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    Lawmakers to Homeland Security: Social Media Monitoring Threatens Free Speech

    By Alex Fitzpatrick | Mashable – Thu, Feb 16, 2012

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's monitoring of social media services could be a threat to civil liberties and online free speech, several lawmakers said during a hearing Thursday.

    According to a report by a civil liberties group called the Electronic Privacy Information Center, or EPIC, DHS paid more than $11 million to General Dynamics for a system to keep an eye on Facebook and Twitter public posts, as well as comment threads on major news websites.

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    EPIC's report found that the system watches public social media posts for comments that "adversely reflect" on the government, and for responses to proposed government plans. EPIC tried to get information about the deal through a Freedom of Information request, but was denied. It then filed a successful lawsuit and was granted access to the specifics by DHS.

    During Thursday's hearing, congressmen from both sides of the asile grilled DHS about the General Dynamics deal as revealed by EPIC's lawsuit. One Democratic representative, Jackie Speier of California, said she was "deeply troubled" by the arrangement.

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    The Department of Homeland Security "is not a political operation," she added.

    Pennsylvania Republican Representative Patrick Meehan also expressed doubts about the plan.

    "My guess is that the average American has no problem with other private individuals reading their commentary in online writings and postings in open forums, but may feel a bit of unease knowing the federal government may be doing the same thing," said Meehan.

    Reps. Speier and Meehan elaborated on their concerns about the deal in a letter sent to DHS Thursday.

    "Although there are clear advantages to monitoring social media to identify possible threats to our security, there are also privacy and civil liberties concerns implicit in this activity," they wrote. "With its domestic mission, the Department of Homeland Security needs to be mindful of the rights of the citizens of our country to express themselves online. Not only should guidance issued by the Department permit analysts to do their jobs identifying threats, but it should also be stringent enough to protect the rights of our citizens."

    DHS Chief Privacy Officer Mary Ellen Callahan defended the agency.

    According to Callahan, DHS' social media activity has been limited to public outreach, gaining "situational awareness" when disasters strike and helping law enforcement. She added that privacy rules meant they could only collect information on public officials and during "life or death" situations.

    "It is the what, not the who, being identified," said Callahan.

    Would you feel comfortable with the government monitoring your public social media posts? Sound off in the comments below.

    Image courtesy of iStockphoto, adventtr

    This story originally published on Mashable here.

     

