Showing posts with label Net Neutrality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Net Neutrality. Show all posts

Sunday, March 8, 2015

The Council Has Spoken!! Our Watcher’s Council Results – 03.06.15

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The Council has spoken, the votes have been cast, and the results are in for this week’s Watcher’s Council match up.

“Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thought-crime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it. “ – George Orwell’s 1984

“Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.” – Jim Morrison of The Doors

“The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” - Malcolm X

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This week’s winning essay, The Noisy Room’s – Net Neutrality: “Young fool … Only now, at the end, do you understand” takes apart the Obama dominated FCC’s plans to ‘regulate’ the Internet and turn it int0 something unrecognizable. Here’s a slice:

We keep hearing, from the saviors in Washington, DC, how government regulation is the answer and how “evil monopolies” (created, incidentally, by other government regulations) are responsible for all our trials and tribulations and the “fundamental unfairness” of the Internet as she is currently wrote.

Obligatory movie quote:

“No. No government. I know those people. Absolutely not.” – Col. Ira Kane

Yeah, it’s a movie. It’s also absolutely right.

The founder of Broadcast.com, Mark Cuban, has recently been vociferous in his opposition to so-called “Net Neutrality” with his most recent public appearance on the subject in an interview where he breaks it down. His effort to “plain-language” the argument notwithstanding, and frankly, it’s a subject that should not be oversimplified, he laid out the unintended consequences dominoes and how this “everything is equal” push plays out in terms of common services.

Now, you might want to shrug Mark Cuban off as “some rich guy who owns a sports team” and clearly that’s being done a lot, but don’t forget how he got rich: he pioneered live broadcasting over the Internet. He’s not some political hack, evil cable company exec, or mushy thinking me-too “fairness uber alles” flag waver. He is, for once, someone who knows what the hell he’s talking about.

Net Neutrality, like so many political labels, is a “fair sounding” name that hides the actual motives and consequences of the real world implementations we will experience after the seemingly inevitable adoption of this latest government overreach.

It won’t be fair. It won’t be optimum. And the right answer will never even be mentioned, never mind entertained: deregulate the cable and broadband space to eliminate the protected monopolies.

The broadband space needs more competition, not less; needs less regulation, not more. Companies like Google laying fiber? Cox, AT&T, Verizon and Comcast suddenly no longer have a free pass.

Otherwise? The cynical and dystopian view?

One of the unavoidable dominoes will be broad censorship. Once the deprioritization of broadcast packets leads to the epic traffic jam that will reduce the Web’s US speeds to worse than those found in Europe, the government of the day will, once again, have to “save us” from this “unforseen” outcome and their clever plan will include limiting who can “legitimately” have bandwidth preferences, since clearly “legitimate” news outlets need to bypass the buffering jams that will afflict TV signaling and once dot-gov starts adjudicating who’s a “real” news or other “essential” service, licensing will naturally follow, and then “standards” of what is “acceptable” traffic.

At which point, whichever political party is in power at that time will have the distinct advantage of licensing whomever they deem to be more politically correct in their eyes. “Neutrality” on the ‘Net? Yeah, not so much.

We’re in the hands of fools and corrupt bureaucrats. Last Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission held a faux meeting on open Internet rules and access to broadband Internet. Commissioner Ajit Pai made a statement before the FCC vote to take unprecedented control over the internet with a secret plan. Yes, secret. Secret as in no exposure to the public or Congress prior to its enactment. What follows is the transcript of his comments – in echoes of Obamacare, this had to pass before we could know what was in it. Except, they are still keeping it under wraps. It must be very, very bad indeed.

From Breitbart:

“The Wall Street Journal reports that it was developed through ‘an unusual secretive effort inside the White House.’ Indeed, White House officials, according to the Journal, functioned as a parallel version of the FCC. Their work led to the president’s announcement in November of his plan for internet regulation, a plan which the report says blindsided the FCC and swept aside months of work by Chairman Wheeler toward a compromise. Now, of course, a few insiders were clued in about what was transpiring. Here’s what a leader for the government-funded group Fight for the Future had to say, ‘We’ve been hearing for weeks from our allies in D.C that the only thing that could stop FCC chairman Tom Wheeler from moving ahead with his sham proposal to gut net neutrality was if we could get the president to step in. So we did everything in our power to make that happen. We took the gloves off and played hard, and now we get to celebrate a sweet victory. Congratulations. what the press has called the parallel FCC at the White House opened its door to a plethora of special interest activists. Daily Kos, Demand Progress, Fight for the Future, Free Press, and Public Knowledge, just to name a few. Indeed, even before activists were blocking the chairman’s driveway late last year, some of them had met with executive branch officials.

“But what about the rest of the American people? They certainly couldn’t get White House meetings. They were shut out of the process altogether. They were being played for fools. And the situation didn’t improve once the White House announced President Obama’s plan, and ‘asked’ the FCC to implement it. The document in front of us today differs dramatically from the proposal that the FCC put out for comment last May, and it differs so dramatically that even zealous net neutrality advocates frantically rushed in, in recent days, to make last-minute filings, registering their concerns that the FCC might be going too far. Yet, the American people, to this day, have not been allowed to see President Obama’s plan. It has remained hidden.

“Especially given the unique importance of the internet, Commissioner O’Rielly and I ask for the plan to be released to the public. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune and House of Representatives Chairman did the same. According to a survey last week by a respected democratic polling firm, 79% of the American people favored making the document public. Still, the FCC has insisted on keeping it behind closed doors. We have to pass President Obama’s 317-page plan so the American people can find out what’s in it. This isn’t how the FCC should operate. We should be an independent agency making decisions in a transparent manner based on the law and the facts in the record.

“We shouldn’t be a rubber stamp for political decisions made by the White House. And we should have released this plan to the public, solicited their feedback, incorporated that input into the plan, and then proceeded to a vote. There was no need for us to resolve this matter today. There is no immediate crisis in the internet marketplace that demands immediate action. now. The backers of the president’s plan know this. But they also know that the details of this plan cannot stand up to the light of day. They know that the more the American people learn about it, the less they will like it. That is why this plan was developed behind closed doors at the White House. And that is why the plan has remained hidden from public view.

“These aren’t my only concerns. Even a cursory look at the plan reveals glaring legal plans that are sure to mire the agency in the muck of litigation for a long, long time. but rather than address them today, I will reserve them for my written statement. At the beginning of this proceeding, I quoted Google’s former CEO, who once said, the internet is the first thing that humanity has built, that humanity doesn’t understand. This proceeding makes it abundantly clear that the FCC still doesn’t get it. but the American people clearly do. The proposed government regulation of the internet has awakened a sleeping giant. I’m optimistic we’ll look back on today’s vote as a temporary deviation from the bipartisan consensus that’s served us so well. I don’t know whether this plan will be vacated by a court, reversed by Congress, or overturned by a future commission, But I do believe its days are numbered. For all of those reasons, I dissent.”

