Innocent victims: NSA gathered data about more ordinary web users than targets

We already knew that the dragnet style of data collection employed by the NSA resulted in a huge level of collateral damage. As revealed by whistle-blower Edward Snowden the agency had been intercepting huge amounts of web traffic — often with the assistance of web firms — on an almost unbelievable scale. The NSA has tried to improve its public image by playing the national security card, as well as releasing a “transparency report” but there’s no getting away from the fact that countless innocent web users got caught up in the net. But an investigation by the Washington Post reveals the true extent of the impact on the average internet users — and it’s far worse than many thought.

A four-month investigation by the newspaper found that the number of average internet users who had their data intercepted far outweighs the data of targeted individuals. And not just by a bit — by a factor of nine. Data provided to the Washington Post by Edward Snowden shows that an astonishing 900 percent more innocent users than intended targets fell victim to the NSA’s surveillance. (For the purposes of accuracy the exact figures are closer to an 11 to 89 percent split). These are staggering revelations. There has already been very vocal opposition to the NSA’s activities but these were essentially “blind” complaints. Without knowing the scale of operations, it was difficult to know just how upset to be. Nine out of ten people who had their data collected were nothing more than collateral damage caught in the extremely wide net cast by the agency.

It has been said that if individuals have nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear. This misses the point entirely. If this argument was valid, it would be acceptable to have a policeman knock at your front door in the morning and rifle through your underwear drawer on the off-chance that you might be hiding bomb-making equipment there. You know you’re not concealing anything like that anywhere in your house, so this kind of search is not a problem, right? Just as with the NSA’s activity, this would rightly be seen as a huge invasion of privacy.

This is not to say that the NSA’s surveillance was entirely without merit. Among the “legitimate targets” was a bomb manufacturer linked to a terrorist bombing, as well as information about network attackers, secret nuclear projects, and other on-going cases the Post was not able to detail.  But included in the cache of collected data is a huge stash of immensely personal information. The Post describes private photographs of the innocently surveilled: “Scores of pictures show infants and toddlers in bathtubs, on swings, sprawled on their backs and kissed by their mothers. In some photos, men show off their physiques. In others, women model lingerie, leaning suggestively into a webcam or striking risque poses in shorts and bikini tops.” But these people had nothing to hide, so the fact that these most intimate of moments was “intercepted” is just fine, isn’t it?

When talking about the NSA, it’s easy to take the moral high ground merely on principle; it’s worrying easy to forget that there are real, innocent people involved. People who sent private messages, personal images, sensitive documents, and more online under the impression that no one other than the intended recipient would ever cast eyes on them. This is not an unreasonable assumption to have made. Snowden, talking to the Washington Post, explained that he has taken the decision to release this data  to help people engage in informed debate about the surveillance, saying that it was impossible to understand what had taken place “without being able to review some of that surveillance, both the justified and unjustified”. He is not just concerned about what has happened, but also what will come of the collected data. “Even if one could conceivably justify the initial, inadvertent interception of baby pictures and love letters of innocent bystanders,” he added, “their continued storage in government databases is both troubling and dangerous. Who knows how that information will be used in the future?”

Image Credit: Timof / Shutterstock

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Great Yorkshire shows it’s ahead of the game in style and fashion

Up-and-coming designers will be rubbing shoulders with the established elite when they present their collections on the catwalk at England’s premier agricultural and rural showcase.

More than 135,000 visitors are expected to flock to the Great Yorkshire Show when it opens its gates in Harrogate from Tuesday to Thursday July 8-10 for the 156th event.

Many of those thousands of visitors will jostle for the highly-prized front row seats in the popular Skipton Building Society Fashion Pavilion, which plays host to four-times daily fashion shows during each of the three days.

Luxury lingerie and swimwear retailer Rigby and Peller, which opened its first north of England store in Harrogate earlier in the year, has given the event its Royal seal of approval.

The boutique, which holds a Royal warrant, will be presenting colourful swimwear, sarongs and cover-ups on the catwalk at the Great Yorkshire Show for the first time.

Also making its Great Yorkshire Show debut will be internationally acclaimed countrywear specialist Barbour, which celebrates its 120th anniversary this year.

Having teamed up with Boroughbridge-based artist Julie Dodsworth, the company, renowned for defining the essence of true British style, will be unveiling its new autumn/winter collection to show visitors.

Great Yorkshire Show director Bill Cowling is delighted with the line-up for this year’s runway.

“Some of the most famous names in the fashion business began their careers locally, for example Christopher Bailey, creative director and CEO of Burberry and international designer Bruce Oldfield,” said Mr Cowling. “The fashion shows are always one of the highlights of the Great Yorkshire and, apart from being an important part of the event, they enable us to highlight the importance of the textile industry and its links within the region,” he added.

Cleckheaton-based fashion wholesaler Alexia Designs, renowned for its stunning occasion-wear clothing, will be bringing a touch of glamour to the catwalk with its selection of dramatic prom dresses.

And it’s not just about well-known high-street names – the Skipton Building Society Fashion Pavilion is coveted by up-and-coming designers from across the region who vie for the opportunity to present their collections in front of the

fashion-loving show visitors.

Once again, students from Harrogate College of Art and Design and Northallerton College will be unveiling stunning, one-off pieces guaranteed to turn heads.

The talented Harrogate students have been busy putting the finishing touches to their collections in time for the event – designs hitting the catwalk include a dip-dyed silk evening dress created by BA (Hons) Fashion final year student Samantha Henty and mother-of-four Thekla Hall’s upcycled gown created with

men’s shirts and ties.

Students from Hull College of Art and Design and Doncaster College have been invited onto the catwalk this year – all three Hull students’ dramatic bridal outfits, including a funky satin strappy dress with peplum, designed by Alicia Emsley of Cleckheaton, were shortlisted in the 2013 Bridal Buyers Awards.

Keighley-based menswear brand Brook Taverner is back, showcasing its current collection as well as unveiling its new autumn/winter collection featuring Moons fabric woven in Yorkshire while high-street retailer Hobbs is also making a welcome return to the catwalk at the show.

Mr Cowling said: “The catwalk shows enable visitors to see the full cycle of production, from the sheep in the competitive classes, to the sheep shearing and wool production competitions, to the final designs on the runway.”

CREDITS:

Shot on location at Leeds Industrial Museum, once the world’s largest woolen mill.

Photos by Doug Jackson Photography

Hair and Make Up : Bradford College

Models provided by the Kirklees and Calderdale-based fashion agency Morton Gledhill, The Fashion Team.

COVER SHOT: ALEXIA DESIGNS (www.alexiadesigns.com) L to R: Clare wears Blush Prom (style 9800) Powder Blue/Nude dress with clear stones and crystals across a choker, low open back and sheer vertical inserts in skirt, Emily wears (style 9723) Coral Pink dress with elegant jewelled neckline flowing from the sheer panel and across the bust, Charlotte wears (style 9771) a one-shoulder Sapphire dress with shiny circular stones in a geometric pattern and beautiful open back

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