Gamers Against SOPA & PIPA RSS Feed

"NSA data will soon routinely be used for domestic policing that has nothing to do with terrorism"

[REDACTED] — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 03:44:27 +0000

SOURCE: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2016/03/10/surprise-nsa-data-will-soon-routinely-be-used-for-domestic-policing-that-has-nothing-to-do-with-terrorism/

A while back, we noted a report showing that the “sneak-and-peek” provision of the Patriot Act that was alleged to be used only in national security and terrorism investigations has overwhelmingly been used in narcotics cases. Now the New York Times reports that National Security Agency data will be shared with other intelligence agencies like the FBI without first applying any screens for privacy. The ACLU of Massachusetts blog Privacy SOS explains why this is important:

What does this rule change mean for you? In short, domestic law enforcement officials now have access to huge troves of American communications, obtained without warrants, that they can use to put people in cages. FBI agents don’t need to have any “national security” related reason to plug your name, email address, phone number, or other “selector” into the NSA’s gargantuan data trove. They can simply poke around in your private information in the course of totally routine investigations. And if they find something that suggests, say, involvement in illegal drug activity, they can send that information to local or state police. That means information the NSA collects for purposes of so-called “national security” will be used by police to lock up ordinary Americans for routine crimes. And we don’t have to guess who’s going to suffer this unconstitutional indignity the most brutally. It’ll be Black, Brown, poor, immigrant, Muslim, and dissident Americans: the same people who are always targeted by law enforcement for extra “special” attention.

This basically formalizes what was already happening under the radar. We’ve known for a couple of years now that the Drug Enforcement Administration and the IRS were getting information from the NSA. Because that information was obtained without a warrant, the agencies were instructed to engage in “parallel construction” when explaining to courts and defense attorneys how the information had been obtained. If you think parallel construction just sounds like a bureaucratically sterilized way of saying big stinking lie, well, you wouldn’t be alone. And it certainly isn’t the only time that that national security apparatus has let law enforcement agencies benefit from policies that are supposed to be reserved for terrorism investigations in order to get around the Fourth Amendment, then instructed those law enforcement agencies to misdirect, fudge and outright lie about how they obtained incriminating information — see the Stingray debacle. This isn’t just a few rogue agents. The lying has been a matter of policy. We’re now learning that the feds had these agreements with police agencies all over the country, affecting thousands of cases.

On the one hand, I guess it’s better that this new data-sharing policy is acknowledged in the open instead of carried out surreptitiously. On the other hand, there’s something even more ominous about the fact that they no longer feel as though they need to hide it.

It’s all another sobering reminder that any powers we grant to the federal government for the purpose of national security will inevitably be used just about everywhere else. And extraordinary powers we grant government in wartime rarely go away once the war is over. And, of course, the nifty thing for government agencies about a “war on terrorism” is that it’s a war that will never formally end.

TL;DR
If you say anything that can be preceived as a crime via any electronic service (email, text, etc) you could possibly be arrest. This has nothing to do with The Patriot Acts initial purpose, but was very much expected at some point.

The war on terrorism (an idea) is much like the war on drugs, never-ending, far reaching, and a complete waste of tax payer dollars.

This is searching without a warrant, a blatant constitutional violation.

Another phish in the sea.

[REDACTED] — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 04:42:18 +0000

A new phishing link is going around. Usually to a site called linkmax dot ru.

Targeting CS:GO players mostly.

FYI about Lizard Stresser.

[REDACTED] — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 23:30:39 +0000

Just incase you're a fucking idiot.(Thats a bit harsh but this is very important.)

Do NOT download Lizard Squad's DDoS program. [Lizard Stresser]

It will turn your PC into a zombie. (I'm not joking and this isn't the type of zombie we find in games.)

Recent 'attack' (and I use that word very wrongly) on PSN, XB, and TOR.

[REDACTED] — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 06:35:47 +0000

Lizard Squad are not hackers, they are peons. Any maroon can watch a youtube video and 'learn' how to do what they did. The US government needs to stop calling these piss stain know-nothings 'hackers' and stop using fear-mongering words like 'Cyber-Terrorists' to describe them.

Their 'attack' is in no way revealing breaches in security. It's the equivalent of holding open an unlocked door and letting millions of slow as molasses walker weilding grandmothers in until the system can't handle the traffic and shuts down.

This is the kind of gross missunderstanding that leads to acts like SOPA PIPA et cetera.

And setting up hundreds of 20kbs relays in tor shows just how low their level of competence is and just screams "WAAA WAAA I want attention BOO WHO look at me!!!"

TL;DR
All of your information stored on these networks is safe. The kids behind these acts couldn't hack their way out of tall grass with a fully gased lawnmower.

EDIT: Screech with a knife is far more dangerous and damaging then anything the bib wearing lizard squad could do.

Sitekillerz (@ddosyouup) may strike again. UPDATED 22/09 0023hr

[REDACTED] — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 03:54:44 +0000

A few tips.

- Keep an eye on your wallets and inventories. They seem to take a lot of the popular games, CSGO and the like, I would advise using these now So they can't get stolen. I would also not keep a large ammount of money in your wallet.

- May be a good time to upgrade that password. I'm not sure how but they claim to have stolen quite a few accounts.

I'll be adding more to this, I want to add a few steps to help secure your accounts.

EDIT1

IMPORTANT!

