September 1st, 2011
Billy
It is funny how a company’s name is either so vague that you wouldn’t know what they do or so revealing that it can tell you every thing you wanted to know about their objectives. So what does it tell you when a company that provides surveillance blimps for the US Government has changed their name to World Surveillance Group Inc (WSGI). This is the most telling corporate name since John Poindexter’s “Total Information Awareness”.
This isn’t the first time WSGI has changed their name. In 1979 they started out as Terra West Homes of Nevada. In 1995 the probably grew board with this name and switched to the fabulously descriptive “American Diversified Group”. With the new century they decided on a new name in GlobeTel Communications. That didn’t quite stick and the name was then changed to Sanswire Corp. Finally in 2011 they needed a new name that told the world exactly what was in store and became World Surveillance Group, Inc. What a long strange trip it has been.
The folks at WSGI want to put their blimps into the air and watch over you. I feel safer already!
I found a link to an old 2008 post on the Nude Magazine website.
Build Your Own CCTCV Camera.
Put it up in your bedroom and get use to 24/7 surveillance!
Good but short story covering National Security Letters which allow the NSA and FBI to skirt around already thin warrant requirements to get information that no one knows they have.
Scary stuff!
Via: LA Times: A key Sept. 11 legacy: more domestic surveillance
In one of the biggest changes to American life since the 2001 terrorist attacks, the government now collects vast quantities of information about its citizens. read more…
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has an easy to read page about National Security Letters and their dangerous implications.
Twin Cities Indymedia is reporting on the use of mobile surveillance cameras (CCTV) to keep a close watch on a recent protest of FBI infiltration of local anti-war groups.
There are plenty of cameras around the Federal Building but sometimes the police put them in plain site just to let people know that they are being watched and recorded.
Here is a great resource of information about CCTV footage at the RNC 2008 in St. Paul, MN
via RNC ’08 a Report also the above photo is from their site.
Hennepin County Sheriffs Department has received approval from its Board to purchase a Kingfish cell phone tracking system. They were denied approval twice before from the board which had reservations over privacy issues.
The equipment would be used by the sheriff’s investigations bureau, according to County Board documents. “The system acts as a mobile wireless phone tower and has the capability to find, track and/or deny mobile phone service,” the documents state.
The tracking device can receive information from all cell phones that are on, even if they are not being used.
One scenario given by law enforcement for using the KingFish is tracking abduction victims via their cell phones.
via StarTribune
Herman Jacob and his daughter were camping in South Carolina and found a hidden camera out in the woods. They went on to find that the US Forest service has been installing surveillance cameras since the Clinton days.
via the Island Packet and cryptogon.com
The above image is from an art exhibit called Seeing Green. The cameras placed in the woods are actually bird houses. The artist is Colin Matthes. More info here and here. This picture is not affiliated with the above story but says a lot about it.
The city of Chicago has 3000 CCTV cameras that are operated by the police department. They are in big boxes mounted on street lamps that are clearly marked as to what they are. Now the city wants to add covert cameras that wouldn’t be identified.
via Chicago Tribune
“We have blue-light cameras all over the city,” Weis said recently during a radio interview. “I think the next stage we’re going to go to is having more covert cameras.”
We all know that law enforcement has a serious Jonesing for new technology. They must spend an awful lot of time surfing Engadget and reading spy thrillers. It is way easier to get grant money for futuristic weapons and spy gadgets than it is to get salary to pay for new officers.
Hennepin County (my county) has decided to curb the fuzz’s techno-lust by shooting down a request for a new gadget. The Hennepin County Board voted 4 – 3 to not approve a request for a KingFish cell phone tracking system. Not to worry though because the local lovable branch of the FBI will gladly let Hennepin County its’ KingFish system anytime it is available.
more info available via the Minneapolis Star/Tribune
My guess is that we have not heard the last of this. There are always ways to go around the vote of the County Board. Also with the vote being 4-3 all Sheriff Rich Stanek needs to do is get one member to side with him and everything is a go.