Google pressure cookers and backpacks? Get a visit from the feds.

[69360]

https://medium.com/something-like-falling/2e7d13e54724


Most of it was innocent enough. I had researched pressure cookers. My husband was looking for a backpack. And maybe in another time those two things together would have seemed innocuous, but we are in “these times” now. And in these times, when things like the Boston bombing happen, you spend a lot of time on the internet reading about it and, if you are my exceedingly curious news junkie of a twenty-ear-old son, you click a lot of links when you read the myriad of stories. You might just read a CNN piece about how bomb making instructions are readily available on the internet and you will in all probability, if you are that kid, click the link provided.

[presence]

"They mentioned that they do this:

http://cdn.theatlanticwire.com/img/upload/2013/08/01/AP859274038151/large.jpg
...about 100 times a week."























Philip Bump (http://www.theatlanticwire.com/authors/philip-bump/) Aug 1, 2013

Update: Now We Know Why Googling 'Pressure Cookers' Gets a Visit from Cops

Michele Catalano was looking for information online about pressure cookers. Her husband, in the same time frame, was Googling backpacks. Wednesday morning, six men from a joint terrorism task force showed up at their house to see if they were terrorists. Which prompts the question: How'd the government know what they were Googling?


Update, 7:05 p.m.: Because the Googling happened at work.

The Suffolk County Police Department released a statement this evening that answers the great mystery of the day.
Suffolk County Criminal Intelligence Detectives received a tip from a Bay Shore based computer company regarding suspicious computer searches conducted by a recently released employee. The former employee’s computer searches took place on this employee’s workplace computer. On that computer, the employee searched the terms “pressure cooker bombs” and “backpacks.”


After interviewing the company representatives, Suffolk County Police Detectives visited the subject’s home to ask about the suspicious internet searches. The incident was investigated by Suffolk County Police Department’s Criminal Intelligence Detectives and was determined to be non-criminal in nature.



Original article: Catalano (who is a professional writer (http://words.asmallvictory.net/wp/)) describes (https://medium.com/something-like-falling/2e7d13e54724) the tension of that visit.
[T]hey were peppering my husband with questions. Where is he from? Where are his parents from? They asked about me, where was I, where do I work, where do my parents live. Do you have any bombs, they asked. Do you own a pressure cooker? My husband said no, but we have a rice cooker. Can you make a bomb with that? My husband said no, my wife uses it to make quinoa. What the hell is quinoa, they asked. ...


Have you ever looked up how to make a pressure cooker bomb? My husband, ever the oppositional kind, asked them if they themselves weren’t curious as to how a pressure cooker bomb works, if they ever looked it up. Two of them admitted they did.


The men identified themselves as members of the "joint terrorism task force." The composition of such task forces depend on the region of the country (http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/terrorism/terrorism_jttfs), but, as we outlined (http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/04/boston-investigation-agencies/64333/) after the Boston bombings, include a variety of federal agencies. (The photo above is from the door-to-door sweep in Watertown at that time.) Among those agencies: the FBI and Homeland Security.


As of this afternoon, it was still not clear which agency knocked on Catalano's door. The Guardian reported (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/01/new-york-police-terrorism-pressure-cooker) that an FBI spokesperson said that Catalano "was visited by Nassau County police department … working in conjunction with Suffolk County police department." (Catalano apparently lives on Long Island, most likely in Nassau County.)


Detective Garcia of the Nassau County Police, however, told The Atlantic Wire by phone that his department was "not involved in any way." Similarly, FBI spokesperson Peter Donald confirmed with The Atlantic Wire that his agency wasn't involved in the visit. He also stated that he could not answer whether or not the agency provided information that led to the visit, as he didn't know.


Local and state authorities work jointly with federal officials on terror investigations similar to the one Catalano describes. Both Suffolk and Nassau County's police departments are members of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), Donald confirmed. Suffolk County is also home to a "fusion center," (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/states/new-york/) a regionally located locus for terror investigations associated with the Department of Homeland Security (http://www.dhs.gov/national-network-fusion-centers-fact-sheet). It wasn't the JTTF that led to the visit at Catalano's house, Donald told us. The task force deputizes local authorities as federal marshals, including some in Suffolk and Nassau, who can then act on its behalf. But, Donald said, "officers, agents, or other representatives of the JTTF did not visit that location.


Ever since details of the NSA's surveillance infrastructure were leaked by Edward Snowden, the agency has been insistent on the boundaries of the information it collects. It is not, by law, allowed to spy on Americans — although there are exceptions of which it takes advantage. Its PRISM program, under which it collects internet content, does not include information from Americans unless those Americans are connected to terror suspects by no more than two other people (http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/07/nsa-admits-it-analyzes-more-peoples-data-previously-revealed/67287/). It collects metadata on phone calls made by Americans, but reportedly (http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/06/nsa-emails-stellarwind/66658/) stopped collecting metadata on Americans' internet use in 2011. So how, then, would the government know what Catalano and her husband were searching for?