Make sure your account has the 'Save my information' box unchecked for check outs. You don't want anyone getting ahold of your CC#'s.

IF YOU USE ONLY ONE PC TO PLAY ON STEAM.

I would also recommend going into SETTINGS and selecting the 'MANAGE STEAM GAURD ACCOUNT SECURITY..." and putting a check next to 'Deauthorize all other computers now." This doesn't allow other PCs access without access to your email. SO...

CHANGE THAT EMAIL PASSWORD (ESPECIALLY IF ITS THE SAME AS YOUR STEAM PASWORD!)

If both of them are Bubbles123, Cahnge both to something completely different from eachother. Something like "J3ff03++11AWOL" or "7138Drag0n.Sk1llz" Numbers, CAP and low letters, and symbols. And try to use the maximum allowed characters.

Write these down in a little notebook. An in real life notebook, not a digital one. Something a hacker can never get to. Keep it near your computer for fast reference.

Aside, this is also a good way to remember words you find difficult to spell.

I know there is a way to get a textmessage anytime someone accesses your account, I'll look this up and post, Or if someone finds it, post in the comments and I'll add. Hell anything you find you think I could add, please share.

BASICS

Never use a password more then once, especially if you use the same handle for multiply sites. So this;
Steamname: TimmyChair PW: Bubbles123
Email: TimmyChair@stupid.com PW: Bubbles123
Can't change the name on steam but you can change emails, you just need to re-verify.

EDIT1 done.

EDIT2

This is what you want to look for and make sure is unchecked when you go to the payout screen. (Used for everything but from wallet purchases.)

**Payment method**

"Save my payment information so checkout is easy next time" Make sure this line is unchecked.

WORK IN PROGRESS

Steam hacked.(Unconfirmed)

[REDACTED] — Sat, 03 May 2014 03:29:27 +0000

Unconfirmed.

Just got a heads up steam may have been hacked.
Make sure you have unchecked the box which allows steam to store credit card numbers (So that it won't store them).
You may also want to change your password remembering to use a different one from all other accounts.

Info will be posted as I get it.

Net nutrality is dead in the US.

[REDACTED] — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 21:04:41 +0000

Any semblance of net neutrality in the United States is as good as dead. The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on Tuesday struck down the Federal Communications Commission’s 2010 order that imposed network neutrality regulations on wireline broadband services. The ruling is a major victory for telecom and cable companies who have fought all net neutrality restrictions vociferously for years.

The original FCC order said that wireline ISPs ”shall not block lawful content, applications, services or non-harmful devices, subject to reasonable network management” while also mandating that ISPs “shall not unreasonably discriminate in transmitting lawful traffic over a consumer’s broadband Internet access service.”

In its ruling against the FCC’s rules, the court said that such restrictions are not needed in part because consumers have a choice in which ISP they use.

“Without broadband provider market power, consumers, of course, have options,” the court writes. “They can go to another broadband provider if they want to reach particular edge providers or if their connections to particular edge providers have been degraded.”

I'll add more as more info comes out.

What does this mean?
"ISPs no longer have to provide the entire internet at the same speeds/experience. For instance, ISPs could have 'preferred' or 'sponsored' websites or apps which are allowed greater bandwidth or are not subject to data caps (for a fee from the website provider) or, heaven forbid, degrade performance on websites/apps which directly compete with their TV or phone services (i.e. Netflix)."

Report: NSA Spying on Online Games

[REDACTED] — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 19:39:57 +0000

Report: NSA Spying on Online Games
==========
Sounds more like the onion, but here we go anyway.

"The 82-page document suggests that government agencies have long been concerned that terrorists or criminal groups could use virtual worlds to "hide in plain sight" and possibly use the in-game chat functionality in online games to communicate, send funds, and plot attacks. However, the report notes, the intelligence agencies did not appear to catch any criminal activity in the process." Sigh.

Just read the whole article. It has its merit but looks more like an excuse to cover up the creation and cost of 500 new WoW accounts.

LINK
==========
http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/report-nsa-spying-online-games-175511620.html

Senators Pen New York Times op-ed Calling for an Immediate End to NSA Surveillance

[REDACTED] — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 19:24:54 +0000

Senators Pen New York Times op-ed Calling for an Immediate End to NSA Surveillance
==========
Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mark Udall (D-CO), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), all members of the US Select Committee

on Intelligence, have come out time after time as outspoken voices in the ongoing NSA surveillance scandal.

The senators reiterated their contention that the massive collection program known as PRISM in no measurable way

benefited national security, stating that its usefulness was "greatly exaggerated."

While Senate passed an "NSA Improvement" bill last month that aimed to limit surveillance activity, it's in fact

unable to affect any real legal change.

So the do nothing seems to be set to continue into this year also.

LINK
==========
http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/26/5149568/senators-pen-new-york-times-op-ed-calling-for-end-to-nsa-spying

Researchers Use NSA’s Own Tactics to See How Invasive NSA Spying is

[REDACTED] — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 19:24:41 +0000

Researchers Use NSA’s Own Tactics to See How Invasive NSA Spying is
==========
Stanford researchers created MetaPhone, an Android app which collects a phone’s metadata and compares it to basic information on Facebook. It is used to determine if metadata is useless data or if it acctualling contains user information.

Early evidence from the project suggests that the metadata is indeed revealing.

LINK
==========
http://bgr.com/2013/11/30/stanford-nsa-app-studies-phone-metadata/