More at the link.

In our non-Council category, the winner was Jim DeMint in the Daily Signal with If Not Now … When? Will the GOP Majority Ever Stand for Anything? submitted by Ask Marion . As the man who, along with Sarah Palin was pretty much responsible for the victory in the 2010 midterms that resurrected he GOP from the grave, Deb Mint is definitely in a position to look at the Republicans in Congress today and wonder if they stand for anything.

After lying to their supporters again in 2014 about how they would dismantle President Obama’s radical agenda and being rewarded with majorities in both houses of Congress, they’ve reneged on everything they said they would do at election time. Can they ever be trusted again? Do read it.

Here are this week’s full results:

Council Winners
Non-Council Winners

See you next week!

Make sure to tune in every Monday for the Watcher’s Forum. and every  Tuesday morning, when we reveal the weeks’ nominees for Weasel of the Week!

And remember, every Wednesday, the Council has its weekly contest with the members nominating two posts each, one written by themselves and one written by someone from outside the group for consideration by the whole Council. The votes are cast by the Council, and the results are posted on Friday morning.

It’s a weekly magazine of some of the best stuff written in the blogosphere, and you won’t want to miss it...or any of the other fantabulous Watcher’s Council content.

And don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter..’cause we’re cool like that, y’know?

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Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Forum: What Is Your Opinion Of the New Proposed Internet Rules President Obama Wants The FCC To Impose?

Every week on Monday morning , the Council and our invited guests weigh in at the Watcher’s Forum, short takes on a major issue of the day, the culture, or daily living. This week’s question: What Is Your Opinion Of the New Proposed Internet Rules President Obama Wants The FCC To Impose?

The Independent Sentinel : It’s the government getting its tentacles into one more thing.

It gives companies immunity when they share our data. We no longer have privacy protections from the government in the name of security. The government will freely share our information among government agencies.

The government claims the information-sharing system would not put privacy at risk as the information disclosed will principally concern the method of attack on computer data and systems, rather than its content.

Who trusts them?

Why do they need these rules when they can already do it? Is it just a way of bullying companies into doing it more readily? They have been resistant.

According to the Guardian, “it would criminalize the overseas sale of stolen US financial information like credit card and bank account numbers, would expand federal law enforcement authority to deter the sale of spyware used to stalk or commit ID theft, and would give courts the authority to shut down botnets engaged in distributed denial of service attacks and other criminal activity.”

Meanwhile, our government won’t allow illegal immigrants to be charged or held if they steal IDs.

There will be more consumer notifications pushed on companies who become aware of breaches but they already notify consumers. It’s more regulation and more expense that will be passed down to consumers.

The bill is vague and will be misinterpreted.

Laura Rambeau Lee, Right Reason: If we have learned anything with this administration, what they say and what we get are diametrically opposed. The Affordable Care Act has proven unaffordable for many. President Obama wants the FCC to reclassify the internet under Title II of the Telecommunications Act and extend that regulation to mobile broadband service as well. Net neutrality will not lead to a fairer, more open and free internet as the president promises. As Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz stated: “Net neutrality puts the government in charge of determining Internet pricing, terms of service, and what types of products and services can be delivered, leading to fewer choices, fewer opportunities, and higher prices for consumers.” I believe that about sums it up.

The internet has been working very well in a free market system. If we want to keep an affordable, free, and open internet, we must keep government out of it.

The Glittering Eye : I’m not sure how to answer the question. Perhaps the best way would be for me to state what I’m in favor of. First, a brief preface.

The Internet grew from developments by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for a computer network that could survive nuclear war. The Internet has succeeded because a) it was in the public domain, b) ICANN (the ultimate registrar of domain names) has been seen as apolitical and fair, c) it has largely been free of regulation and taxes, and d) the cost of entry was relatively low. Later that development was augmented by the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the University of Illinois’s computer science department.

Previous attempts at large scale computer networks whether public (in France) or private (by many companies) had failed. There is no reason to believe that any proprietary network would have succeeded.

I am unsympathetic to the complaints of the mega-service providers. In large part they enjoy the position of power they hold because of their government-granted monopolies. They have expended very little capital on research and development in their Internet service enterprises and have enjoyed substantial revenues with things as they are. That other companies, e.g. Google, Netflix, are making profits out of the Internet as it is is merely sour grapes on the part of the ISPs. If they demand more money from their investments on network infrastructure, minor relative to the revenues they’ve derived from them, they should meter bandwidth at the customer level and leave providers alone.

Consequently, I believe in network neutrality, that the Internet should be largely free of sales taxes, that it should remain predominantly uncensored, and that Time-Warner, Comcast, Verizon, AT&T, and so on should be regulated by the FCC. In particular I think that any business that has gained its present position as the result of government-granted monopoly should be kept out of the content business. I’m not sure where that puts me relative to the Obama Administration but that’s what I think.

JoshuaPundit: What government can regulate, it can control. And what it can control, it can tax. Ultimately, screwing yet more tax revenues out of the American people is a lot of what this is all about,and the fact that this president wants the FCC to impose these new proposed rules without congressional oversight while it has a  majority of his appointees who took their seats while he had a congressional majority tells me all I need to know.

The other major part of what this is about is censorship and control of content. This president is also not only hyper-partisan but a long time appeaser of Islamists, and he has already said that he is going to ‘fight the media ‘  and the nation’s journalism community when it is planning to publish anti-jihadi articles,using the lame excuse that he is suddenly concerned about the welfare of the same troops overseas whose lives he has endangered with ridiculous Rules of Engagement and his illegal wars. Rest assured that very selective censorship in a great many areas will be the order of the day if he gets his way.

Ask Marion: On Thursday 01.15.15 the White House said legislation was not necessary to settle the “net neutrality” rules issue because the Federal Communications Commission had the authority to write them. And President Obama’s rallying cry this past week has been… ‘Everyone deserves free Internet’. Beware of politicians bearing free gifts!!!

Quick Background:

What actually is at immediate stake here is what rules should govern how Internet service providers (ISPs) manage web traffic on their networks to ensure they treat all Internet content fairly. At the heart of the latest phase in the debate over the rules is what legal authority should guide those regulations.

Obama is urging the FCC to regulate ISPs more strictly under a section of communications law known as Title II, treating them more like public utilities. The broadband companies adamantly oppose this plan, saying the added regulatory burden would reduce investment and stifle innovation in their industry.

