about. We are going down dangerous trails and our very Freedom hangs in the balance. Congratulations Ginger McCall, for recognizing the Threat, the courage to stand for the Truth and Freedom, you ARE the Winner of the Display of Logic Award for Today, Sunday, February 12, 2012. Standing up for Freedom and The First Amendment is ALWAYS Logical. It is always worthy of praise.
Peter

Sources:
Infowars.com - Group Forces Congressional Hearing On Big Sis’ Twitter, Drudge Spying