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Homeland Security Shuts Down 'Intelligence' Reports on Journalists:
The acting secretary of homeland security said on Friday that he had shut down an intelligence examination of the work of reporters covering the government's response to protests in Portland, Ore., beginning an investigation into what he suggested was an infringement on First Amendment rights.
[...] The acting secretary, Chad F. Wolf, "is committed to ensuring that all D.H.S. personnel uphold the principles of professionalism, impartiality and respect for civil rights and civil liberties, particularly as it relates to the exercise of First Amendment rights," said Alexei Woltornist, the department's spokesman.
The intelligence office issued three "open-source intelligence reports" in the past week that summarized the Twitter posts of a Times reporter and the editor in chief for the blog Lawfare, noting that they had published leaked unclassified documents.
Mr. Wolf ordered the intelligence arm to "immediately discontinue collecting information involving members of the press" once he found out about the practice, Mr. Woltornist said.
[...] "The Department of Homeland Security has acknowledged that its intelligence reporting system, designed to combat terrorism, has instead been misused to target journalists who were reporting on the controversial activities of federal law enforcement officers," she said in a statement. "It is imperative that D.H.S.'s investigation determines how this happened and ensures it does not happen again."
[...] "If you're allowed to do this, what else are you allowed to do? If you're allowed to keep tabs on and file reports about my social media," he added, "are you allowed to gather all the other public record material that exists about me and create a dossier?"
The American Civil Liberties Union denounced the agency's actions on Friday, saying they were part of a larger pattern.
"Under Wolf's leadership, D.H.S. was caught just last year unconstitutionally targeting and building dossiers on journalists reporting on conditions at the border," the group's senior legislative counsel, Neema Signh Guliani, said in a statement. "For weeks, D.H.S. agents have been deliberately and brutally attacking journalists covering the Portland protests. And documents show that D.H.S. intelligence arm appears to be claiming authority it does not have. This administration's assault on the First Amendment continues to escalate."
(Score: -1, Informative) by NPC-131072 on Monday August 03 2020, @09:26PM (13 children)
We'll never get justice for Floyd Taylor [pacificpundit.com] like this. [rt.com] The DHS are a disgrace to George Kirby's name! [dailycaller.com]
Those of us on the morally superior left shouldn't rest until All Republican's Are Bastards is sprayed on every minority owned convenience store.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 03 2020, @09:48PM
Didn't you get the memo? Minitrue says it actually was the morally inferior right attacking the federal facilities in Portland, spraypainting ACAB on trees and fighting it out against other fascist troops, while Democrat controlled state and local police forces took the high ground and refused to engage with them.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Monday August 03 2020, @11:08PM (1 child)
Yet another reason to get the career politicians out of Washington. Even with teleprompting, the senile sons of bitches can't get a household name right during a speech. Republicans and Dems alike, half of them are too senile to be in office. Schumer, Pelosi, Biden, and Ginsburg are the first to come to mind, but Trump ain't doing real well either. Mind if I have a cup of covfefe?
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @01:05AM
Understandable #trumpisnotwell [twitter.com]
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 03 2020, @11:21PM (1 child)
Oh shiiiiit
The fascists realized they fucked up and are trying to backpedal. Poor trolls suckered once again by the obvious Republican 17D checkers.
Maybe next time NPC, maybe next time.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @10:01PM
Offtopic? Hmm, flamebait I could understand from the sensitive frozen conservative bodies, but offtopic? For shame!
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:08AM (6 children)
So the article is about how The Heimatschutz is breaking the law, but that's the Democrats fault, despite the fact the Republicans control the Federal government?
I wonder how you will feel when they start deciding who are RINOs and who are not quite loyal enough? I suppose you'll be ok, as long as you can recite the Oath of Allegiance properly. (Whatever that happens to say)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:15AM (4 children)
Did you read his RT link? Journalists don't require press credentials but one day soon they might - thanks "peaceful protestors"!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:30AM (3 children)
You know who runs rt.com don't you?
Did Pravda not run that story or something?
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:56AM (1 child)
“Individuals are abusing the TRO to masquerade as members of the press and evade lawful orders, or actively participating in protest activities and even illegal acts while holding themselves out to be members of the press under the protection of the TRO,” [nypost.com]
Criminals posing as the press will result in the exact state sanctioned credentials (and eventual control) you claim to be opposed to.
(Score: 4, Informative) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday August 04 2020, @03:27AM
The DOJ is making claims in your article, but the judge is not buying their bullshit.
They should try presenting evidence, I've heard that helps in court.
You should be careful of that William Barr, he won't rest until he has a (Republican) king in the White House.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:58AM
Reading cyrillic script is not very usual across the Anglosphere. That's why RT provide translations for their minions.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @01:18AM
Those [youtube.com] are not [twitter.com]
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @01:02AM
No, just pissing on a few persons is enough. Something like that:
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Monday August 03 2020, @09:41PM (7 children)
And these are the folks who want us to trust them to regulate online speech....
