Michael Kelley
Business Insider
8/21/2012
Dozens of federal agencies have bought spyware to monitor the communications of government employees, Lisa Rein of the Washington Post reports.
The software, sold by SpectorSoft, can be programmed to intercept tweets and Facebook posts, take screen shots of computers, track keystrokes, retrieve files from hard drives, and search for keywords.
The report is highly concerning to privacy advocates and whistleblowers.
Last month Congressional investigators revealed the highest levels of the Food and Drug Administration authorized wide-ranging surveillance of a group of the agency’s scientists who were communicating with lawmakers and others about potentially dangerous medical devices.
SpectorSoft says its best-selling product, Spector 360, can monitor “Every activity, in complete detail” and that it has sold the product to numerous federal agencies…
Federal investigators viewed the Facebook profile of an alleged gangster in the Bronx by asking his informant “friend” to show it to them. A judge ruled this was not unconstitutional because Facebook users can’t control what other people do with the information they post.