The Republican chairmen of the Senate and House commerce committees, John Thune and Fred Upton, have been working to strike a legislative deal with Democrats that would adopt some of the same net neutrality principles but without resorting to Title II.

Late on Wednesday, Thune released a list of the net neutrality principles he would pursue, which closely echoed Obama’s, such as bans on blocking or throttling of websites.

While some Republicans have also sought a delay in the FCC’s vote to establish new net neutrality rules, planned for February 26th, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has indicated no interest in a change or delay.

“Chairman Wheeler believes it is important to move forward as quickly as possible to protect consumers, innovation and competition online,” FCC spokeswoman Kim Hart said in a statement.

Evoking net-neutrality and expanding the scope and power the FCC has been on the Obama administrations’ radar since day one and now that they are in their final two years, the administration has entered their complete lawless phase. So controlling communication is high on their agenda. It is all about control and these changes are just the tip of the iceberg. Censorship; monitoring newsrooms; and taking control of every aspect of communication… newspapers, radio, TV, Internet, news outlets, textbooks, movies, even art, plus the services that support them have been on Obama’s list since 2009, when both minority groups and Democrats questioned net neutrality.

The Republicans in Congress are in favor of a net neutrality law as long as the federal government doesn’t handle it, so are trying to drum up support for a bill that would counter the FCC’s upcoming new rules. But after the Obama administration’s comments getting Democrats on board could be difficult.

The proposed bill attempts to offer a compromise between hard-line opponents of net neutrality and the larger changes preferred by President Obama and many progressive activists. It would modify the Communications Act of 1934, adding the basic elements of the FCC’s “open internet” plan. That includes the following major points:

The proposed bill attempts to offer a compromise between hard-line opponents of net neutrality and the larger changes preferred by President Obama and many progressive activists. It would modify the Communications Act of 1934, adding the basic elements of the FCC’s “open internet” plan. That includes the following major points:

No blocking of lawful services on a network
No prohibiting the use of non-harmful devices
No traffic throttling — except for “reasonable network management,” it would be illegal to slow or degrade any site or service
No paid prioritization
Transparency requirements for ISPs

Much of the language for this bill was lifted directly from the FCC’s 2010 Open Internet Order, which was thrown out in court last year?!? It includes less-than-ideal exceptions for network management and “specialized services” like VoIP, but it settles a major point of contention in Wheeler’s proposal by banning paid prioritization, which would have allowed ISPs to offer faster service for companies that paid more. In some ways, it’s exactly what net neutrality supporters have been asking for, although the advocacy group Public Knowledge has expressed concerns about how strong its protections would be in practice.

A crucial point is that the bill adds all of this to Title I of the Communications Act, classifying broadband as an “information service.” Title I services are regulated more lightly than Title II “common carriers” like telephone companies. The last FCC net neutrality framework plan was struck down because it came too close to making rules that only Title II allows:

“In terms of legislation, we don’t believe it’s necessary given that the FCC has the authorities that it needs under Title II,” said a White House official. “However, we always remain open to working with anyone who shares the president’s goal of fully preserving a free and open internet now and into the future.”

Of course in reality, preserving a free and open Internet is the opposite of the this administration’s goal and we all should have learned by know that anything regulated and run by the government makes it and us less free. In fact, in March of 2014 ICANN and the US government announced their intention to relinquish control of the Internet to the UN by 2015, so there is much more to this plan than just a few rule changes! Anything turned over to the United Nations brings us just us one step closer to globalization and the ruling elite’s goal of a New World Order which will definitely make us all less free.

Everyone deserves free Internet. Sounds good until you remember… you can’t have both freedom of speech and big government that controls the media… It is a choice!! And it not only won’t be free, it will more expensive for everyone. We (you) will all be paying for everyone’s Internet service plus the government bureaucracy that will run it.

Pay attention America, if government controls the media… TV, radio, the Internet… your free speech stops and the attempt to take over media and your information will be even easier and more blatant than it already is…

My feeling, like always, is less government involvement is always best!

Well, there you have it!

Make sure to tune in every Monday for the Watcher’s Forum. and every  Tuesday morning, when we reveal the weeks’ nominees for Weasel of the Week!

And remember, every Wednesday, the Council has its weekly contest with the members nominating two posts each, one written by themselves and one written by someone from outside the group for consideration by the whole Council. The votes are cast by the Council, and the results are posted on Friday morning.

It’s a weekly magazine of some of the best stuff written in the blogosphere, and you won’t want to miss it...or any of the other fantabulous Watcher’s Council content.

And don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter..’cause we’re cool like that, y’know?

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Thursday, February 20, 2014

FCC Plan For Newsroom Monitors Sparks Constitutional Concern As FCC Plans to Issue New 'Net Neutrality' Rules… Wake Up America

Video: Is Government Going To Control What News You See & Hear - Obama Admin Attack On First Amendment

Is Government Going To Control What News You See & Hear?  The Obama Administration is attacking our First Amendment - Special Report  -->  Wake The Hell Up America…  And as a reminder, the Second Amendment is there to protect First Amendment

By Marion Algier – Ask Marion

Greta Van Susteren is outraged on the February 19th when this fame to light and discuss with a panel: Byron York, Karen Tumulty (WaPo) & AB Stoddard

Byron York mentions an article on Feb 10, by a Republican FCC commissioner, Ajit Pai: on The FCC Wades Into the Newsroom at WSJ.com and another attempt at Net Neutrality.

She asks the question: Who thought this was a good idea?

Video: Obama's News Police - WH Pushes FCC To Install Newsroom Spies - Attack On First Amendment

Video: News Police Exposed - Obama Admin Pushes FCC To Install Newsroom Spies - On The Record

Video: Renee Ellmers: Plan to put monitors in newsrooms is latest attempt by Obama Admin to trample

Former Fox host Glenn Beck warned that this would be coming back in 2009!  Obama’s former FCC Czar admired Hugo Chavez & Wanted To Emulate Venezuela’s Control of Speech & Communication~

FCC Plans to Issue New 'Net Neutrality' Rules

Cables and routers at a Comcast distribution center where the Comcast regional video, high speed data and voice are piped out to customers on Feb. 13, 2014 in Miramar, Fla. Getty Images

WSJ:  WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday it would again issue rules to prevent Internet service providers from blocking or slowing down access to content providers that don't pay a toll to reach consumers.

However, analysts said the rules could open the door for broadband providers to cut deals with content companies like Netflix Inc. NFLX -1.97% or Google Inc. GOOG -0.71% to give their products some kind of advantage, either though speed or prominent placement.

The FCC's announcement means it doesn't plan to reclassify broadband as a public utility at present, as Democrats and public-interest groups had urged. Doing so would give the FCC much greater authority to set rules for broadband providers.

