With only 1% of Edward Snowden’s earth-shattering documents being published by The Guardian (with the worst yet to come, I’m sure), the true level at which the NSA tapped into our private lives might not ever be known. As illuminated by The Guardian today, one way in which the NSA protected our privacies was by creating sucker accounts on Xbox Live and World of Warcraft. Since 2008, the NSA and the United Kingdom’s GCHQ created Xbox Live, World of Warcraft, and Second Life accounts to scour for any illicit, terrorist plans.
So far, the documents released haven’t indicated whether the NSA/GCHQ gamers came across any terrorist plots, but that’s not to say none were found. According to the leaked documents, the operation grew so large that a “deconfliction group” was planned to ensure NSA and GCHQ agents weren’t spying on fellow NSA and GCHQ agents. How does it make you feel knowing government money was spent funding agents who spent their days going on raids, tea bagging counter-terrorists, and flying around fake cities?
[via Engadget]