- cross-posted to:
- technology@beehaw.org
- cross-posted to:
- technology@beehaw.org
The Mozilla Foundation is calling upon 30 technology companies, social networks, and websites to block web scraping by an ICE surveillance contractor called ShadowDragon after 404 Media published a list of sites that the contractor pulls data from.
…ShadowDragon sells a tool called SocialNet that streamlines the process of pulling public data from various sites, apps, and services. Marketing material available online says SocialNet can “follow the breadcrumbs of your target’s digital life and find hidden correlations in your research.” In one promotional video, ShadowDragon says users can enter “an email, an alias, a name, a phone number, a variety of different things, and immediately have information on your target. We can see interests, we can see who friends are, pictures, videos.”
All they do is combine data from bunch of different data brokers, including a few that sell hacked data. They are likely breaking multiple laws. Someone could put the same thing together that targets law enforcement and politicians. I’m sure it already exists.
I have thought of a scenario like this like what if people get so tired of crooked trigger happy cops that they use some sort of app or website or service that can tell you where every single cop is in the city in real time. To avoid them. Something like not just a scanner but an actual interactive real time map.
Idk if it would actually be possible and maybe not even legal but it is an interesting idea to think about. If such a service existed it would make so much money.