Supporters say treating all Internet traffic equally, a concept known as net neutrality, is crucial to keeping the Internet open and allowing smaller companies to compete with the biggest content providers. But the courts have ruled against the FCC's previous attempts to enforce net neutrality on companies like Comcast Corp. CMCSA -3.66% and Verizon Communications Inc. VZ +1.20% that provide Internet connections to households and businesses.

Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit threw out FCC rules barring providers from blocking or slowing down websites, but it acknowledged the FCC has some authority to regulate broadband-company practices under a section of the 1996 Telecommunications Act that gives it broad authority to encourage U.S. broadband service.

The FCC said Wednesday it won't appeal the D.C. Circuit's ruling. Instead, it plans to take advantage of Section 706, of the law to propose new rules in the late spring or early summer, after soliciting public comment.

"The FCC must stand strongly behind its responsibility to oversee the public interest standard and ensure that the Internet remains open and fair," FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said in a statement. "The Internet is and must remain the greatest engine of free expression, innovation, economic growth and opportunity the world has ever known."

The court said in January that the FCC could impose a "no blocking" rule if it found a different legal justification. Mr. Wheeler's statement indicates the FCC will do just that, by establishing a minimum standard for how broadband companies treat content. The rules would likely outline expectations and unacceptable practices for broadband providers, and provide for case-by-case enforcement when websites complain of unfair discrimination.

Analysts said the new rules could pave the way for deals between Internet providers and content companies to carry their content to consumers at higher speeds. Paul Gallant, a telecom policy analyst at Guggenheim Securities, said his reading of the commission's principles is that the agency is more likely to focus on policing anti-competitive conduct than on discouraging the content deals.

"I think the FCC will be inclined to permit voluntary paid prioritization deals," he said.

Even with that caveat, Republicans are opposed to the new proposed rules. "I am deeply concerned by the announcement that the FCC will begin considering new ways to regulate the Internet," FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly said. "The Obama administration refuses to abandon its furious pursuit of these harmful policies to put government in charge of the Web," House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R., Mich.) and Rep. Greg Walden (R., Ore.) said in a statement.

Any rules would have to be approved by a vote of the five-member commission, which includes three Democrats and two Republicans.

Net neutrality supporters, however, were disappointed with the FCC's decision not to reclassify broadband Internet as a public utility, which they had argued was the only way to make the rules stand up in court.

Andy Schwartzman, a telecom lawyer and adviser to the anti-media consolidation group Free Press, said not reclassifying broadband "would be repeating the biggest mistake" made during prior efforts by former FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.

Broadband providers have argued that reclassification would be disastrous for the industry because it would subject them to regulations designed for the landline phone system. "We think reclassification would probably be the ultimate death of the broadband market," Comcast Executive Vice President David Cohen said in an interview last week. "We think it would dry up private investment and destroy all the gains made in the broadband market in the U.S."

Cohen's comments were made in the context of his company's bid to acquire Time Warner Cable Inc. TWC -2.75% Comcast has already agreed to abide by the FCC's net neutrality rules, even though they were struck down in court, as part of its acquisition of NBC-Universal in 2011. Comcast has also agreed to extend the agreement to Time Warner Cable Inc. subscribers if that acquisition is approved.

Mr. Wheeler has left the reclassification option open for now, which could serve as a deterrent for broadband providers seeking to challenge the rules in court again.

A Verizon spokesman said the company said it wouldn't appeal last month's court ruling, and that it is too early to determine whether it would challenge the FCC's latest rules.

As part of the process, the FCC will also examine ways to encourage competition in the broadband market. That could include removing legal restrictions that prevent cities and towns from building their own broadband or Wi-Fi networks. 

The Rewards Of ‘Cooperation’ With The NSA – Verizon Given Huge Federal Contract

FCC Plan For Newsroom Monitors Sparks Constitutional Concern - Wake Up America - America's Newsroom

Sekulow explains this very well - FCC gives license to broadcasters, but the FCC is also doing this for newspapers which do not come under the authority of the FCC.

Video (Martha McCallum with Jordan Sekulow): FCC Plan For Newsroom Monitors Sparks Constitutional Concern - Wake Up America - America's Newsroom

Audio: RUSH: Media Wouldn’t Oppose Regime Monitors In Newsrooms

RUSH/EIB: It’s clear the Regime thought they could get away with doing this this time. Hugo Chavez used to do things like this all the time. Now, here’s the question. Let’s just go hypothetically here. Let’s say that Adweek did not discover the study has been suspended. Let’s say it’s gonna go forward. At some point, they’re gonna try it. Will major American media organizations stand up and righteously, indignantly oppose this?

I can make the case that I don’t think they would.  Most people think instinctively, reflexively, the media not gonna put up with it something like that.  “No way! You’re gonna have a government monitor in my newsroom? You’re gonna be quote/unquote ‘monitoring’ the stories I choose to cover and the stories I don’t want to cover, and you are gonna be cataloging what you think is my bias?  No way, pal!”  But I can see where, given the current circumstances that exist today, they wouldn’t oppose it. 

In fact, I could make the case to you that they would welcome it.  I explained this to Snerdley today.  He could not believe me.  He did not believe that I was being serious.  “You’re joking,” he said.  No.  I can make the case where journalism schools would not oppose it but instead will support it — and I’ll bet I could make the case to you, given current circumstances.  I think the media might look at it as an opportunity to get even closer to Obama.  I think some might look at it as a way of impressing Obama. Read more HERE

Video: FCC Proposes Initiative To Study How Journalists Operate - Attack On First Amendment?  

Video: WaPo Reporter: Plan to put monitors in newsrooms is like ATF walking into a gunshop

Judge Andrew Napolitano’s head is exploding -!!! Chilling!  The Judge explains where it came from: the White House instructions to FCC.  Freedom of the press is guaranteed in first amendment.  This is a radical new era of tyranny in the White House says the judge.  Currently it is voluntary but Judge Nap says that would eventually change. Allowing this another camel’s nose under the tent situation.  You and every journalist should be outraged!!

Video: Media Grilling - Does FCC Study Violate Freedom Of The Press? - Judge Andrew Napolitano F&F

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Thursday, May 10, 2012

FCC takes calls to pull Fox's broadcast licenses 'very seriously'

By Brendan Sasso - 05/09/12 05:25 PM ET  -  The Hillicon

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski testified Wednesday that his agency takes calls to cancel Fox's broadcast licenses "very seriously."

Groups, including Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), have urged the FCC to pull Fox's licenses because of evidence that its parent company News Corp. hacked people's phones in the United Kingdom to get stories.

During a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) pressed Genachowski on whether he plans to do anything about the allegations.