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:36AM (4 children)
I'd trust them more than who the last administration hired to regulate online speech. [catbox.moe]
The Electronic Frontier Foundation set it up. If you asked the EFF to help get the word out, you became a target. They would scan through your social media history to find something to get you fired for, or you would get #metoo'd [ibiblio.org].
It wasn't only the USA doing this. [catbox.moe]
And they deliberately used the World Jewish Congress [hiddenmysteries.org] (which is an organized crime ring [hiddenmysteries.org] that favors Russia over the United States [hiddenmysteries.org]) as frontmen so that they could tell their security agencies to be on the lookout for any white supremacists talking about "The Jews" and shut them down. This is illegal in both the USA and Britain, but they did it anyways.
And if that wasn't enough, British agents [foundationcenter.org] operating inside the White House [georgetown.edu] took over the Anti-Defamation League [timesofisrael.com], gave it away to their Saudi and Qatari partners [catbox.moe], and used it for propaganda [knowyourmeme.com] against Britain's political enemies (i.e., Americans).
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:42AM (3 children)
Alex Jones, Is that you?
(Score: 4, Interesting) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday August 04 2020, @03:31AM (2 children)
I don't think Alex Jones is stupid enough to post a link to a site called "The HiddenMysteries.org" and expect another adult to take him seri
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday August 04 2020, @03:32AM
*seriously.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @06:04AM
Yeah, you're probably right. It was probably one of those "crisis actors" from Sandy Hook [wikipedia.org]. They still need to make money and there hasn't been a mass shooting in weeks!
(Score: 1, Troll) by shortscreen on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:22PM (1 child)
That's Ronnie's line.
It's the virtue signaling crowd that want it to be regulated at all, and by corporations themselves.
Government bad, corporations good? Are you turning Republican? Maybe you should change your name to RipePrimate.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Aegis on Tuesday August 04 2020, @02:34PM
I'm not the one trying to repeal Section 230 protections for websites...
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Frosty Piss on Monday August 03 2020, @10:02PM (5 children)
It’s unlikely they have stopped collecting intel on reporters.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 03 2020, @11:23PM (1 child)
It's really easy... Watch CNN to see the news r̶e̶p̶o̶r̶t̶e̶r̶s̶ traitors
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @03:56PM
Yes, those news reporters are enemies of the people. We should have a cultural revolution to purge the traitors. It's worked so well in the past in China, and Russia, and Turkey, and ...
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Monday August 03 2020, @11:47PM
no they have shut down the program, and reassigned all staff.. on paper.
none of the staff noticed, except their cost centers all changed.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:08AM
intel is dead, dude.
These days they collect Ryzen.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Tuesday August 04 2020, @02:19PM
Now there's no mass data collection on journalists. It's been replaced by mass data collection on everybody instead.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Monday August 03 2020, @10:43PM
Wouldn't surprise me. All they do is read what comes off the wire
So what new name did they give it?
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Monday August 03 2020, @11:15PM (13 children)
They were doing the same thing to reporters and activists involved with immigration issues on the border. I was opposed to that crap then, and I have to side with the ACLU this time.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/3/7/18254668/us-government-southern-border-dossiers-journalists-lawyers-activists-migrants [vox.com]
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/u-s-officials-made-list-reporters-lawyers-activists-question-border-n980301 [nbcnews.com]
https://soto.house.gov/media/in-the-news/homeland-security-investigating-immigration-officials-secret-list-journalists [house.gov]
The only questions asked of anyone at the border should involve citizenship status, and whether you have anything to declare. No one should have to surrender their electronic gear, or suffer hours of questioning regarding political beliefs.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 03 2020, @11:26PM (3 children)
Glad to hear you care about some of the fascism. As usual it seems to only be for the fascism which might inconvenience yourself, but hey we'll take it.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:15AM (2 children)
Uhhhhh - how does this benefit me specifically? I don't anticipate crossing the border any time soon - and at my age, if it isn't soon, I probably won't be doing it at all. Nor am I a participant in the ongoing riots or demonstrations. I don't gain anything, personally.
When the border surveillance came to light, I took a stand for justice, and freedom of the press. I'm doing the same thing here. It's almost like there's a theme here, maybe? Gubbermint doesn't get to tell the press what the press may or may not do. Gubbermint doesn't determine what is newsworthy. Gubbermint has to respect the Bill of Rights, even when it's inconvenient to do so.
As for the fascists, I still oppose ANTIFA and the Social Justice Warriors who insist that they have some moral high ground, from which to dictate how we should all talk, and how we should act. The only difference between DHS and Antifa is, DHS has power through legislation, and Antifa has no legislative backing. They're all douchebags.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:49AM
Actually, you gain quite a lot. Bolstering the First Amendment helps all of us. You included.
Allowing the state to spy on journalists would have a chilling effect on the free press. Whoever that press may be.
If it's news outlets whose editorial pages annoy you now, it could be those whose editorial pages you like in the next administration. The important part is that it's antithetical to the ideals of our democratic republic. Or don't you care about that?
