Again, massive trawling for information which violates the 4th Amendment.

Via CNET:

The U.S. government is quietly pressuring telecommunications providers to install eavesdropping technology deep inside companies’ internal networks to facilitate surveillance efforts.

FBI officials have been sparring with carriers, a process that has on occasion included threats of contempt of court, in a bid to deploy government-provided software capable of intercepting and analyzing entire communications streams. The FBI’s legal position during these discussions is that the software’s real-time interception of metadata is authorized under the Patriot Act.

Attempts by the FBI to install what it internally refers to as “port reader” software, which have not been previously disclosed, were described to CNET in interviews over the last few weeks. One former government official said the software used to be known internally as the “harvesting program.”

Carriers are “extra-cautious” and are resisting installation of the FBI’s port reader software, an industry participant in the discussions said, in part because of the privacy and security risks of unknown surveillance technology operating on an sensitive internal network.

It’s “an interception device by definition,” said the industry participant, who spoke on condition of anonymity because court proceedings are sealed. “If magistrates knew more, they would approve less.” It’s unclear whether any carriers have installed port readers, and at least one is actively opposing the installation.

In a statement from a spokesman, the FBI said it has the legal authority to use alternate methods to collect Internet metadata, including source and destination IP addresses: “In circumstances where a provider is unable to comply with a court order utilizing its own technical solution(s), law enforcement may offer to provide technical assistance to meet the obligation of the court order.”

Keep reading…http://weaselzippers.us/2013/08/02/fbi-p...lance-software/

Bit by bit..they are chipping away at our freedoms. And not only the federal govt. Look at the NYC soda nazi. Ban salt, ban transfats, ban soda, ban, ban, ban. I could personally never drink the large amounts of soda they sell...and I am not crazy about salty foods, I dont even cook with salt..BUT..why should that right be taken away from YOU? Nobody should be banning what we eat and drink. And the sheeple sit back because they are more interested in who the Kardashians are screwing now.