Genachowski said it wouldn't be appropriate to comment on a specific case, but that the commission is "certainly aware of the serious issues that have been raised in the U.K."

He noted that the law requires that the FCC only grant broadcast licenses to people of "good character."

"If any issues arise, the commission has an obligation, we would take it very seriously, to look at the record, look at the facts and apply the law," Genachowski said.

A British parliamentary committee ruled earlier this month that News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch is "not fit" to run an international media company because of the phone hacking scandal.

News Corp. owns 27 Fox stations in the United States.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, wrote to the British committee probing the scandal earlier this month, requesting that it provide any evidence of whether News Corp. violated any U.S. laws.

**If you want some kind of alternative news to the MSM big 3 time to call, fax or write in, in favor of Fox News and perhaps some of the one-sided slanted coverage, especially on NBC and ABC.**

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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Feds to Cut Off All TV and Radio Broadcasts on 11.09.11 - Is There a Connection Here? You Be the Judge…

DID YOU KNOW THE FEDS WILL TEMPORARILY CUT OFF ALL TV AND RADIO BROADCASTS ON NOV. 9th, 2011 (11.09.11)?

The Blaze: If you have ever wondered about the government’s ability to control the civilian airwaves, you will have your answer on November 9th.

On that day, federal authorities are going to shut off all television and radio communications simultaneously at 2:00PM EST to complete the first ever test of the national Emergency Alert System (EAS).

This isn’t a wild conspiracy theory. The upcoming test is posted on the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau website.

Only the President has the authority to activate EAS at the national level, and he has delegated that authority to the Director of FEMA.  The test will be conducted jointly by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through  FEMA, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS).

In essence, the authority to seize control of all television and civilian communication has been asserted by the executive branch and handed to a government agency.

The EAS has been around since 1994. Its precursor, the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS), started back in 1963.  Television and radio broadcasters, satellite radio and satellite television providers,  cable television and wireline video providers are all involved in the system.

So this begs the question: is the first ever national EAS test really a big deal?

Probably not. At least, not yet.

But there are some troubling factors all coming together right now that could conceivably trigger a real usage of the EAS system in the not too distant future.  A European financial collapse could bring down U.S. markets. What is now the “Occupy” movement could lead to widespread civil unrest. And there are ominous signs that radical groups such as Anonymous will attempt something major on November 5th- Guy Fawke’s day.

Now we know in the event of a major crisis, the American people will be told with one voice, at the same time, about an emergency.

All that’s left to determine is who will have control of the EAS when that day comes, and what their message will be.

THE STATE CAN ‘SEIZE CONTROL’ AND ‘THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO’: GLENN BECK WEIGHS IN ON NOV. 9TH EMERGENCY BROADCAST TEST

The Blaze recently reported that at 2 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 9th, The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission will conduct the first-ever national test of the Emergency Alert System, where radio and televised broadcasts across the country will be disrupted for roughly…three-and-half minutes:

“In essence, the authority to seize control of all television and civilian communication has been asserted by the executive branch and handed to a government agency,” wrote Buck Sexton in our earlier report.

During the upcoming test, an audio message will likely recite, “this is a test” while text at the top of the screen might read that an “Emergency Alert Notification has been issued.”

While emergency broadcast tests are typically used by state and local governments to issue severe weather alerts and other emergency information, there has never been a nationwide activation of the system before. Federal agencies cite the reasons for the national test are to ensure emergency preparedness and to pinpoint flaws in the new EAS system.

Meanwhile, the thought of the nation’s broadcast systems being completely cut off for nearly four minutes — in addition to broadcasters being stripped of control — has left many, including Glenn, feeling unsettled over who, exactly, will have power over our airwaves.

When speaking about the old EBS tests, Glenn said that it “didn’t take control away from the broadcaster.” The new system, however, “seizes control of the broadcast frequency.”

“If the state wants to take control…they can just take it and there is nothing I can do about it” Glenn stated.

Watch Glenn discuss these unsettling developments in the video HERE:

Seems There Are Going to be a lot of Unusual Things Going on Around that Time…  Is There a Connection Here? You Be the Judge…

From the Intel Hub
Massive Tsunami Drill Coincides With Continent Killer Asteroids Close Pass In November

Excerpt:

The following is to take place November 9 – 10, 2011 according to the International Tsunami Information Center — the conspiracy deepens:

9-10 November 2011: In August 2010, the PTWS Steering Committee (SC) met to discuss the progress of the PTWS during the intersessional period, including the next PTWS exercise. Considering the general objectives of PACWAVE08, the SC approved the PACWAVE Summary Report and requested Working Groups 2 and 3 (Tsunami Detection, Warning and Dissemination; Tsunami Awareness and Response) to cooperate in the preparation of an end-to-end communication exercise PACWAVE11 in November 2011. The actual evacuation of local communities (or parts of it) will be left to the decision of local or national authorities. A PTWS Exercises Task Team was formed, chaired by ITIC and New Zealand, to organize the exercise and elaborate on detailed scenarios.PacWave11 will be held on 9-10 November 2011 as a multi-scenario exercise that will allow all PTWS countries to exercise using a destructive local or regional tsunami scenario.  PacWave 11 will also be used to introduce new tsunami advisory products of the PTWC that were proposed by the PTWS Enhanced Tsunami Warning Products Task Team and approved by ICG/PTWS-XXIV. IOC Circular Letter 2390 was issued on 13 May 2011 announcing the exercise and requesting PTWS Countries to nominate a PacWave11 focal point.  IOC Manual and Guides 58 on How to Plan, Conduct, and Evaluate Tsunami Exercises was issued in July 2011.  The PacWave11 Exercise Manual (IOC TS 97) was published in August 2011.  UNESCO will issue a press release on 1 November 2011.

UN (UNESCO) Exercise Pacific Wave 11
There is a Naval Operation happening on Nov 9-10 called Exercise Pacific Wave 11,  to take place on Nov 9-10, 2011.

Exercise Pacific Wave 11
http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1686&Itemid=2333&lang=en
Letter from above site
http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/images/docs/ioc_cl_no.2390.pdf

Flyer for the exercise
http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/images/docs/pacwave11_flyer.pdf
Note this link at the bottom is where  you can download pdf files (also click the documents tab for more documents).