It's possible that one of the two of them is tangentially linked to a foreign terror suspect, allowing the government to review their internet activity. After all, that "no more than two other people" ends up covering millions of people (http://news.yahoo.com/3-hops-nsa-gets-millions-phone-records-204851967.html). Or perhaps the NSA, as part of its routine collection of as much internet traffic as it can, automatically flags things like Google searches for "pressure cooker" and "backpack" and passes on anything it finds to the FBI.


Or maybe it was something else. On Wednesday, The Guardian reported (http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/07/its-easy-nsa-spy-your-entire-internet-life/67820/) on XKeyscore, a program eerily similar to Facebook search (http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/07/which-better-nsas-search-or-facebooks/67838/) that could clearly allow an analyst to run a search that picked out people who'd done searches for those items from the same location. How those searches got into the government's database is a question worth asking; how the information got back out seems apparent.


It is also possible that there were other factors that prompted the government's interest in Catalano and her husband. He travels to Asia, she notes in her article. Who knows. Which is largely Catalano's point.

They mentioned that they do this about 100 times a week. And that 99 of those visits turn out to be nothing. I don’t know what happens on the other 1% of visits and I’m not sure I want to know what my neighbors are up to.





One hundred times a week,
groups of six armed men drive to houses in three black SUVs,
conducting consented-if-casual searches of the property
perhaps in part because of things people looked up online.


But the NSA doesn't collect data on Americans,
so this certainly won't happen to you.





You might also want to read our look at how to hide from the NSA (http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2013/07/so-you-want-hide-nsa-your-guide-nearly-impossible/66942/), or a comparison of the NSA's recently revealed search tool (http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/07/its-easy-nsa-spy-your-entire-internet-life/67820/) with Facebook (http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/07/which-better-nsas-search-or-facebooks/67838/)'s.
Correction: After confirmation from the FBI that its agents weren't involved in the visit, the headline of this piece was changed to "Visit From the Cops" instead of "the Feds."



Photo: Massachusetts police search a home after the Boston bombings...

[freejack]

After reading a couple of other posts on that blog it's possible this is a work of fiction. Just saying...

[phill4paul]

After reading a couple of other posts on that blog it's possible this is a work of fiction. Just saying...

Unfortumately, in today's climate, confirmed by multiple news accounts, it could equally be fact. That's saying something about where we are at.

[The Northbreather]

Haha backpack banner add at the bottom of this thread for EBAGS :toady:

[Origanalist]

Haha backpack banner add at the bottom of this thread for EBAGS :toady:

The NSA put it there.....

http://www.coupons4utah.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Fishing_Cartoon_02tra.gif

[fearthereaperx]

Looks like it was real, atlantic and yahoo have picked it up. Iam curious what kind of nationality is the wife and husband.

[AngryCanadian]

Looks like it was real, atlantic and yahoo have picked it up. Iam curious what kind of nationality is the wife and husband.

Are you talking about the Canadian pressure cooker plot?

[69360]

Haha backpack banner add at the bottom of this thread for EBAGS :toady:

Don't click on it you might get swatted. :eek:


Looks like it was real, atlantic and yahoo have picked it up. Iam curious what kind of nationality is the wife and husband.

Last name is Catalano and looks white from the pic.

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

After reading a couple of other posts on that blog it's possible this is a work of fiction. Just saying...


Then why would the the FBI confirm the visit?


http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/08/government-knocking-doors-because-google-searches/67864/

[ctiger2]

Find it hard to believe the Govt is this efficient with the information.... yet.

[fr33]

She didn't say they had a warrant and described them as wearing casual clothes (not SWAT). I wonder what would have happened if her husband didn't open the door.

[Anti Federalist]

Find it hard to believe the Govt is this efficient with the information.... yet.

Just warming up...just warming up.

Countdown to September...

[69360]

She didn't say they had a warrant and described them as wearing casual clothes (not SWAT). I wonder what would have happened if her husband didn't open the door.

They come back with the tank

[Czolgosz]

Here y'all, http://lmgtfy.com/?q=pressure+cookers+and+backpacks :D

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

Just warming up...just warming up.

Countdown to September...


Oh, yeah. They're already showing they're efficient with it. Wait till you see the retro-active shit they have planned.



She didn't say they had a warrant and described them as wearing casual clothes (not SWAT). I wonder what would have happened if her husband didn't open the door.


Seriously. Who opens their door for a bunch of strangers?

[extrmmxer]

Disturbing:

"Michele Catalano was looking for information online about pressure cookers. Her husband, in the same time frame, was Googling backpacks. Wednesday morning, six men from a joint terrorism task force showed up at their house to see if they were terrorists. Which begs the question: How'd the government know what they were Googling?"

http://news.yahoo.com/google-pressure-cookers-backpacks-visit-feds-140900667.html

This data center
http:/ /nsa.gov1.info/utah-data-center/

[satchelmcqueen]

well i just did it to. then i goggled "did you see what i just typed cia?"

[paulbot24]

"Pressure cookers" and "backpacks" are watch tags on Google now? Well what else? You go to a department store which sells both items and they have TSA agents at the......whoooooah. Never mind. Never mind. Never mind.

