Yahoo Emails Scanned For U.S. Intelligence

Yahoo secretly scanned customer emails for U.S. intelligence '
Joseph Menn | Reuters

"The company complied with a classified U.S. government demand, scanning hundreds of millions of Yahoo Mail accounts at the behest of the National Security Agency or FBI, said three former employees and a fourth person apprised of the events."

DUH !Does anyone really believe all providers don't. Nothing new to see here.

I can take you back the 40's or 50's when there were only five overseas cables. Western Union and the telephone providers were accused of monitoring them as well. There's nothing new about this.

No one should think for a minute anything they do via electronics in any form (smart TV's, cordless/smart phones, any of the social media sites etc.) whatsoever isn't being watched and hasn't been watched for decades.

Many moons ago I use to be a scanner and shortwave radio enthusiast. I subscribed to Bob Grove's magazine "Monitoring Times". Briefly stated he began by monitoring the FBI radios which brought the FBI to his home for questioning about his activities after a neighbor reported him. As he explained in one of his articles, anything that goes out over the airwaves as RF is susceptible to eavesdropping. All of this was long before the internet. Even though his magazine has ceased publication I'm certain what was said of wireless broadcasts could be equally applied to what the internet has become today.

When it comes to electronic communications it should be assumed where there's a will to eavesdrop there will always be a way. I don't think anyone should assume when they use any form of electronic communication their business is completely private. There are hackers who do it just for the hellva of it. Government enforcement who has their own concerns, legitimate and some not so legitimate businesses looking to make a buck.

So I see no reason why Yahoo users should get their panties in a bunch like this should come as a shock. There's nothing I ever emailed, posted or communicated that I didn't have this awareness in mind. Nor should anyone else who should be aware anything they say or do is vulnerable to those who are so inclined.

Throughout history anything written down or communicated in anyway whatsoever always has been vulnerable.

NO BIG DEAL.