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U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effort

By Jeralyn, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 04:49:41 PM EST
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The Christian Science Monitor reports on a huge, planned data mining program that will troll news and blogs.

The US government is developing a massive computer system that can collect huge amounts of data and, by linking far-flung information from blogs and e-mail to government records and intelligence reports, search for patterns of terrorist activity.

The system - parts of which are operational, parts of which are still under development - is already credited with helping to foil some plots. It is the federal government's latest attempt to use broad data-collection and powerful analysis in the fight against terrorism. But by delving deeply into the digital minutiae of American life, the program is also raising concerns that the government is intruding too deeply into citizens' privacy.

The "core" of the system is called Analysis, Dissemination, Visualization, Insight, and Semantic Enhancement (ADVISE). Check the Monitor article for lots more details.

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    • U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effort | 53 comments (53 topical)
    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 05:16:04 PM EST
    Gotta keep track of Al Qaida's blogs, don't you know. I'm sure they'll never target any other large blogging groups- especially not ones with opinions contrary to the Bush administration's. They've certainly shown admirable restraint in their infiltration of anti-war activist groups.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 05:31:20 PM EST
    Gosh, this IS good news. Now if I forget what I say I can just ask the thugs. How long do you suppose they might keep the data? 6 months? 6 years? 60 years? Boy, what a help that is. And I believe Gonzo when he says that they would NEVER, NEVER use the information to spy on their political opponents.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#3)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 05:46:04 PM EST
    California_reality_check - Of course they won't us them to spy on their opponents. Why the Clinton Administration didn't use those 1100 individual FBI files in such a manner... Did they?

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#4)
    by Johnny on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 06:07:10 PM EST
    Jimmy, your statement is garbled. Re-phrase please, so we know what it is you were trying to say. 'Bout the only legible thing in that cluster was "Clinton"... Setting a new, all-time record on TL for the coveted "Clinton did it first and/or Clinton should have done it first" posting... Big whoop, the gov't can spy on blogs all they want. Worst they can do is lock us up into chain-link enclosed "free-blogging" zones...

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#5)
    by Al on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 06:07:42 PM EST
    I think I understand ... When PPJ hasn't received his talking points yet, he defaults to Clinton-did-the-same-thing. So now they want to intimidate bloggers. I had no idea they were so paranoid. Wouldn't it be funny if PPJ got arrested in the middle of the night for all those inflammatory comments he's posted?

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#6)
    by Edger on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 06:18:42 PM EST
    california_reality_check
    Gosh, this IS good news.
    This really is wonderful news! Finally, after all their talk and noise about the mission from God to spread freedom and democracy around the world, and all the complaining over the past 5 years from crazed left wing spaced out paranoid disconnected from reality radicals that too many billion$ were being spent overseas and not enough spent domestically, and that totalitarianism was just around the corner, all the ridiculous fears are magically allayed, and bushco is at long last living up to their bright promise, and bringing true participatory democracy to the country. Finally the people will have a true voice in the affairs of the nation, with the knowledge that everything they say, every opinion they express, every concern and suggestion and profuse thanks for their compassionately conservative dear leaders will go directly to the ears of those who need to know, without delay, mere milliseconds after it's typed! At last! It just doesn't get any better than this! Thanks George!

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#7)
    by squeaky on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 06:28:42 PM EST
    silly wabbit

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#8)
    by Edger on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 06:32:35 PM EST
    The devil made me do it. Praise be to jeebus!

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#9)
    by Darryl Pearce on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 07:15:37 PM EST
    Time for me to go start reading my Thomas Paine again....

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 07:50:02 PM EST
    You know, the more I think about it, the more I like this surveillance stuff, and I'm really really getting to like our administration more and more. Alot. And if this blog, thread, and comment are being surveilled then I really really like the administration and whoever is doing the surveilling must be a really good person who I also like alot.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#11)
    by Al on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 07:57:09 PM EST
    I for one welcome our new ADVISE overlords.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#12)
    by jimcee on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 08:04:14 PM EST
    I am pretty sure it is being built on the existing foundations of the 'Eschalon' project that was started in the '90's I believe and was used by the previous administration for internal surveilance. Someone might want to 'Google' that.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#13)
    by Edger on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 08:10:20 PM EST
    This one, Jimcee?

