Big Data & the Police State: Case of Backpage Data

[19Trees]

Tools that scrape from every ad: post ID, date, link, photograph(s), text, phone number and email data - - are being compiled by or for law enforcement.

See, http://www.techdirt.com/articles/201...stitutes.shtml

Given tens of thousands of new ads (including reposts) every day, this can quite quickly become a large data-set. Over time computers will come to pore over (big data sets) recursively in ways that will could greatly empower law enforcement over time.

Trees arguing that BP is a minefield (has LE on it), but also a growing DATA SET. What happens when LE starts using the most whiz bang AI-supported technology, and big BP data, for LE activity?

LE has every right (and obligation) to prevent trafficking and protect children. When it becomes more sophisticated in its use of big data, a lot more fish can get caught. Will be caught? When?


19Trees

[jframe2]

This article is 14 months old, while it's premise is still sound in that Big Data is bad in all it's shapes and forms. Backpage is still in business making lots of money off of escort ads and Criagslist is still in existence.

There is a difference between harvesting large, extremely large, amounts of Data-sets and then being able to organize and identify and then use the output from the analysis.

With local LE, it still is a cost-benefit analysis. Most departments do not have the technology resources, in both hardware and manpower, to even seriously look at harvesting BP data-sets. And to even get this data from Backpage or anyone else they either have to use a subpoena or freely Backpage et al, turn over the information to LE. (This is very different from the NSA etc, who are intercepting data directly from land cables and satellites and doing it from complexes that are not within the physical USA.)

If LE gets a case that is close to being child-exploitation or trafficking they will turn it over to the feds. Then you look at the other side of the coin, the feds do not feel that a local Provider(s) situation is worth their man-power. So they are not going to expend their valuable Data Harvesting hardware and manpower on a local Provider(s) situation.

It really is a matter of perspective in how you look at the situation.

And, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, watch your own tech security.

Just my .02.

[Unique_Carpenter]

Originally Posted by jframe2

And, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, watch your own tech security.Just my .02.

And i will pay for J2's 2 cents and add a penny (50% profit) cause he's right on.
I will add, do not hard code phone#s on ad posts, cause in addition to security, there are other websites that use machine data crawlers to collect phone#s just to pad their website traffic. So either overlay the numbers onto a pic (that the machines will miss)or require visit to a private web site