Tag Archives: Facebook

Squeaky Dolphin Stalks Online Users

If you have a Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Blogger account, then the NSA and their British counterparts have used Operation Squeaky Dolphin to spy on you.

A document released by Edward Snowden to the Guardian newspaper and NBC News shows a program called Squeaky Dolphin that would track in real time users of major social media sites to build a profile of their interests.

The leaked document instructs users of the program how to target specific data sets within the websites to gain the information they wish to obtain.  Everything from Facebook likes and posted links, to Twitter messages with keywords to videos watched on YouTube was collected and sorted by the program.

The released document shows examples of real life Twitter user feeds collected without the user’s knowledge discussing the NSA and security matters.

The document also outlined how to hack into the servers of the major social media sites and obtain information without the knowledge of the website owners. Operators of Squeaky Dolphin then could track individual messages to the computer and location where they were posted.

Facebook Allows Videos Of People Being Killed

Major social media network Facebook is again allowing users to post videos of people being murdered.

Facebook reversed an earlier decision banning posting of videos that showed people being beheaded or killed but now allow the videos with a warning that the video contains graphic content. The initial ban had been made after outcry from worldwide government officials.

The majority of the videos are of the beheadings of members of Mexican drug cartels. The videos usually show the entire murder from start to finish. The site is also allowing the posting of executions taking place in the middle east and Asia along with terrorist killings.

Those taking the social media giant to task say that because the site allows users as young as 13 years old the videos could cause significant mental stress. The critics point out that Facebook has rules prohibiting videos that show a single woman’s exposed breast – thus blocking some videos of mothers breastfeeding their children – but have nothing to stop what are essentially snuff films.

Facebook says they are allowing the videos to be posted so that users can discuss them and share their outrage about the killings. The site says they will remove videos if the people who post it glorify the violence in the videos in any way.

British Prime Minister David Cameron called out Facebook saying their actions were irresponsible and that they “must explain their actions to worried parents.”

Facebook has not commented about the decision to add warnings to the videos.