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#14)
    by Edger on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 08:20:47 PM EST
    Well, it's late, and there a half dozen men in black suits outside the house and 2 or 3 hanging from the phone poles with binoculars, so I'm going to go hide under the blankets with my hands over my ears. 'night all... it's been fun. :-)

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 08:49:03 PM EST
    Well, while they are at it, the least they could do is a little spell checking. I could use the help

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#16)
    by jimcee on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 08:54:00 PM EST
    edger, No not that one. I was refering to something called the 'Eschalon Project' that came up in the '90's which was an system that was triggered by key phrases or words and at one point was exposed by the 'black helicopter' folks that thought President Clinton was scanning thier ranks. Of course I could have just hallucinated the whole episode during one of my LSD flashbacks, errrr.....you know how that goes. Funny how most of the conspiritorialists have scurried over to the Left in the last few years.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 08:54:26 PM EST
    I could use the help You're in luck. They are from the government, and they are here to help.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 09:01:42 PM EST
    You're talking about ECHELON but mixing up the spelling with Eschaton, which is Atrios's blog.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#19)
    by jimcee on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 09:41:25 PM EST
    KCinDC, Thank you as I'm an idiot. Did I mention those flashbacks....

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#20)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 10:26:36 PM EST
    This is just away to find people who write and talk out against government. and lets fact faces we have no real rights inside the land of freedom and big business.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#21)
    by N in Seattle on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 10:37:22 PM EST
    Hey, I kinda like the idea of Dubya and Abu Gonzo reading my blog ... as long as they show up on my SiteMeter. I could use the traffic.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#22)
    by Repack Rider on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 10:50:54 PM EST
    PPJ: Why the Clinton Administration didn't use those 1100 individual FBI files in such a manner... Did they? $65 million worth of investigation says no. Say Jim, how do you feel about spending $65 million investigating Bush's pre-presidential activities? Don't you want to know why a bunch of Texas businessmen gave him $12 million for no apparent reason?

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#23)
    by Edger on Wed Feb 08, 2006 at 11:41:45 PM EST
    Jimcee: No not that one. I was refering to something called the 'Eschalon Project' that came up in the '90's which was an system that was triggered by key phrases or words I know what you meant, Jimcee. I purposely gave you the other link first because it contained the Supreme Court decision in the Katz case. Here is the one you're looking for.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#24)
    by Edger on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 12:00:08 AM EST
    I'm really curious about one thing though, that "speaks volumes" about people who "define themselves" by missing it. Squeaky, how come you're the only one here who caught the Bugs Bunny / Road Runner analogy? :-)

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#25)
    by Edger on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 12:24:18 AM EST
    And don't forget Wile E. Coyote.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#26)
    by john horse on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 03:31:41 AM EST
    Wonderful line from the Daily Show that was related to this topic. It seems, said Jon Stewart, that the administration wants total transparency when it comes to us citizens but when it comes to themselves, well, thats a different story. Something is very wrong with this picture.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#27)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 05:57:31 AM EST
    Gee Johnny If u cant figur it out you'll just hav to mis it. Repack - Well, if you have any money left over, let's investigate how Hillary made $100,000 trading futures in one year. She had never traded before and never traded after. Guess it was like a guy hitting a hole in one on his first swing and never played again. Decided the game was too easy. What was amazing was that everytine she won, this Tyson Foods guy lost. Coincidence......? Al - I am now on program. Please pull my finger to receive one coupon. And know what? Remember Craig Livingstone?
    After the election, in what was considered an act of retaliation, personal dossiers of about 160 Reagan and Bush officials, which were stored at the State Department, were searched by Clinton offici
    He admitted passing on derogatory information to Craig Livingstone, a supervisor and Clinton appointee who was involved in the 1992 campaign
    Do you remember this amazing fact? Livingstone, while being grlled by Congress, couldn't remember who hired him. et al - So guess which administration we know spied on americans for political purposes? And you want to complain about Americams talking with terrorists having their conversations monitored. Oh! The shame! The humanity of it all!

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#28)
    by Sailor on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 06:10:52 AM EST
    rw desperation index is the square of the number of times they mention Clinton in their comment.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#29)
    by Edger on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 06:15:02 AM EST
    Sailor, that's bigger than the number of fingers they have on both hands. You'll confuse them ;-)

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#30)
    by demohypocrates on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 08:36:34 AM EST
    Here is an interesting article on echelon from 60 Minutes. This is an interesting paragraph from the article: America politicians may also have been eavesdropped on, says Margaret Newsham, a woman who worked at Menwith Hill in England, the NSA's largest spy station. She says she was shocked to hear the voice of U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond (R.-S.C.) on a surveillance headset about 20 years ago. "To my knowledge, all (the intercepted voices)...would be...Russian, Chinese... foreign," she tells Kroft.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#31)
    by Johnny on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 08:38:24 AM EST
    Gee Johnny If u cant figur it out you'll just hav to mis it.
    Wouldn't say I am missing it...

