‘Unconstitutional’: Yahoo Secretly Scanned All Incoming Emails for US Intelligence
Yahoo built a custom software program to search all of its customers’ incoming emails for specific information provided by US intelligence officials, according to former employees of the company.
The custom software program was secretly built last year to comply with a classified US government directive. The program scanned hundreds of millions of Yahoo Mail accounts, according to revelations first reported by Reuters.
Remember during US-EU data sharing negotiations (#PrivacyShield), US said this would never happen? https://t.co/IODSJuaw8e CC: @maxschrems
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) October 4, 2016
It is not known whether the directive, which was sent to the company’s legal team, came from the National Security Agency or the FBI, according to the two former Yahoo employees. It is also not known what the intelligence officials were seeking, except wanting the company to search for a set of characters, which could mean a phrase in an email or an attachment.
Congressman @tedlieu: Yahoo bulk scanning of customer emails for NSA is “flat out unconstitutional.” https://t.co/pfCXAiQAHm
— Christopher Soghoian (@csoghoian) October 4, 2016
The former employees said Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s decision to follow the directive angered some senior executive and led to the departure of Alex Stamos, the company’s chief information officer.
When Stamos discovered Mayer had authorized the program, he told his subordinates that he had been left out of a decision that hurt users’ security, the sources said. Due to a programming flaw, he told them, hackers could have accessed the stored emails.
Yahoo said in a statement issued to Reuters about the intelligence demand that it “is a law abiding company, and complies with the laws of the United States.”
BREAKING! Yahoo wrote SECRET program to help federal gov’t search customers’ emails… https://t.co/SIeHj27oyB
— Lovely_Infidel كافر (@Lovely_Infidel) October 4, 2016
Surveillance experts told Reuters this is the first case to surface of an US internet company agreeing to a spy agency’s demand by searching all arriving messages, as opposed to requests for stored messages or scanning a small number of accounts in real time.
US phone and internet companies are known to have handed over bulk customer data to intelligence agencies.
Under laws including the 2008 amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, intelligence agencies can ask American phone and internet companies to provide customer data to aid foreign intelligence-gathering efforts for a variety of reasons, including prevention of terrorist attacks.
But it wasn’t until the disclosures by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and others who exposed the extent of electronic surveillance on the public, and forced the US government to scale back its program to protect privacy rights.
Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), who has led the fight in Congress to address the intelligence community’s reliance on secret interpretations of surveillance law, expressed dismay over the Yahoo revelation in an email.
“The FISA court has publically stated that tens of thousands of wholly domestic communications are caught up under 702 collection every year and that the potential number of Americans impacted is even larger than that,” Wyden wrote to Ars Technica. “The NSA has said that it only targets individuals under Section 702 by searching for email addresses and similar identifiers. If that has changed, the executive branch has an obligation to notify the public.”
It is not known if the NSA or FBI approached other internet companies. Last year, Apple became embroiled in a showdown with the FBI over its unwillingness to hack its encrypted software on an iPhone belong to the 2015 San Bernardino mass shooter, in defiance of a court order. The FBI dropped the case when it announced it had paid a third party to hack the phone.
Representative Ted Lieu (D-California)told Ars that this type of forced government request was “flat out unconstitutional.”
“The continuing revelation of our law enforcement and these agencies violating the Constitution shows that there is a break down in oversight,” he said. “The [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court] has shown repeatedly that they do not have the ability to protect the Constitution or the rights of Americans, we need another system ‒ thank God we have freedom of the press.”
Surveillance under Obama worse than Stasi – Oliver Stone https://t.co/T6umAhkU1e pic.twitter.com/mFdha3oCHe
— RT America (@RT_America) September 23, 2016
Yahoo is trying to complete a deal to sell its core business to Verizon for $4.8 billion.
In September, Yahoo said “state-sponsored” hackers had gained access to 500 million customer accounts in 2014 which provoked concerns about its security practices.
Delivered by The Daily Sheeple
We encourage you to share and republish our reports, analyses, breaking news and videos (Click for details).
Contributed by RT.com of RT.com.
Source: http://www.thedailysheeple.com/unconstitutional-yahoo-secretly-scanned-all-incoming-emails-for-us-intelligence_102016
Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.
"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.
Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world. Anyone can join. Anyone can contribute. Anyone can become informed about their world. "United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.
LION'S MANE PRODUCT
Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules
Mushrooms are having a moment. One fabulous fungus in particular, lion’s mane, may help improve memory, depression and anxiety symptoms. They are also an excellent source of nutrients that show promise as a therapy for dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases. If you’re living with anxiety or depression, you may be curious about all the therapy options out there — including the natural ones.Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend has been formulated to utilize the potency of Lion’s mane but also include the benefits of four other Highly Beneficial Mushrooms. Synergistically, they work together to Build your health through improving cognitive function and immunity regardless of your age. Our Nootropic not only improves your Cognitive Function and Activates your Immune System, but it benefits growth of Essential Gut Flora, further enhancing your Vitality.
Our Formula includes: Lion’s Mane Mushrooms which Increase Brain Power through nerve growth, lessen anxiety, reduce depression, and improve concentration. Its an excellent adaptogen, promotes sleep and improves immunity. Shiitake Mushrooms which Fight cancer cells and infectious disease, boost the immune system, promotes brain function, and serves as a source of B vitamins. Maitake Mushrooms which regulate blood sugar levels of diabetics, reduce hypertension and boosts the immune system. Reishi Mushrooms which Fight inflammation, liver disease, fatigue, tumor growth and cancer. They Improve skin disorders and soothes digestive problems, stomach ulcers and leaky gut syndrome. Chaga Mushrooms which have anti-aging effects, boost immune function, improve stamina and athletic performance, even act as a natural aphrodisiac, fighting diabetes and improving liver function. Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules Today. Be 100% Satisfied or Receive a Full Money Back Guarantee. Order Yours Today by Following This Link.
