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BRITAIN’S COMMUNICATION SPY agency GCHQ and the US National Security Agency (NSA) intercepted and stored images from webcams used by millions of Yahoo users, the Guardian newspaper reported.
GCHQ files leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden reportedly revealed how the Optic Nerve programme collected still images of webcam chats regardless of whether individual users were suspects or not.
In one six-month period in 2008, the British spy agency collected webcam imagery from more than 1.8 million Yahoo user accounts around the world, the Guardian said.
Yahoo, which was apparently chosen because its webcam system was known to be used by GCHQ targets, expressed outrage at the reported surveillance.
“We were not aware of nor would we condone this reported activity,” a spokeswoman for the US technology firm told AFP in an email statement.
“This report, if true, represents a whole new level of violation of our users’ privacy that is completely unacceptable.
“We are committed to preserving our users’ trust and security and continue our efforts to expand encryption across all of our services.”
Leaked GCHQ documents from 2008 to 2010 explicitly refer to the surveillance programme, although the Guardian said later information suggests it was still active in 2012.
The data was used for experiments in automated facial recognition, as well as to monitor existing GCHQ targets and discover new ones, the British paper said.
The programme reportedly saved one image every five minutes from a webcam user’s feed, partly to comply with human rights legislation and partly to cut down the sheer amount of data being collected.
GCHQ analysts were able to search the metadata, such as location and length of webcam chat, and they could view the actual images where the username was similar to a surveillance target.
The data collected, which was available to NSA analysts through routine information sharing, contained a significant amount of sexual content, the newspaper added.
It cited one document as saying: “It would appear that a surprising number of people use webcam conversations to show intimate parts of their body to the other person.”
In a statement to the Guardian, GCHQ said all of its work was “carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework which ensures that our activities are authorised, necessary and proportionate”.
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Irish radio had a left wing nut from the US on this morning discussing how Trump might nuke a country he does not like. She claimed he would be by himself at certain times and could launch before anybody notices….I mean come on? It would be funny if they weren’t so serious. Are people this stupid?
@John Reese: Are people that stupid? Yep .. Sure millions voted for a Billionaire they think will look out for the little man…stupid
A bully that ruined businesses on many Joe Soaps and they think he will help them? It’ll be worse than ever.
I dont which is better. The fact that Trump won against all odds, or that liberals now have to fulfill their promise to move to Canada
They’re the same fools who say they’ll take in immigrants/refugees but would run if they had to. Clowns are all talk so best to just ignore them!
I disagree, Paul. Now is the best time to confront and mock the far left. They are like a wounded animal, lashing out in anticipation of their imminent demise. They would love for us to ignore them. Well they may get used to it. The tables have turned for the foreseeable future.
@Reagan Smash: So, You think Trump is better , better than what ? You think you’ve won because the Liberals are defeated ? Yes , I agree things needed to change ,unfettered immigration is a mistake , Sweden tells us that . I agree that the elites do need a “realignment” but at what price ? It seems your hatred for the “liberal agenda” permits you to follow ( billionaire , elite , egomaniac) who got elected by lying to white middle-aged men about bringing back industries that will never return to the US . Heavy industry is not going back , ever . Some tech companies will go back if he reduces the Corp tax but they won’t be going to Flint Michigan or Ohio .So have your anti-liberal hero ,he who is openly backed by the KKK, a man that moves on women like a bitch even though he thinks the Latins are the rapists , a moan who mimic people with disabilities ,a man who admires Putin (now the world’s second most dangerous man ), a man who will expose the world to an expansionist Russia by dismantling Nato. A man that will drive Islamic moderates to extremism . A man who with real intellectual limitations , a man who runs beauty pageants and fancies his own daughter. Well, have at it , good luck with your new leader . Hopefully , you will get to move to the US and fill the void left by the fleeing celebrities
And still tensing he was more appealing to Americans than Hillary Clinton, what does that make her?
