http://publicintelligence.net/do-you-like-online-privacy-you-may-be-a-terrorist/
Do You Like Online Privacy? You May Be a Terrorist
February 1, 2012 in Featured
Public Intelligence
A flyer designed by the FBI and the Department of Justice to promote
suspicious activity reporting in internet cafes lists basic tools used for
online privacy as potential signs of terrorist activity. The document, part
of a program called âCommunities Against Terrorismâ, lists the use of
âanonymizers, portals, or other means to shield IP addressâ as a sign that a
person could be engaged in or supporting terrorist activity. The use of
encryption is also listed as a suspicious activity along with steganography,
the practice of using âsoftware to hide encrypted data in digital photosâ or
other media. In fact, the flyer recommends that anyone âoverly concerned
about privacyâ or attempting to âshield the screen from view of othersâ
should be considered suspicious and potentially engaged in terrorist
activities.
Logging into an account associated with a residential internet service
provider (such as Comcast or AOL), an activity that could simply indicate
that you are on a trip, is also considered a suspicious activity. Viewing
any content related to âmilitary tacticsâ including manuals or ârevolutionary
literatureâ is also considered a potential indicator of terrorist activity.
This would mean that viewing a number of websites, including the one you are
on right now, could be construed by a hapless employee as an highly
suspicious activity potentially linking you to terrorism.
The âPotential Indicators of Terrorist Activitiesâ contained in the flyer are
not to be construed alone as a sign of terrorist activity and the document
notes that âjust because someoneâs speech, actions, beliefs, appearance, or
way of life is different; it does not mean that he or she is suspicious.â
However, many of the activities described in the document are basic practices
of any individual concerned with security or privacy online. The use of PGP,
VPNs, Tor or any of the many other technologies for anonymity and privacy
online are directly targeted by the flyer, which is distributed to businesses
in an effort to promote the reporting of these activities.
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