To continue in the spirit of explaining what could be the real purpose of social media, see how you like this: The FBI could be collecting pictures off FB and other social media sites, to include in their already extensive facial recognition, or NGI (Next Generation Identification) database.
That’s right folks, by virtue of agreeing to the terms and conditions when you signed up for social media sites like FB, the data from your pictures can be legally given over to third parties, and that includes any and all government agencies, like the FBI.
This fully operational system now includes over 100 million images, collected from corporate employee background checks, retail store camera footage, and yes, even pictorial and video data collected from social media. Since becoming operational in 2014, even local police are given free access to this extensive database. Yes folks, because you posted your photos and video to social media, your life has literally become an open book, to not only any government agency that cares to look, but also your ‘friendly’ state and local police.
HOMELAND SECURITY FUSION CENTERS
In every state, Homeland Security has set up what are called ‘fusion centers’, where computer servers are dialed in to this massive NGI system. And, your pictures and video could be on it. Keep in mind, this is all being done without your written, or even verbal consent, or more trenchant still, even without your personal knowledge.
Oh, and by the way, per government documents, available through FOIA (Freedom of Information), FBI officials soon expect fingerprint, voice, palm print, ear bio-metrics, and even walking stride, to become available at the click of a computer mouse, along with all the facial recognition data already compiled.
NSA
Now, for something not so completely different.
Were you aware the NSA can remotely access your smart phone, even turn it on without your knowledge? You see, when the NGI pilot program was introduced in various states back in 2009, local police complained that it took too long to retrieve suspect pedigree information.
So, Lockheed Martin, in cooperation with Morpho Trust industries, the big brother defense contractors who developed this monstrous facial recognition data base, went back to the blue print stage to tweak it.
Now, what took twenty-four hours takes only 15 minutes.
In fact, companies tapped into this system for background checks can gather the necessary data in only 10 minutes.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT LAW SUIT
But, of course, while regular folks don’t seem to mind being watched by Big Brother, there have been personal privacy concerns lodged by some.
Because this NGI system is not only integrated with social media, CCTV cameras, government agencies, and state and local police, the Electronic Information Privacy Center became concerned the danger, or temptation, to utilize this all-pervasive system to track random people in a crowd, may in fact exist.
When their requests to the Justice Department in Washington were summarily ignored, they decided to file a law suit, a suit that is still pending in Federal court.
The fact the US Justice Department is doing everything they can to stall this case from coming to public attention, indeed says volumes about the level of concern the US government has about your individual privacy rights.
In truth, why mince words, they obviously no longer care!
Let’s face it folks, your personal privacy may be as antiquated a subject as dinosaurs, and well, the very concept of democratic representative government itself.