Amen – well said
He essentially has 12 months to get stuff done, if not midterm elections will see a shift in the Senate
The end of the Clinton dynasty and watching her self entitled supporters cry through the election night was something I’ll always cherish and hold close to my heart. They were so, so sure they had it in the bag, and along come those nasty working class voters to have their say too. That was a wake up call if ver I saw one. You don’t own the presidency, now ain’t that something.
@Mr Snuffleupagus:
When George W won the presidency, I found it to be one of the most depressing political chapters of all. I couldn’t watch or listen to him throughout his presidency and if and when he came on the radio or TV I’d have to immediately reach for the dial and turn him off. The exact same thing would have happened for me if Clinton had won. What a horrid yoke she is.
At least with Trump there might be some entertainment value. I’ll wait a few weeks before the hyperbole calms down.
The media. A bunch of stupid losers trying to console themselves with name calling.
Suck it up liberal lefties everywhere! Trump won !!
Please john. Trump won you need to understand that is now happening in the US and tat the changes will be on the card tables.
Bet Newsweek are feeling fools now for their business decision on having their President Clinton shipped, ready to sell.
A national recall went out Wednesday for the special “Madame President” issue of Newsweek that was prematurely shipped to stores and newsstands across the country.
Now have to do trump.
For the way he was treated by mainstream media you have to give it to Trump for his tenacity, and sheer doggedness, for his refusing to be bullied, he is like a persistent terrier at the heels of the establishment, refusing to let go, he has upset the status quo and that can only be a good thing, what a year 2016 turned out to be full of surprises, as Burke so eloquently put it last night now it’s our turn to drain the bog!!
@Kate Flaherty: In Ireland, it`s more like draining the cesspool .
Isn’t it an eyeopener to see just how much the lefty liberal crowd only like “democracy” when it puts them on the winning side. This is the same bunch that want you to “shut-up” and for you not to be able criticize their demand for things like open borders, mass migration, abortion on demand etc. This bunch is full of bigots, fascist, feminazis and misandrists! The whining and the negativity from the majority of the media in relation to DT becoming the next US President is astounding! Our 4th estate is and has been letting us down for years as it has been taken over by lefty liberal agenda leaning moguls! They really need to get over themselves and for the benefit of the young in this country start being more positive about what life is and for what the future holds.
For the past day I heard from Twitter, Facebook, Newspapers, TV shows and more that Trump is , “Racist”, “sexist” “next Hitler” for the Thousand time . Talk about an Overreaction.
Trumps election is the equivalent of Kerry people voting for the Healey Raes, ie we’ll show those fcukkers in Dublin/Washington
Is it just me, or does his eldest son look also like the character in americian psycho?
The press is bias but that bull sells?
Well when 75% of the American electorate didn’t vote for him it seems they know exactly who their market is
@Dave O Keeffe: They were and are bias towards Clinton for her to win, he is an arrogant big mouth git but he is the lesser of 2 evils. The things reported about Hillary and what she did to protect Bill over the years showed to me that she was in my view a sociopath. The press were for Hillary and many supported her because she was a woman and that was where they left it. They never really investigated the dark side of her and the fact is that side would turn you to stone. 9 out of the 10 top weapon manufacturers supported her as did the Saudis… The killing of the rape victims pets did me and leaving them on their doorsteps only proved to me that normal women don’t do that to rape victims, or do they?
Anyway, Trump wouldn’t have won if Hillary didn’t do what she did to Sanders, the desire for power can be self destructive?
@Dave O Keeffe: How did he win then, to condemn him is to condemn those who voted for him and he got the votes because he was not Hillary, is that talked about???
This presentation of media bias has mostly tame examples. I think it strawmans the perspective that the media paints Trump and his supporters as morally bankrupt bigots. There’s no essential retrospective on what the media did during the campaign.
As if to say “ah yeah… there was some bias, but it mostly wasn’t anything phenomenal. Just typical stuff. Maybe some fringe media were very biased against Trump, that’s all.”
have your say