Exercise Pacific Wave 11. A Pacific-wide Tsunami Warning and Communication Exercise, 9–10 November 2011
http://www.ioc-cd.org/index.php?option=com_oe&task=viewEventRecord&eventID=998
This google document allows you to see the entire document, while the pdf file below I could only see the title page.
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:hwVUW_MiPq4J:unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002114/211498e.pdf+execise+pacific+wave+11&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjaJrzpgJU5CyMd28bUDXVifyrlHMGS83rSazE0Lt_A7pHnXHVRkcEieQh6tmpstPen73gzvlBb4esUUvoqcMU96qQeUCsE5Q2xM72MVFuJEsGt1-djuMqc79BX9jxi7cA-oTYv&sig=AHIEtbQ6eVIZDGJkCkh_lCZiW-UTqzx4mA&pli=1
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

Technical Series
EXERCISE PACIFIC WAVE 11
A Pacific-wide Tsunami Warning and Communication Exercise
9–10 November 2011
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002114/211498e.pdf (this file will lock up and  you will only see the title page)

This page allows you to download the manual
http://www.ioc-cd.org/index.php?option=com_oe&task=viewDocumentRecord&docID=7707
Scroll down until you see on google doc p 25, & p 26

"Sample Tsunami Energy Forecast Map" and "Sample Coastal Tsunami Threat Map"
This isn't the first time Exercise Pacific Wave has been done. It was done in 2006 on May 16 and 17 using Philippines and Chile tsunami sources. Java is in roughly the same region as the Philippines and experienced several large devastating EQs (and a tsunami) soon after the exercise.

Pacific Wave was done again from October 28-30, 2008, and used a northeast Japan source.

Coincidentally there are other exercises scheduled.
Mega tsunami drill in Crete, Greece right now

The scenario:

An 8R scale earthquake strikes close to the island of Crete. A huge tsunami is generated.
The exercise is based on the July 365 BC tsunami when an undersea earthquake measuring over 8R occurred in the sea west of Crete and caused not only huge geological changes on the island, but terrible disasters, exacerbated by a tsunami that led to erase from the map dozens of cities Crete and caused thousands of dead.

The drill

The Pan-European wide drill called "Poseidon" was organized "on the map" last May and takes place these days 24 and October 25 on location (the schedule was for Chania but I heard that they included Heraklion too -the two biggest cities of Crete) .

On location, there are "watchers" from over 30 countries participating in the European Civil Protection Mechanism.  (I heard on tv that it concerns especially all the countries that are around the Mediterranean Sea).


Video: ΑΣΚΗΣΗ ΓΙΑ ΤΣΟΥΝΑΜΙ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGBrDbOFUmg&feature=player_embedded

Poseidon is a program funded by the European Union, aimed to prepare the Civil Protection Mechanism in Greece to deal with a devastating earthquake tsunami, through the cooperation of Civil Protection Authorities at local, regional, national and European level. The Civil Protection Authorities of Cyprus and France participate in this project and an evaluation of the exercise will be performed through the European Civil Protection Mechanism.

Check this too (both from the same site):  Successful test of the Tsunami Warning System in North-eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and connected seas

Paris, 10 August – The communication network of the Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System for the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and connected seas (NEAMTWS) was tested successfully on 10 August, marking a leap forward for the system which was initiated under the aegis of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) in 2005.

The test involved the Tsunami Warning Focal Points of 31 countries in the region. They received a test message at 10.36 UTC via electronic mail, fax and the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) from the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KOERI, Turkey). Early results show the messages were well received within a few minutes of being sent.

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokov

a expressed satisfaction over the success of the test. “This past decade alone has shown us the terrible destructive power of earthquakes and tsunami on several occasions,” said the Director-General. “Today’s test represents a significant step towards improving security for the lives of tens of millions of people in the North-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, and meeting UNESCO’s ambition of establishing early warning systems globally.”
http://neamtic.ioc-unesco.org/

Also another drill October 12
Malaysia and 19 other nations to join Tsunami alert test
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/7/nation/20111007093729&sec=nation

Shelby County Hospital (TN)
http://www.lakelandtn.gov/pdfs/emergency/Volunteer%20Announcement%2011%2009%2011%20Community%20Exercise.pdf

On November 9, 2011 hospital personnel and various first responder agencies from the MidSouth region will participate in a community medical exercise. This exercise will provide practical training experience to prepare for medical response during a large scale event. On Wednesday November 9th, hospital personnel will work with volunteer patients playing the role of injured victims to provide a realistic and practical experience in treatment and response Oddly enough…the UK’s NEAF Nuclear Emergency Exercise has Exercise Nightstar 11 on 9 November 2011.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/nuclear/emergexeprog.htm

Nightstar is an annual ‘live play’ demonstration of emergency arrangements.
Lessons learned from previous Nightstar...

Here is a website that has a simulation:
http://thetruthbehindthescenes.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/what-would-happen-if-asteroid-2005-yu55-hit-earth/

§ 1.7 Earth Impact by an Asteroid: Prospects and Effects
http://www.permanent.com/a-impact.htm

400 meter-wide asteroid to make pass by Earth

Posted on October 25, 2011 by The Extinction Protocol

October 25, 2011 – A 1300-foot-wide (400 meters) asteroid, which is more than one and a half times the length of a soccer pitch, will pass within 0.85 lunar distances of the Earth on November 8/9, 2011. Discovered on December 28, 2005 by Robert McMillan of the Spacewatch Program near Tucson, Arizona, 2005 YU55 is believed to be a very dark, nearly spherical object. According to NASA’s Near Earth Object Program: “Although classified as a potentially hazardous object, 2005 YU55 poses no threat of an Earth collision over at least the next 100 years. However, this will be the closest approach to date by an object this large that we know about in advance and an event of this type will not happen again until 2028 when asteroid (153814) 2001 WN5 will pass to within 0.6 lunar distances.” While neither the European Space Agency (ESA) nor NASA has suggested that YU55 poses a threat to Earth, plans to develop a mission to counteract a potential asteroid collision in the future are already underway. The ESA is planning to fire an ‘impactor’ satellite into a ‘test’ asteroid in 2015 to see if the object’s trajectory can be altered.  The Agency is conducting the test mission in light of the minimal threat posed by the 700-1100-foot-wide 99942 Apophis asteroid, which has a one in 250,000 chance of impacting Earth in 2036. -IWO
See this on the web page > Current trajectory of space object 2005 YU55

** Are the dates of the first-ever national test of the Emergency Alert System, instead of the usual state or local tests, coinciding with all the unusual ‘natural’ occurrences on or around 11.9.11 as well as the on-going global manmade OWS protests coincidental, planned, really a test, if so a test for what or is it the dreaded spark to set off a national emergency, to test ‘their’ ability to ignite a spark for a coming planned event for the future or the actual spark beginning the takeover by a Global NWO??? 

Food for thought… You be the judge!  And if it is more than coincidence are you prepared? **

Related:

Call a Radio Show, Get Recorded by the FBI… And Gov’t to Take Control of Communications Temporarily on 11/9/11

FEMA Communication Takeover Test Scheduled for November 9

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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Call a radio talk show, get recorded by the FBI ... And Gov’t to Take Control Of Communications Temporarily On 11/9/11

FBI begins recording call-ins

Original Post: October 14, 2011 - 11:35 am Eastern © 2011 

Next time you call a talk radio station, beware: The FBI may be listening.

