How Long Has DHS Secretly Monitored Your Posts For Terrorist Activities?

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How Long Has DHS Secretly Monitored Your Posts For Terrorist Activities?

December 15th, 2015

Awake Goy

Susanne Posel ,Chief Editor Occupy Corporatism | Co-Founder, Legacy Bio-Naturals
December 14, 2015

The latest buzz on the internet is about Tashfeen Malik, the wife of Rizwan Farook, who posted on social media about how she supported “violent jihad” and “wanted to be a part of it”.

Authorities have discovered these old posts and have said that if they had known about them “they might have kept her out of the country”.

An anonymous official with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was quoted in the media as revealing that the agency plans to “scrutinize social media posts as part of its visa application process before certain people are allowed entry into the nation.”

Methods used now by DHA “do not sweep up all social media posts, though government officials have kept details of the programs closely held, as they do not want to reveal the precise process they use to try and identify potential threats.”

An unnamed spokesperson for DHS was quoted as saying that the agency is “actively considering additional ways to incorporate the use of social media review in its various vetting programs.”

This not so new trend will be used as part of DHS “vetting programs”. The spokesperson claimed that this type of vetting “is consistent with current law and appropriately takes into account civil rights and civil liberties and privacy protections.”

The law currently forbids DHS “agents to scrutinize an applicant’s social media pages or accounts”; however Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson recently decided to against ending the prohibition when running background checks on visa permit applicants.

Johnson said this type of intrusion would cause a civil liberties backlash, yet in the fall of 2014, “the department began three pilot programs to include social media in vetting.”

Along with the help of the State Department, DHS has “occasionally” reviewed applicant’s social media accounts to assist in screening for visa applicants.

Apparently this is “routine” for reviewers “to be able to examine social media presence when they feel it can round out and put a little bit more flesh on the bone of the information and the context that they’re trying to gain about people when applying for visas.”

When looking for information on social media “privacy settings and the use of pseudonyms can make that process difficult.”

As this technique is utilized more and more, it is quite possible that “there may be changes coming down the pike here, with respect to social media.”

In President Obama’s recent address he said he would “urge high-tech and law enforcement leaders to make it harder for terrorists to use technology to escape from justice.”