Turnwall.net

Today I read an article that talks about how a certain unnamed cellular provider has given unlimited access to their network to the FBI.

Pasdar discovered evidence of the backdoor when he was part of a rapid deployment team that was brought in to facilitate a large-scale network security hardware migration for the mobile carrier. During the migration, Pasdar was instructed not to migrate the traffic for one particular DS-3, which was referred to as the "Quantico Circuit" by consultants who worked closely with the carrier (the FBI Academy is based in Quantico, Virginia).

This is insane. I understand the need for the FBI to have access to the cellular network but there needs to be some kind of oversight. The Founding Fathers of the USA put checks and balances into the government for a reason; so one branch or division of the government could have so much power. Plus, a system is already in place for the FBI to listen on someone's phone calls. It's called a warrant, and it is there to protect citizens. If the FBI needs to monitor someone then they need to have a reason and some kind of evidence. They shouldn't be allowed to monitor anyone at will.

Now the FBI will say they need this type of access to help fight domestic terrorism or some other scary catch phrases. Anyone that believes that is lying to themselves. It's a false sense of security. Just because the FBI can listen to a farmer on his tractor in the middle of Kanas or a business man in Chicago does not make you safer. If you believe that it does please explain to me and provide evidence of how it does. I have yet to hear a government agency like the FBI or DHS explain how if they had more power my life would be safer. Do you realize you are more likely to die in an automobile accident or from a heart attach then from a terrorist attack?

Now you might be saying, "It's the FBI. I can trust them." Well if you trust the FBI not abuse it's power then you really need to pay more attention to the news. Perhaps you should start with this article where lawmakers found the FBI abusing their expanded powers granted to the FBI by The USA Patriot Act. Here's another great article about a couple of activists that were bombed by someone. The FBI later arrested the couple, branded them eco-terrorists, illegally searched their homes, and started a slanderous PR campaign against the couple. Then there's the instances of the FBI losing laptops with sensitive information on them. The FBI even has problems paying phone bills because it's employees are embezzling money.

Read full article