According to WMAL.com, "The FBI has awarded a $524,927 contract to a Virginia company to record as much radio news and talk programming as it can find on the Internet. … The FBI says it is not playing Big Brother by policing the airwaves, but rather seeking access to what airs as potential evidence."

The agency's reasons for recording all these radio programs don't get any clearer as the news report goes on. No doubt that is intentional.

Rush Limbaugh

"Don't hold out hope for Palin."

That was Rush Limbaugh's advice to a caller who was clinging to hope that the former Alaska governor would finally enter the 2012 Presidential race.

"You've got practical things like filing deadlines coming up, some are within a week now," Rush explained, "so I think it's time to move on. I think it's time to let go and move on" (FREE audio).

Ken Hoffman at the Houston Chronicle complained that, "Limbaugh is now calling first lady Michelle Obama … 'Moo-Chelle Obama.' Even for El Rushbo, that's stupid and insensitive. Limbaugh reportedly earns $38 million a year and lives in a beachfront mansion in Palm Beach, Fla. He can't afford a mirror?"

Michael Savage

This week, Michael Savage labeled Barack Obama a "lifetime Marxist" and renewed concerns about his eligibility to serve as president.

He explained to listeners: Obama is "a man who refuses to show a valid birth certificate, a man who applies for college aid as a foreign student and then denies he's foreign, a man who has a Social Security number from a state he's never even lived in." (FREE audio).

Savage also declared: "The second Bolshevik revolution is beginning in the United States of America, egged on by our first communist president and his cronies. Obama is using the rabble in the gutters to draw attention away from the 'Fast and Furious' Mexican gunrunning scandal, and all the other scandals in this administration":

Video:  Michael Savage Dedicates His Show To Red October

Sean Hannity

The New York Times shadowed Sean Hannity as part of a story about Fox News' 15th anniversary, and were forced to concede: "Despite the inflammatory rhetoric he instigates, Mr. Hannity is good-natured and humble in person, as interested in his children's tennis matches as in Mitt Romney's foreign policy positions. He rarely agrees to interviews, and when he did last week, he said he did not read negative articles about him, or even the friendly Twitter account all about his abundant head of hair."

Newt Gingrich joined Hannity on the air to analyze the most recent GOP candidate's debate, both his own performance and those of the other potential Republican nominees (FREE audio).

Mark Levin

"These debates are starting to bore me," Mark Levin told listeners this week. He complained that there were too many participants, and none of them will dare take on Mitt Romney (FREE audio).

Speaking of Romney, Levin slammed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for endorsing him. Levin feels neither of these men are "true" conservatives, and he is tired of hearing that "conservatives can't win" (FREE audio).

Laura Ingraham

Two Republican governors offered Ingraham different takes on who could take the White House in 2012.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour told Laura and her listeners that Herman Cain would "sweep the South" if he is the GOP nominee (FREE audio).

However, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell told her, "If the election were held today, Mitt Romney would defeat Barack Obama in Pennsylvania – a state the president won by roughly 10 points in 2008."

Rendell warned the party not to select a "wacky" nominee, and stick with somebody "competent." He added, "Sometimes I think the Republican Party has a death wish."

"I actually agree with you on that," Ingraham replied. "In many ways I think the Republicans can screw things up easily."

Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck expanded his business empire this week, announcing the launch of his "1791" clothing line.

Beck explained, "The main thrusts of the 1791 line are to remember where we came from as Americans ... and to restore values and efforts that have made America great."

Beck sided with Hank Williams Jr. this week, after the singer/songwriter got in trouble for making a clumsy analogy that mentioned "Hitler" and "Obama" (but contrary to what's been reported, he didn't compare the two.) Beck played excerpts of Williams' new song"Keep the Change," and condemned ESPN and his former employers at Fox News for throwing Williams under the bus (FREE webcam).

And now, from the left side of the dial ...

Did you ever think you'd live to see a cable news host question the "blackness" of a potential president?

That's what happened when Al Sharpton and Prof. Karen Hunter struggled to make sense of Herman Cain's campaign for the Republican nomination (FREE audio).

Weirder still, the producer of progressive Stephanie Miller's radio show made a bizarre on-air suggestion that Cain was an anti-Semite. It was so outrageous even Miller expressed her embarrassment and tried to change the subject.

While these outbursts are painful to listen to, they reveal the unprincipled desperation of people whose worldview is crumbling before their eyes. That's probably the only redeeming social value these radio programs have.


Kathy Shaidle is a blogging pioneer whose FiveFeetOfFury.com is now in its tenth year. Her most recent book – The Tyranny of Nice: How Canada Crushes Freedom in the Name of Human Rights (And Why It Matters to Americans) – features an introduction by Rush Limbaugh guest host Mark Steyn, author of After America 

Source:  WND

And Gov’t (FEMA) to Take Control of Communications Temporarily On 11/9/11… Does that Combination of #’s bother anyone else? And Will We Believe This Will Be Temporary?

FEMA Communication Takeover Test Scheduled for November 9

FEMA, the FCC, and Homeland Security plan to commandeer the airwaves next month. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) will be tested at 1 PM EST on November 9. EAS alerts are transmitted over radio and television broadcast stations, cable television and other media services.

Local and state EAS components are tested weekly and monthly, but this will be the first national test of the system. It is significant that FEMA will conduct the mandatory test.

Video:  Government To Take Control Of Communications Temporarily On 11/9/11

Also:  Government To Take Control Of Communications Temporarily On 11/9/11

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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Microsoft Files Patent For Software That Allows The Government To Spy on All Personal Digital Communications

Microsoft Files Patent For Software That Allows The Government Spy On All Personal Digital CommunicationsA patent filed by Microsoft reveals the company has voluntarily created software that provides the Government and other agencies seeking to spy on you  with the ability to easily intercept,  re-route and record all forms of personal digital communications, including Skype calls which are directly named in the patent.

A patent filed by Microsoft seeks to give the company exclusive rights to intercept personal electronic communications and resend them directly to the Government and other agencies who may be seeking to spy on you.

By filing the patent, Microsoft clearly shows they have voluntarily created the software,  instead of waiting for a Government mandate to do so. The patent states that “the  government or one of its agencies may need to monitor communications” and software acts as a “recording agent” that is able to silently record the communication”.

