This day in WND history: Feds may use smart-home devices to spy on you

Intel chief: We might use smart-home devices to spy on you

Feb. 10, 2016: WND reported when the nation’s top intelligence officer admitted that the government may use information transmitted to the Internet from your washing machine, your thermostat, your television, your refrigerator or your favorite video game against you.

Almost every home appliance and electronic gadget sold today is outfitted with a computer chip, constantly feeding information about their owners back to utilities, manufacturers and other data networks. James Clapper, director of national intelligence, in his annual assessment of threats given before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the government considers this information fair game against people it suspects of terrorism or other crimes. The so-called “Internet of things” is providing a bevy of personal information about Americans, many of whom are completely unaware of the dragnet they are tied into.

Smart meters, for instance, measure, in real time, a homeowner’s electricity usage, what appliance or device the usage is coming from, and feed that information to the local utility provider. Many televisions are capable of picking up sound and motion through microphones and motion sensors. Laptop computers have built-in cameras – perfect for spying.

Clapper made clear that the many devices increasingly connected to the Internet are providing ample opportunity for intelligence agencies to spy on targets, and possibly the masses.

“In the future, intelligence services might use the [Internet of things] for identification, surveillance, monitoring, location tracking, and targeting for recruitment, or to gain access to networks or user credentials,” Clapper told the Senate panel.

“Smart Home” devices that exist in major appliances, thermostats, LED light bulbs and security cameras are all targets for spying.

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The case for impeachment of Obama

Feb. 10, 2013: WND was first to assemble a bipartisan panel of top constitutional lawyers to evaluate the 12 most popular arguments for impeaching President Obama.

Among others, the panel included Bruce Fein, the legal scholar who is best known for having drafted articles of impeachment against former President Bill Clinton, former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney.

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G2 Bulletin debuts

Feb. 10, 2003: After two years of planning and development, WorldNetDaily.com’s founder and editor launched a new website – a subscription-based, online weekly intelligence newsletter utilizing sources of information he developed over 25 years as a journalist.

“Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin” includes regular sections on the global threat from Islamic terrorism, the Mideast, internal security, the Far East, Europe, intelligence briefings and important news backgrounders as well as top stories and breaking news.

“For many years I have wanted to have a forum like this for stories I come across that are not necessarily double-sourced for the standards of daily journalism, yet they are leads and reports that are very reliable and from very credible sources. My sources are in the Pentagon, on the scene in the Persian Gulf, in Afghanistan, in Israel, in the CIA, the NSA and, of course, military intelligence.”

G2 means intelligence in military jargon, explained Farah.

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