The academic paper that predicted the NSA scandal

http://ideas.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/06/11/the_academic_paper_that_predicted_the_nsa_scandal

by Cynddl • 13 years ago

51 6 13 years ago

ideas.foreignpolicy.com

UPDATE: looks like this is being discussed in a similar thread linking to nature.com. See: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5871269

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Very cool paper, but the title is wrong on this link, and here is why, it [the paper - 1] did not predict the scandal. It predicted the method by which the NSA can uniquely identify persons from four points of metadata. It also predicted this in 2012, but the NSA has been doing this since ~2007 or earlier.

[1] http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130325/srep01376/pdf/srep013...

marshray• 13 years ago

This idea that the NSA must resort to statistical inference techniques in order to associate call metadata with individual Americans is ludicrous.

Has Foreign Policy never heard of Caller ID?

Why are people going to such mental contortions to avoid the plain facts?: They. Are. Spying. On. Americans.

jthol• 13 years ago

I think the point is that they are trying to claim "it's only metadata!" Well that's more than enough to identify you.

anigbrowl• 13 years ago

I find it ironic how many tracking cookies are on that page and that it wants me to sign up before it will let me read the article.

p4bl0• 13 years ago

[meta]

I wonder if this is a good enough reason to flag the link here on HN. I really want to, because I think this kind of websites where I must create an account just to read the article shouldn't be linked here.

What do the HN community think about this?

Makkhdyn• 13 years ago

I don't know what's the opinion of everyone on that, but to me it's just as bad as a paywall.

The academic paper that predicted the NSA scandal

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