The patent specifically names certain types of communications, such as Skype calls, instant messaging, video conferencing software, and even meeting software but does not stop there. Instead it goes on to label just about all electronic devices you can think of as a computer and requests for a patent to be able to intercept digital communications from those devices, and even access data stored in a variety of other storage mediums, and forward the to the Government.

A Gizmodo article on the patent points out that Microsoft appears to trying to patent Skype spying,  which is specifically named within the patent,  but the scope of patent goes far beyond the ability to just spy on Skype calls.

Only by digging into the patent can you see the deceptiveness in Microsoft’s the labeling of certain technologies and realize the true scope of what the software company is trying to provide the Government easy access to spy on.

For example, the label all packet-based communication as VoIP, which clearly nothing is further from the truth. All data that can be sent over the internet is a “packet-based communication”.

[...] the term VoIP is used to refer to standard VoIP as well as any other form of packet-based communication that may be used to transmit audio over a wireless and/or wired network. For example, VoIP may include audio messages transmitted via gaming systems, instant messaging protocols that transmit audio, Skype and Skype-like applications, meeting software, video conferencing software, and the like.

The patent goes on and deceptively labels all digital electronic devices as computers, say that everything from computers, to printers, gaming devices, automobile systems, even printers, home appliances and all other mobile based electronics are computers. The patent even applies to microcontroller which are often the brain of electronic devices and used in products ranging from automobile engine control systems, implantable medical devices, remote controls, office machines, appliances, power tools, and even toys.

A computer may include any electronic device that is capable of executing an instruction[...]

Examples of well known computing systems, environments, or configurations that may be suitable for use [include] personal computers, server computers, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microcontroller-based systems, set-top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smartphones, gaming devices, printers, appliances including set-top, media center, or other appliances, automobile-embedded or attached computing devices, other mobile devices, distributed computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like.

The patent also doesn’t stop with computers or even communications for that matter. It targets a variety of offline mediums that can used to store data and even computer programs themselves.

[...] a variety of computer-readable media [including] any available media that can be accessed by the computer  removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data.

Computer storage media includes RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile discs (DVDs) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by the computer.

The patent further reveals that the software’s capability includes the ability to intercept all digital communications regardless of the medium, or whether they are online or offline, bluntly including the ability to intercept all modulated data signals.

Communication media typically embodies computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

Quoted directly from US patent application 20110153809:

June 23, 2011- Assignee: Microsoft Corporation

Legal Intercept

Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to silently recording communications. In aspects, data associated with a request to establish a communication is modified to cause the communication to be established via a path that includes a recording agent. Modification may include, for example, adding, changing, and/or deleting data within the data. The data as modified is then passed to a protocol entity that uses the data to establish a communication session. Because of the way in which the data has been modified, the protocol entity selects a path that includes the recording agent. The recording agent is then able to silently record the communication.

Claims

1. A method implemented at least in part by a computer, the method comprising: receiving data regarding establishing a communication session between at least two entities via a switched packet network for a communication that includes audio; locating one or more parameters in the data that indicate one or more local candidate communication points of at least one of the at least two entities; removing the one or more parameters from the data to cause the communication session to be established over a path that includes a recording agent that is capable of silently copying the communication between the at least two entities; and providing the data with the parameters removed to a protocol entity that uses the data to follow a communication protocol to establish the communication session via the path, the protocol entity potentially including one or more of the at least two entities and/or any entity that interacts with one or more of the at least two entities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving data regarding establishing a communication session between at least two entities comprises receiving the data from a call server that is involved in establishing the communication session, the call server responsible at least for relaying invite requests from a requesting one of the entities to a receiving one of the entities, the call server configurable to provide the data to a recording agent before establishing the communication session.
[...]

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a recorder manager operable to configure a recording agent to silently copy communication transmitted via the communication session.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] Plain old telephone service (POTS) allows people from all over the world to talk to each other through the use of telephones. POTS has been around since the late 19th century and has remained basically the same. In traditional usage, POTS has transmitted voice communications using electrical signals that are transmitted via pairs of wires. Central offices establish connections between callers and those called.

[0002] Sometimes, a government or one of its agencies may need to monitor communications between telephone users. To do this with POTS, after obtaining the appropriate legal permission, a recording device may be placed at a central office associated with a selected telephone number. Electrical signals corresponding to sound to and from the telephones at the selected telephone number may be monitored and transformed into sound. This sound may then be recorded by the recording device without the telephone users being aware of the recording. With new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and other communication technology, the POTS model for recording communications does not work.

[...]
SUMMARY

[0004] Briefly, aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to silently recording communications. In aspects, data associated with a request to establish a communication is modified to cause the communication to be established via a path that includes a recording agent. Modification may include, for example, adding, changing, and/or deleting data within the data. The data as modified is then passed to a protocol entity that uses the data to establish.

Exemplary Operating Environment

[...]

[0015] Aspects of the subject matter described herein are operational with numerous other general purpose or special purpose computing system environments or configurations. Examples of well known computing systems, environments, or configurations that may be suitable for use with aspects of the subject matter described herein comprise personal computers, server computers, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microcontroller-based systems, set-top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smartphones, gaming devices, printers, appliances including set-top, media center, or other appliances, automobile-embedded or attached computing devices, other mobile devices, distributed computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like.

[0016] Aspects of the subject matter described herein may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and so forth, which perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Aspects of the subject matter described herein may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices.

[0017] With reference to FIG. 1, an exemplary system for implementing aspects of the subject matter described herein includes a general-purpose computing device in the form of a computer 110. A computer may include any electronic device that is capable of executing an instruction. Components of the computer 110 may include a processing unit 120, a system memory 130, and a system bus 121 that couples various system components including the system memory to the processing unit 120. The system bus 121 may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus also known as Mezzanine bus, Peripheral Component Interconnect Extended (PCI-X) bus, Advanced Graphics Port (AGP), and PCI express (PCIe).

[0018] The computer 110 typically includes a variety of computer-readable media. Computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by the computer 110 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, and removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media.

[0019] Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Computer storage media includes RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile discs (DVDs) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by the computer 110.

[0020] Communication media typically embodies computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[...]

Legal Intercept

[0028] As mentioned previously, traditional techniques for silently recording telephone communication may not work correctly with VoIP and other network-based communication technology. As used hereafter, the term VoIP is used to refer to standard VoIP as well as any other form of packet-based communication that may be used to transmit audio over a wireless and/or wired network. For example, VoIP may include audio messages transmitted via gaming systems, instant messaging protocols that transmit audio, Skype and Skype-like applications, meeting software, video conferencing software, and the like.

[...]

Source: US Patent Office  -  Posted at AlexanderHiggins.com

Is anyone surprised out there?? Bill Gates… Mr. Bilderberg depopulation guy himself wants to help the government spy on you??

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