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Recently unsealed records reveal a much more extensive secret relationship than previously known between the FBI and Best Buy's Geek Squad, including evidence the agency trained company technicians on law-enforcement operational tactics, shared lists of targeted citizens and, to covertly increase surveillance of the public, encouraged searches of computers even when unrelated to a customer's request for repairs.
To sidestep the U.S. Constitution's prohibition against warrantless invasions of private property, federal prosecutors and FBI officials have argued that Geek Squad employees accidentally find and report, for example, potential child pornography on customers' computers without any prodding by the government. Assistant United States Attorney M. Anthony Brown last year labeled allegations of a hidden partnership as "wild speculation." But more than a dozen summaries of FBI memoranda filed inside Orange County's Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse this month in USA v. Mark Rettenmaier contradict the official line.
One agency communication about Geek Squad supervisor Justin Meade noted, "Agent assignments have been reviewed and are appropriate for operation of this source," that the paid informant "continues to provide valuable information on [child pornography] matters" and has "value due to his unique or potential access to FBI priority targets or intelligence responsive to FBI national and/or local collection."
Other records show how Meade's job gave him "excellent and frequent" access for "several years" to computers belonging to unwitting Best Buy customers, though agents considered him "underutilized" and wanted him "tasked" to search devices "on a more consistent basis."
Step 1: Put child porn on target's computer
Step 2: Report target to FBI
Step 3: Collect $500 bounty
Profit!!!
Previously on SoylentNews: Cooperation Alleged Between Best Buy and the FBI
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday March 12 2017, @05:35AM (3 children)
I know a lot of you IT guys have seen this... the money-men have no problem paying $600/hour for legal help, but balk at $60/hour for their computers.
IMHO, it's two reasons. First, you can be burned by bad legal protection in a way that bad IT protection can't match with jail sentences and enormous fines. There's no news stories about someone spending a few decades in jail just because they had an easy to guess password. But we do hear routinely hear of innocent people spending decades in jail because they had bad lawyers. Frequently, you can move on or sell out after making bad IT decisions so the trouble doesn't stick to you. Legal trouble isn't so easy to escape.
Second, they probably understand the legal world (or at least the rules for keeping themselves out of trouble) much better than they understand the strange boxes on their desk.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday March 12 2017, @05:51AM
You're right - but!
If you're somewhat trusted IT guy is putting child porn on your computer so that he can collect a bounty when he calls the FBI, you're pretty forked. LMAO, it's really funny, if you think about it. Again, you're right, but IT can burn every one of those executives, but the executives are too dumb to realize that.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 12 2017, @05:59AM (1 child)
someone spending a few decades in jail just because they had an easy to guess password
Maybe this should happen. Not over just any easy to guess password. These hacks in the news all the time should result in criminal negligence charges. Of course, there'd need to be a way to pierce the corporate veil as well.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Sunday March 12 2017, @06:07AM
Of course, there'd need to be a way to pierce the corporate veil as well.
The corporate veil is not a magic get-out-of-jail-free card and it applies to shareholders, not corporate officers actually responsible for the actions of the corporation.