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#32)
    by Edger on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 08:50:13 AM EST
    she was shocked to hear the voice of U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond (R.-S.C.) on a surveillance headset It's not "domestic spying" though. Strom must have AQ connections or he would not have been monitored. Right?

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#33)
    by demohypocrates on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 09:00:50 AM EST
    edger, I can't say if it was domestic spying. Ask WJC - his watch.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#34)
    by Edger on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 09:05:18 AM EST
    She says she was shocked to hear the voice of U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond (R.-S.C.) on a surveillance headset about 20 years ago. Ask WJC - his watch. 20 years ago? Which parallel universe was that in again?

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#35)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 09:23:56 AM EST
    I know that the "Blame Clinton" gambit is always in style with the trolls, but in 1986 Clinton was the Governor of Arkansas and probably unconnected to NSA surveillance operations of Senators. It'd be interesting to find out though, who in the Reagan administration thought Senator Thurmond's conversations were worth eavesdropping on, and why.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#36)
    by kdog on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 09:25:44 AM EST
    If you ask me, the citizenry should be spying, eavesdropping, and data-mining on the govt., not the other way around.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#37)
    by Edger on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 09:28:10 AM EST
    citizenry should be spying...on the govt A citizens group called NTFNSA?

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#38)
    by aw on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 09:52:38 AM EST
    Posted by Slado February 8, 2006 11:22 AM If he violates that standard and spies on say this blog then he's in violation but I don't think he's doing that.
    Well, Slado, what say you now?

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#39)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 11:31:59 AM EST
    I love it. Sailor - Please don't act like you never heard of Filegate. The difference between then and now is: Now we have the President taking respopnsibility. Then the guy running it couldn't even remember who hired him. Now we are doing it for national defense. Then it was being done for partisan purposes. Punisher - Google "Filegate" for details. Including the fact that it was 1996...

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#40)
    by jimcee on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 09:04:22 PM EST
    Jimakappj, You are living in the past as you bring up examples for the anti-Bush correspondents. I think that Clinton was a sh*tty foreign policy president who blew off the ME with verbose blather about consolation and handed Bush an incendiary situation. Clinton knew what the truth was in the ME but he knew there wasn't an American solution but pretended that he could solve it by talking, yak, yak.... But by trying to point that out to those that believe Bill Clinton should be canonised; you are living in the past. As of a matter of fact both sides are living in the past. Question: Who are going to be the folks who define the next election cycle? Anyone?

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#41)
    by Repack Rider on Thu Feb 09, 2006 at 09:44:30 PM EST
    Repack - Well, if you have any money left over, let's investigate how Hillary made $100,000 trading futures in one year. She had never traded before and never traded after. The Clintons were investigated to the tune of $65M by people extremely hostile to them, and the investigation could not even identify a crime that had been committed. I'd say that is a clean bill of health, wouldn't you? The best they could do was to impeach Clinton for telling a lie that was not a crime about an event that was not a crime. I want to know why the rich Texas businessmen who had received big favors from the governor gave him $12 million. Aren't you the least bit curious as to why this sort of money is given to a sitting governor who had not done anything to earn it? Why do YOU think they gave it to him?

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#42)
    by Edger on Fri Feb 10, 2006 at 05:28:29 AM EST
    Posted by Slado February 8, 2006 11:22 AM If he violates that standard and spies on say this blog then he's in violation but I don't think he's doing that. Posted by edger February 8, 2006 11:42 AM Really? I would imagine bushco and the repuplicans read this blog, and others, every day. and it would not surprise me at all if someone in the NSA is driftnetting the IP addresses of the posters here and on other blogs. No more surpising than monitoring and filming subversive vegans.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#43)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Feb 10, 2006 at 06:15:26 AM EST
    jimcee - Well, I confess that from time to time I enjoy pointing out to our more vigorous peers some of the many things that happened during Clinton's watch, some of which can be laid at his feet, some at Hillary's and some at the feet of his minion's. Only this time it's not just politics, which all of "Clinton's" were, but national security that is getting jerked around. Complaining about spying on Repubs by Demos is one thing. Complaining about spying on terrorists and their US contacts is entirely something else. Is it a wasted effort? Probably. Repack - Hey, I don't know. Just like you don't have the answers for the $100K and Hillary, Whitewater, money from China, etc. ;-) Your problem is that you still haven't caught on to the fact that my support of Bush is based soley on national defense and the fact that it is obvious to at least 51% of the voters that the Demos can't be trusted with that significant portion of a President's job. I do get grins pointing out that Bush did get Medicare RX insurance passed over the objections of the party of the Little People, aka Democrats. Giggle, giggle.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#44)
    by scarshapedstar on Fri Feb 10, 2006 at 06:20:35 AM EST
    I do get grins pointing out that Bush did get Medicare RX insurance passed over the objections of the party of the Little People, aka Democrats. Giggle, giggle.
    Haha, well, laugh it up. That bill's a disaster, a big ol' albatross around every Republican neck. Hey, isn't there an election soon?

