White House shuts off Blackberry access following reports of Chinese spying.
White House shuts off Blackberry access following reports of Chinese spying.
Last week, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) expressed outrage that the Chinese government could “listen to anybody and everybody’s and their communications” during the Olympics. The White House is apparently also fearful of being spied on, as CBS News reports that Bush’s staff “have been told to leave their BlackBerries at home“:
The mobile e-mail blackout is the latest sign of U.S. concerns over Chinese cyber-spying. Sensitive presidential communications are always encrypted, but government cyber-security experts are worried about electronic eavesdropping on the BlackBerries, which are difficult to protect from snooping.
BlackBerries have been banned on other presidential foreign trips but the order underscores specific concerns about Chinese spying during the Olympics.
It’s a welcome development that the White House is acknowledging the intrusiveness of government spying. Unfortunately, neither the White House or Brownback seem to notice the obvious similarities to the administration’s own spy program.
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34 Responses to “White House shuts off Blackberry access following reports of Chinese spying.”
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War is Peace.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:50 amDidn't Sam Brownback vote to let the telecom companies continue spying on us?
August 4th, 2008 at 9:52 amWell George, it's a sword that can cut both ways.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:54 amThey shut Blackberry for spying..but they were advised by Rove also to shut Blueberry from Blue States.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:55 amAnd the US government hasn't been using Carnivore and other secret eavesdropping devices and software on the Chinese since Reagan's NSA ECHELON? The Nixon Administration was surveilling Chinese secret agents from space, photographing them using satellites.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:55 amAnd now of course they're spying on Americans.
China can't spy on Americans!
ONLY Bushco can spy on Americans!!
August 4th, 2008 at 9:58 amThe mobile e-mail blackout is the latest sign of U.S. concerns over Chinese cyber-spying.
What about concerns over us owning the Chinese billions of dollars?
August 4th, 2008 at 9:59 amPot meet Kettle, Kettle meet Pot.
Have a black day!
August 4th, 2008 at 10:02 amUnfortunately, neither the White House or Brownback seem to notice the obvious similarities to the administration’s own spy program.
They don't notice much.
Pretty much every Bush speech of outrage, were a few words altered, equally applies to himself and his regime. He never notices that either.
Guess that's what happens when you rely on divine guidance rather than common sense.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:02 amDoes this affect the internets? How about the Google?
August 4th, 2008 at 10:02 amI like how the answer to the Chinese spying on us is simply "leave your Blackberry at home" rather than actually taking the Chinese to task for spying/authoritarian tactics. Way to stand up for freedom!
August 4th, 2008 at 10:08 amWho will this impact more, the opening ceremony delegation of Bush relatives and high dollar friends or the closing cermony group of diplomats and dignitaries?
August 4th, 2008 at 10:09 amI like how the answer to the Chinese spying on us is simply “leave your Blackberry at home” rather than actually taking the Chinese to task
Not to worry. GDumbya will be personally "invading" China later this week. That'll teach them!
August 4th, 2008 at 10:11 amWhat! Someone is spying on my blackberries? And they won't be ripe for picking for another three weeks!
August 4th, 2008 at 10:14 amMcCain: 'I much prefer Rasberries, but I like Blackberries, too.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:21 amCaption:
August 4th, 2008 at 10:24 amDammit, I had a feeling it wouldn't work, now everyone's doing it.
Once again, the Bush Administration denounces practices by other groups that they themselves are guilty of:
o Wiretapping
August 4th, 2008 at 10:25 amo Torture
o Unilateral militarism
o Nuclear proliferation
o ...ad infinitum.
what? criminal bushies who spy dont want to get spied on? its all about freeDUMB and al-cia-duh right?
what a joke. i hate to miss the olympics this year, but im not watching 1 single event.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:27 amThank god no one would listen in in this country!
August 4th, 2008 at 10:27 amCaption Contest:
"No, Mr. President. This is just a model. The real one is much smaller. And this is the key Karl Rove used to illegally delete all his WH e-mails."
August 4th, 2008 at 10:29 amWell, dang...
How will all them GOOPers keep track of their appointments w/ hookers now?
August 4th, 2008 at 10:36 amI blogged this in March 2007, when the Bush Administration was found out to be using RNC-supplied equipment, run by a 10-person ISP in Chattanooga, TN to do the government's business.
"Rove and GWB43.com - Huge National Security Threat?"
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/3/24/172031/681
Glad they caught up.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:42 amCaption: Yes, Mr. President, this is the same size KKKarl uses.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:01 amCaption Contest:
Now how in the hell am I gonna fit THAT in my pocket?
August 4th, 2008 at 11:08 amAnd, there is also the high probability that their Blackberries will be detained by Fatherland, er, Homeland Security, to be perused, reviewed, downloaded, and possibly returned when they are done. They are going to that red-menace China, you know.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:14 amPhoto caption:
"Mr. President, this is the new CrackBerry Anchor. Addicted people eventually become immobile, never wanting to leave the device. Thus, we can make it whatever size we want!"
August 4th, 2008 at 11:20 amI don't know whether Brownback is exceedingly hypocritical or just plain stupid but he has no business complaing about the Chinese after voting in favor of the new FISA bill. At least in China you know there's no expectation of privacy whereas in this country we have a long standing tradition (or so we thought) of government not intruding into our private lives.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
August 4th, 2008 at 11:20 amHere is a solution, Bush.
Email yourself a copy of the Constitution.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:25 amWon't stop the Chinese spies, but maybe, just maybe, George, you will read it and see WTF it actually says.
The only valuable info China would get is if we're spying on them. Normal communications to & from the USA should not be a problem.
This appears to imply Americans would be transmitting info or data that could be used 'against' China.
Have we made our athletes spies now?
WTF?
August 4th, 2008 at 11:27 amWell, paranoia aside, I work fairly closely with Mobility and BlackBerry devices, and I have two comments on the article:
August 4th, 2008 at 12:25 pm- You can "snoop" on any over the air communication regardless of the underlying technology, it's what you do with the information that you've gathered.
- BlackBerry data communication is encrypted on the device before it's dispatched over the air, which means if it's captured, the person snooping will have to decrypt the data, which would take ages considering BlackBerry uses AES256 encryption, and at the end of the exercise, they may have someones grocery list or a part of a conversation between a couple arguing over the price of gas.
.
It's not domestic spying when America does it...[/snark]
.
August 4th, 2008 at 1:00 pmInteresting. The watchers are watching the watchers. And how does the White House feel now that they are being subject to Chinese spying. Big brother watching you, George.
August 4th, 2008 at 1:27 pmWith apologies to the poster who usually says this:
IOKIYAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 4th, 2008 at 1:37 pmCaption Contest:
"Sir, this is our new Megaberry unit, powered by a candle"
August 4th, 2008 at 6:55 pm