Once more.
That benefits *everyone*. Even you, Runaway.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @10:08PM
It is because you can hypothetically put yourself in a situation where it would affect you. You are still lumping in people you don't like with rioters and nonsense labels for liberals so you don't have to feel back about government fascism violating people's constitutional rights.
I keep giving you opportunities to make better choices, yet you stubbornly refuse to let go of the propaganda that has programmed your brain.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Ethanol-fueled on Monday August 03 2020, @11:52PM (8 children)
ACLU back in the day were noble people who took a stand for unpopular opinions. Now, like the EFF and Mozilla Foundation, they're just Soros-funded partisan hacks. Lemme guess, you also think Snopes and the Huffington Post are gospel?
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:18AM (7 children)
I'll disagree, to some extent, with your characterization. The ACLU has always been a bunch of crazies, who don't much like government. I really think they are closet anarchists. Back in the day, they were right two times out of three, then it went to one time out of three, then one time out of four.
They still get something right often enough to be worth paying attention to. But they are slipping toward the Dark Side. I do believe that Darth Vader works in one of their back offices, away from the light of day.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Thexalon on Tuesday August 04 2020, @01:30PM (6 children)
The ACLU are die-hard supporters of the First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments in particular.
They started out defending communists, union organizers, and other left-wing types in court, because nobody else would and the government was routinely arresting those sorts for saying things that major businesses didn't like.
They've been consistent about those positions, famously defending the American Nazi Party's right to march.
If you've decided that the rights of citizens to speak their mind without being searched and harassed and arrested by the government is partisan hackery, then that says something about where you stand on the whole democracy thing.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @01:44PM
Your examples are over 40 years past.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday August 04 2020, @06:24PM (4 children)
Democracy. There are times when I think it might be nice to live in a democracy. Hey, it would be nice to try it once, so that I knew what it was like. Alas, all US citizens live in a REPUBLIC. Not a democracy, but a repupblic.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Tuesday August 04 2020, @06:42PM (3 children)
Regardless of "democracy" versus "republic", if you don't believe that citizens should have the right to say what they would like to about the government without that government being able to use violence to stop them, then what you're a backer of is not a democracy or a republic, but instead a dictatorship or oligarchy.
To put it in the form of a joke Ronald Reagan told back in the 80's:
American: "I can go up to the White House and shout 'I don't like Reagan!'"
Russian: "So? I can go up to the Kremlin and shout 'I don't like Reagan!'"
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @10:04PM
Runaway LIKES the fascism because it is hurting the people he doesn't like. That is why he puts forth such a naive rebuttal. There is no reaching him with logic, he is emotionally compromised so it will require someone who can engage him on a proper emotional level to make him see his hypocrisy. After that it will require constant reminders and a change from his breitbart/fox/whatever propaganda sources to keep him from devolving.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday August 05 2020, @01:13AM (1 child)
Thexalon doesn't know it, but he's hosting a party for 100 people in his house this evening. They are "mostly peaceful" partiers. A couple guys are expected to bring commercial grade fireworks, heavy duty lasers, maybe a couple of guns, and demolition tools. If Thexalon tries to prevent this party, does that make him a fascist?
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Wednesday August 05 2020, @05:11PM
Hey, that sounds like a couple weekends ago out in my neighborhood, except for the "everybody at my place" part: Normally, it's different crews setting off the fireworks vs shooting a few rounds off vs playing with lasers. (Last weekend was rainy, otherwise it would have been similar.) And if they really want to demolish something, there are better targets around, really that would be much more fun.
You scare really easily.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 4, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:36AM
Why are we stopping this very important program?
We all know that "journalists" are the Enemy of the people [thehill.com]!
As such, we need to watch them very closely, tap their phones, read their emails and surveil their traitorous asses until we can put each and every one of these scum who hate America into Gitmo and throw away the key!
I don't understand why our glorious leader doesn't just sign an executive order abolishing any "news" outlet that doesn't
slavishly heap praise upon his majesty, Donald J. Trumptell the truth!That DHS director needs do gain some weight, preferably two lead slugs in the back of the head, and be replaced with a
sycophant with his tongue up Trump's ass*real* American!Death to the enemies of America! Death to the press! Why won't anyone send a pipe bomb to CNN? Oh, wait...
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @02:32PM
propagandists?
The most popular news providers are subsidiaries of business's that have budgets larger than many nations. While they make an effort to appear harmless they use some pretty abusive techniques if you actually pay attention to the psychology behind their delivery systems.
Personally I don't consider the unholy trinity of cabal news to be the "press". Rather I consider them quasi state propagandists. I don't care if they are right half the time. The way they do what they do, pretty much cancels out any credibility IMHO.
Propaganda is speech too, so it really doesn't matter from a civil rights standpoint. But companies aren't people, and the messages some of these organizations flub aren't candid. So it really comes back to the corporate speech issue.