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#45)
    by scarshapedstar on Fri Feb 10, 2006 at 06:22:38 AM EST
    btw,
    my support of Bush is based soley on national defense
    Yeah, I mean, Al Gore and John Kerry would never have caught Osama and destroyed Saddam's vast WMD stockpiles.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#46)
    by Johnny on Fri Feb 10, 2006 at 06:42:56 AM EST
    fact that it is obvious to at least 51% of the voters
    Don't you mean "at most 51%"?

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#47)
    by pigwiggle on Fri Feb 10, 2006 at 07:07:50 AM EST
    What: The Justice Department asks a judge to approve Patriot Act e-mail monitoring without any evidence of criminal behavior. When: Decided Feb. 2, 2006 by U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan in Washington, D.C. Outcome: E-mail surveillance approved. What happened: As part of a grand jury investigation that's still secret, the Justice Department asked a federal magistrate judge to approve monitoring of an unnamed person's e-mail correspondents. ... Full Story

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#48)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Feb 10, 2006 at 07:47:51 AM EST
    There was an article in the Fresno Bee the other day on the front page about how well the plan is working, something else to laugh about:
    From the outset, problems plagued those who switched from Medi-Cal to private drug plans. The plans contract with Medicare to provide drug coverage. Not everyone who enrolled received a Medicare drug card to show to pharmacists. And many seniors who did have cards and tried to fill prescriptions were denied medications. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt released a one-month progress report Thursday saying the prescription-drug program has worked for the vast majority of participants, but acknowledging that problems need to be fixed. One concern, he said, was to make sure no one leaves a drugstore without the medicine they need.
    and:
    Missie Rhinehart, service coordinator at Sunnyside Glen, a low-income senior apartment complex in southeast Fresno, said even the most independent seniors have trouble navigating the new prescription system. One resident used Rhinehart's office telephone to call a Medicare drug plan. "He was digging through his wallet looking for his drug card. His hands were shaking," she said. "He just broke down."
    Yep, plenty to laugh about there, PPJ. Link

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#49)
    by desertswine on Fri Feb 10, 2006 at 08:17:50 AM EST
    The Clintons were investigated to the tune of $65M by people extremely hostile to them, and the investigation could not even identify a crime that had been committed. I'd say that is a clean bill of health, wouldn't you?
    To put a period on that, I can remember an investigation of even Socks (the cat), and the Socks (the cat) fan club. Socks was exonerated of all wrong-doing after a lengthy and costly investigation.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#50)
    by Repack Rider on Fri Feb 10, 2006 at 08:35:35 AM EST
    Repack - Hey, I don't know. Just like you don't have the answers for the $100K and Hillary, Whitewater, money from China, etc. ;-) Since that was all investigated and the Clintons came up clean, I'm as eager as you are to find out why a bunch of rich Texans made a gift to their governor of $12 million. I presume you are aware that this gift was given. Your problem is that you still haven't caught on to the fact that my support of Bush is based soley on national defense Excuse me? Who was president on 9/11? Who got a PDB on 8-6-01 entitled, "Bin Laden Determined to Strike Inside United States," and ignored it? Who decided to waste our military resources on a bogus mission? If that is succcessful national defense, I'll take whatever is behind door number two.

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#51)
    by Edger on Fri Feb 10, 2006 at 09:00:37 AM EST
    Anybody here know what the thread topic is?

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#52)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Feb 10, 2006 at 03:28:23 PM EST
    Repack - And who on 7/5/01 advised all agencies to be on a high alert for an expected terror attack? Next question?

    Re: U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effo (none / 0) (#53)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Feb 10, 2006 at 03:41:33 PM EST
    And who ignored a PDB entitled, "Bin Laden Determined to Strike........?"

    U.S. Plans to Data Mine Blogs in Huge New Effort | 53 comments (53 topical)