    26 comments

    • MikeT
      MikeT  •  3 mths ago
      The "Department of Homeland Security" is nothing but the American version of the KGB. Yes, the "Land of the Free" has a secret police force. But that's what you wanted, isn't it -- to trade your freedom for security? Now see if you feel any safer, coward. I have news for you: you're still going to die someday, only now it will be as a slave rather than as a free person.
      • williamc
        williamc 3 mths ago
        The worst offender is the muslim in the white house.
    • Rowell
      Rowell  •  3 mths ago
      Government monitoring of communications channels, be it internet, phone lines and cellphone signals, has been going on for at least a couple decades. Anything you say or type in an electronic environment nowadays is captured, analyzed and cataloged. Privacy is a thing of the past; it was sacrificed when citizens demanded more security.
      • TK3
        TK3 3 mths ago
        I didn't demand anything but for them to go by the Constitution/Bill Of Rights and you see what Big Brother gives us instead.
        Liberty or Death is more than a saying on a license plate.
      • texas rebel
        texas rebel 3 mths ago
        They been doing it since bell invented the telephone back in the day,before people knew what security was.This aint nothing new it is much more rampet but idiots like us cant keep our mouths shut so we make it easy for them lol
      • Big D
        Big D 3 mths ago
        I never demanded "more security", as I recall it was rammed down our throats.
    • TK3
      TK3  •  3 mths ago
      Being an AMERICAN do NOT feel comfortable with the government monitoring my public media posts or any posts anywhere, anytime. The government is who should be monitored!
    • euripies
      euripies  •  St Louis, Missouri  •  3 mths ago
      The goverment has no need to fear the people....but the people should be watching the goverment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      • Sharon
        Sharon 3 mths ago
        I dunno--if the people are riled up enough and our stupid "electorate" puts into office the person that 80% of the people do not want, the government may just need to be afraid of the people!!!!!!!!
    • Mr.Lucky
      Mr.Lucky  •  3 mths ago
      DHS = KGB
    • Mr.Lucky
      Mr.Lucky  •  3 mths ago
      THE GOVERNMENT WATCHES people who have been identified as "capable of independent thought"......about 5% of the US population.
    • Bill
      Bill  •  3 mths ago
      Homeland Security don't care if it's legal or not. The Constitution means nothing to them because they are basically untouchable. They have taken their moves right out of the Nazi playbook.
      • williamc
        williamc 3 mths ago
        You are so right.
      • Chris
        Chris 3 mths ago
        the "playbook" of the Constitution and Jeffersonian Idealism remain at our disposal. Nazi tactics won't pay off too well for them either in the long run.
    • Critic out of Concern
      Critic out of Concern  •  El Paso, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      there you have it folks, if you dont want the feds snooping just unplug the ethernet cable. sucks that were losing civil liberties in the name of security. nothing worse than a people who falsely believe they are free.
    • CJ
      CJ  •  Hickory, North Carolina  •  3 mths ago
      The government needs to be reminded, over and over, that THEY work for US, not the other way around.
    • TeaBot 2000
      TeaBot 2000  •  Denver, Colorado  •  3 mths ago
      The government can read your online posts, 'arrest' you, and throw you in jail forever without giving you the right to a trial. Welcome to the New America.
    • Kaspar Hauser
      Kaspar Hauser  •  Mishawaka, Indiana  •  3 mths ago
      Treason, pure and simple. These wanna be Sturm Abteilung are all criminals who hate freedom and our Constitution.
      • Sharon
        Sharon 3 mths ago
        We have one that wants to be the elected dictator of the US!!
    • Mike T. Rubble
      Mike T. Rubble  •  Elmhurst, Illinois  •  3 mths ago
      I just love our government! Wink! Wink!!! Its so nice to be treated like a child. I`m glad that they are disolving our freedom/democracy. There treason should be forgivin Wink! WINK!!! Bring on the NEW WOLRLD ORDER and TOTALITARIANISM!!!
    • williamc
      williamc  •  Arab, Alabama  •  3 mths ago
      I do not trust any branch of the federal goverment.
    • Arch Michael
      Arch Michael  •  Tampa, Florida  •  3 mths ago
      no comments? wonder why!
    • David
      David  •  Phoenix, Arizona  •  3 mths ago
      Whether left or right leaning, we are allowing the government to abbrogate our civil liberties and rights. I was concerned from the day Bush created DHS, that what was really meant was Fatherland. Citizens beware.
    • Wraith
      Wraith  •  3 mths ago
      The Patriot Act threatens free speech more than anything...
      Ron Paul is the devil..right?
    • ROBERT
      ROBERT  •  Jackson, Mississippi  •  3 mths ago
      I don't trust the government no further than I could throw all $4 trillion worth of them.
    • Hector M
      Hector M  •  Orlando, Florida  •  3 mths ago
      Ahhh this is old news the government has been prying into our lives for quite some time now.....this is pure #$%$ to something that is already taking place. Hell I would be hard pressed if the government does not know what color crap we take......
    • Big D
      Big D  •  Allentown, Pennsylvania  •  3 mths ago
      It's not going to stop either. Under the DHS guise the feds have spent billions of your tax dollars to evesdrop on you 24/7/365. What do you think is going on in all those gigantic non-descript buildings around the beltway? They certainly are not figuring out where our economy went are they? And terrorists use the postal service anyway.
    • JL
      JL  •  3 mths ago
      Da! Da! Comrades!
     Post a comment
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