[DamianTV]

Just wait until you share a negative news story about the Govt and get a visit from the Govt, or worse. That is whats coming.

[RickyJ]

Disturbing:

"Michele Catalano was looking for information online about pressure cookers. Her husband, in the same time frame, was Googling backpacks. Wednesday morning, six men from a joint terrorism task force showed up at their house to see if they were terrorists. Which begs the question: How'd the government know what they were Googling?"

http://news.yahoo.com/google-pressure-cookers-backpacks-visit-feds-140900667.html

This data center
http:/ /nsa.gov1.info/utah-data-center/

How does that work? They show up and ask, "are you planning on bombing any place in the near or distant future?" Do they expect terrorists to say, "yeah, I plan to blowup the bus station in goobertown on Wednesday at 3:04 PM EDT, why do you ask?" They got no reason to conduct searches of anyone just because of what they searched for on Google. If they were real terrorists by coming to their house that would just let them know they are watching them and they would let one of their buddies do the job instead. The police aren't known for their brain power which makes them damn lucky that most criminals are also idiots.

[extrmmxer]

How does that work? They show up and ask, "are you planning on bombing any place in the near or distant future?" Do they expect terrorists to say, "yeah, I plan to blowup the bus station in goobertown on Wednesday at 3:04 PM EDT, why do you ask?" They got no reason to conduct searches of anyone just because of what they searched for on Google. If they were real terrorists by coming to their house that would just let them know they are watching them and they would let one of their buddies do the job instead. The police aren't known for their brain power which makes them damn lucky that most criminals are also idiots.

The purpose of this entire data mining scheme by the government is masked in anti-terriost efforts, when in reality it's to search and question law abiding free people.

[RCA]

https://ixquick.com/

[WM_in_MO]

duckduckgo.com

[green73]

Got a thread on this.

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?423006-Google-pressure-cookers-and-backpacks-Get-a-visit-from-the-feds

[RCA]

duckduckgo.com

Do you know if duckduckgo.com offers proxy browsing?

[VoluntaryAmerican]

Why isn't #Snowdenwasright trending on Twitter yet?

[Neil Desmond]

Googled'em.

[torchbearer]

i googled pressure cookers around the time of the bombing to see what device they used.
should i complete the filter tag by searching for a backpack?

[BuddyRey]

The lesson here is....don't Google controversial things.

Startpage them instead!

[Mani]

2 things are fucked up about this story:

#1) The update that says his former employer saw the searches: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/08/government-knocking-doors-because-google-searches/67864/.


Big Brother's biggest weapon is going to be people turning each other in. Fucking guy searches simple shit on his work computer and his former employer (maybe pissed he left) turns him in.


#2) This quote here:

They mentioned that they do this about 100 times a week. And that 99 of those visits turn out to be nothing. I don’t know what happens on the other 1% of visits and I’m not sure I want to know what my neighbors are up to.

One hundred times a week, groups of six armed men drive to houses in three black SUVs, conducting consented-if-casual searches of the property perhaps in part because of things people looked up online.


So, all the people in the comments calling BS about this happening coz of his work or employer, the statement by the "Officials" saying they do this 100 times a week is pretty fucked up.


100 times a week in that district? In that town? So how many metropolitan across the country have guys in BLACK SUV's visiting 100 homes per week of normal law abiding citizens?

How many people are necessary to go around knocking on 100 doors per week? Seems like a lot of resources? Fuck is that the only place that's hiring nowadays? The Government needs more thugs to chase down more google searches.

And on that note, I got a fucking headache trying to figure out WHO THE FUCK came to visit them!!!

Local Cops? FBI? DHS? JTTF!?! NSA!?! WTF! OMG still not including the TSA!

How many fucking acronym terrorist hunting groups do we need!!

How fucked up are we as a country, when some joe shmoe looks up pressure cookers and backpacks on a computer and the government pep's come knocking on the door, and it's too fucking confusing which guys in Black SUV's showed up at their door.

But as the article implied...Ya....the government's not spying on Americans...No one is reading ANYTHING you do online...SURE....nothing to see here folks...


What a mind fuck this all is. 100 knocks per week in that area? In How many cities? 10? 20? 100? Maybe it's a bull shit number, maybe they do a few knocks per week...it's a rare visit...but maybe it's MUCH HIGHER...maybe it's over a hundred....Times 50 areas around the country. That would be 5,000 knocks per week. We need that UTAH Site Opened up already!!! There's a lot more doors that need to be knocked.

[DamianTV]

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/18vo7hxht5b34jpg/ku-bigpic.jpg

[fr33]

And on that note, I got a fucking headache trying to figure out WHO THE FUCK came to visit them!!!

Local Cops? FBI? DHS? JTTF!?! NSA!?! WTF! OMG still not including the TSA!

How many fucking acronym terrorist hunting groups do we need!!
It was the local cops. There was no mention of a warrant so they shouldn't have opened the door.

[brushfire]

"Dont be google"...