[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-12/china-tec...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Personnel_Management...
They can verify what has been reported on sf-86 vs what might be found from this service. Any affairs or issues not reported are ripe for blackmail. Possibilities are endless as they say.
When you look at some of the common methods intelligence adversaries use to ensnare assets (extortion, money, exploiting sympathies, stroking egos, revenge, etc.) the information in these hacks are a treasure trove the likes of which may never have been seen before. I can't imagine the various powers that be in the US Gov't are ready for the espionage threat posed by this..
I'm willing to bet that the devastating compromises thanks to the OPM hack have already happened, and that they're either classified, or, even scarier, the USG doesn't even know about them yet (e.g. people blackmailed into being spies who haven't yet been caught).
And even then, our counter-espionage resources in all likelihood are not enough to address a massive increase in the threat.
And I'd suspect that there are more than a few married (nominally heterosexual) men seeking out extramarital affairs on Grindr.
Absolutely when cross-referenced with information from OPM database. Employee with TS/SCI clearance working on a <military project X> hasn't reported reported his gay affairs (that his wife might not know about even). The Chinese find out, approach him and make him an offer "Look buddy, how 'bout we become friends. You just tell us what you know and we'll give you some money and most importantly keep quiet about your meeting with your secret partner on such and such dates or places?"
Or, "Lets not become friends. You can tell my wife. She thought it'd be fun to do that!" aaaaand so much for that blackmail. And just don't forget to tell the security officer that someone tried funny shit.
If so, I consider all those that had their Grindr info stolen or even just acquired by individuals that may have less moral qualms about selling it to those that would use it for ill patriots who suffered for us all.
Depending on how many influential people they can black mail already, it could be too late. A would be blackmailer isn't going to give up their method of control.
To be clear, this is public profile information displayed to any user of the Grindr app.
There's a very strong chance that this is illegal in many states in the US as well (not sure about federal law).
The same goes for situations like bankruptcies and 'bad leavers', there is absolutely no way short of airtight procedures and implementations to guard your privacy over the length the data resides with some company. And for most companies that means 'forever' so even the smallest chances tend to sooner or later materialize. In almost every company that I've looked at over the last couple of years (including medical, fintech and so on) there was always at least one person and usually more that had unfettered access to all the data, either in bulk or through some convenient interface.
I'm not even sure this can be fixed anymore, but I am also not going to give up.
The standard example is how the Netherlands were rather religiously tolerant, but used to keep track of Jews for tax collection purposes before WW2. Then when the Nazis arrived, they had all the records they needed to achieve their goals.
Who knows what will happen in the future, and how currently harmless data could be used by new actors then.
I wrote about that exact example:
It used to be common to tax different religions in a different way in some countries of Europe. Even today in Germany you are legally required to pay taxes to your church, and I have read multiple accounts of French expatriates who have discovered this only after a year of working in Germany, and getting significant amounts of back taxes to pay, as well as being required to be debaptised, etc, if they wanted to stop paying for that.
In France that would be unthinkable, but every country has its customs.
1. If it bothers the Germans, why don't they change it? Is there some concordat that makes it difficult?
2. Do I really have a right to comment given that I'm not German? Does it really makes sense for you to apply what are presumably post-revolution, secular French standards to Germany?
3. "co-opted by the church to act as their debt collectors " -- sounds conspiratorial. You think the Church is all-powerful and able to do that? Tithing isn't new.
4. "disgusting and no longer of this day and age" -- appeals to time period are rather silly. We're not talking about fashion, and it's important not to fall prey to the Idol of Progress.
5. Interesting that more religious countries, like Germany's neighbor Poland, have no such tax.
The church is still very powerful in Germany.
> Do I really have a right to comment given that I'm not German?
You have a right to your opinion about what is happening in a country even if you are not living there.
> Does it really makes sense for you to apply what are presumably post-revolution, secular French standards to Germany?
It is fairly exceptional to see the state harnessed to do a private institution's bidding like this.
> "co-opted by the church to act as their debt collectors " -- sounds conspiratorial. You think the Church is all-powerful and able to do that? Tithing isn't new.
That it isn't new doesn't mean there is a place for it today. The state and the church should be firmly separated. In Germany this is - not yet - the case.
> "disgusting and no longer of this day and age" -- appeals to time period are rather silly. We're not talking about fashion, and it's important not to fall prey to the Idol of Progress.
It's not the 15th century any more.
> Interesting that more religious countries, like Germany's neighbor Poland, have no such tax.
My point exactly.
Source? Curious to read more about this.
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/gqmym3/how-the-mafia-once...
I had never heard this before, but it is easy enough to find it. There are at least a couple of other articles that readily came up.
Blackmail probably existed but it was just a great opportunity to sell drugs and booze in illegal bars.
When you hit the nadir of NYC in the 70s, it was difficult to make sales tax payments with all of the leeches attached to the business.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/stonewal...
Someone’s HIV status, for example, could definitely expose them to social stigma. Is that a problem? Yeah; but it doesn’t change human behavior — there are some things we would prefer to keep private.
If that's the case I agree with them. How many people with secret and top secret clearance have exploitable (or compromised by design) 'smart' devices in their home or could be blackmailed using data in possession of these services? Then there's the whole mass election manipulation angle which just adds to the problem.
The social and 'smart device' panopticon opens the potential for a completely remote cyber-invasion and takeover of the country by a foreign actor. It would be the first full-scale invasion with not only no shots fired but no actual physical army on the ground. I don't think this is really all that sci-fi.
Maybe we are getting close to this point?
Seems like situations that result in direct pressure on the legislators would be more productive than ones involving us, their “employers”...
In general, most people would say that the short-term financial outcome is not the only important factor.
-Seducing and blackmailing a hot female enemy agent. I love the honey pot.
https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_script...
https://www.channel4.com/news/cambridge-analytica-revealed-t...
Seems like blackmail works just fine!