Kicked out of the US over a twitter Joke.

Run_to_da_hills

If you are thinking of travelling to the states watch your mouth on line. This looks like a similar case to the Paul Chambers blow up RobinHood Airport incident two years ago but there is a worrying difference.

Two British tourists were barred from entering America after joking on Twitter that they were going to 'destroy America' and 'dig up Marilyn Monroe'. Leigh Van Bryan, 26, was handcuffed and kept under armed guard in a cell with Mexican drug dealers for 12 hours after landing in Los Angeles with pal Emily Bunting.

The Department of Homeland Security flagged him as a potential threat when he posted an excited tweet to his pals about his forthcoming trip to Hollywood which read: 'Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America'.


What is worse, someone being arrested and deported for an innocent twitter message or the fact that the American Secret Service monitors every electronic message you make in the world?

Looks like another Paul Chambers case only in this incident the message would have been detected by automated US intelligence search robots rather than a physical person accidentally coming across the message.

This type of stuff is a grave concern considering our current government is willing to sign away our civil liberties to US orchestrated pacts such as ATCA, SOPA and PIPA which will similarly trawl through monitor and chastise your personal on line life.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4095372/Twitter-news-US-bars-friends-over-Twitter-joke.html

Do you sit around all day waiting for these kind of stories to pop up? It's all you seem to post about.

MagicMarker

It's the Sun, must be true.

Overheal

Deleted User wrote: »

Do you sit around all day waiting for these kind of stories to pop up? It's all you seem to post about.

He is riding his street cred for reporting on ACTA 2 years before anyone else. Cut him some slack.

My name is URL

What a miserable looking pair of eejits

Old Perry

I told Binladen not to set up that twitter account but no he just wouldn listen.

on the one hand it's a bit stupid to post up something like that with their rep

on the other, that's all a bit scary

It's not really that scary really. Had they said it in an email or a text message, or even a phone call, then I would be concerned. But twitter is a public medium, so it was foolish of him to post something like that.

TheZohanS

Everyone knows the US are very touchy about threats, what did they expect?

Sindri

Google and Facebook already store all your information, even if you change some Google keep it backed up on file any way, Facebook tracks the sites you visit even if you're logged out. Everything you do on-line can be found and these gob****es decided to publicly announce there intentions, what do you expect?

token101

Same as the clowns who go to the check in desk and say 'Yeah, there's a bomb in me bag'. You know it's a joke, they know it's probably a joke, but you're a ****ing idiot. No sympathy. It wouldn't surprise me that they're collecting this kind of info. Your Tweets and Facebook posts are public information, you're making an announcement FFS.

Overheal

It's not a 4th amendment violation or anything either. It's a public site, the information can be viewed by anyone. If the CIA or NSA wants to run a server farm that trawls public twitter messages for threats, they can do that, just as much as google does the same thing to index the web.

Flipside is there are/were a few attempts to try and make it law for ISPs to have to store and record everything that a user does: every website they visit, etc. etc. and basically track the behavior of every user in the US from the back-end. That was shot down as a 4th amendment violation.

CardBordWindow

That's the last time I pay up front for a celebrity body! :mad:

Guy:Incognito

Overheal wrote: »

He is riding his street cred for reporting on ACTA 2 years before anyone else. Cut him some slack.

Even spam is right the (very) odd time.:)

I'm still waiting to be interned after the anti organised crime laws that were passed a couple of years back. I fully expected to be living in a prison camp by now. Who was I to know RTDH would be worng?

link_2007

Sindri wrote: »

Facebook tracks the sites you visit even if you're logged out.

How do they do that? I'm not doubting you, just curious.

Overheal

link_2007 wrote: »

How do they do that? I'm not doubting you, just curious.

Tracking cookies.

davet82

Overheal wrote: »

Tracking cookies.

:eek: chocolate chip? damn facebook ruining everything!

Doc Ruby

Overheal wrote: »

If the CIA or NSA wants to run a server farm that trawls public twitter messages for threats, they can do that, just as much as google does the same thing to index the web.

They do a lot more than that, businesses were advised by the EU to transmit all communications in an encrypted form due to concerns about interception by the Echelon program. Just basically assume every single email, message, phone call, facebook or boards post, anything sent over an electronic medium is wide open to security analysts.

ejmaztec

It looks like the Americans have stolen Germany's sense of humour.:(

Immaculate Pasta

token101 wrote: »

Same as the clowns who go to the check in desk and say 'Yeah, there's a bomb in me bag'. You know it's a joke, they know it's probably a joke, but you're a ****ing idiot. No sympathy. It wouldn't surprise me that they're collecting this kind of info. Your Tweets and Facebook posts are public information, you're making an announcement FFS.

This.

You have to be so careful what you put on the internet. So people think when they put something on facebook, twitter and think oh but it was just a joke etc. but sarcasm rarely translates over the internet and as soon as it's on the internet people will immediately form an opinion of you and like you said it's public knowledge. Once you've posted something that's it, everybody knows, even if you delete it someone could well have copied it. It's very difficult to get rid of your internet presence. It's amazing what a google search of your name can do to your reputation if you're not careful.

So many people lack this basic understanding that once you put something on the internet, it's very hard to get rid of. Kids need to be educated on this in schools otherwise it's going to be worrying times for this next generation :cool:

admiralofthefleet

one of them is from cork so how is he a british tourist?

RichieC

Stupid boys. Being english they should be long used to the all seeing eye of big brother.

antodeco

They look like a pair of dopes. The type who bitch about everyone and then say "we were only messing". Bullying by proxy

Stompbox

antodeco wrote: »

They look like a pair of dopes. The type who bitch about everyone and then say "we were only messing". Bullying by proxy

:rolleyes:

Yahew

Not much sympathy here. I would say that he was using the word "destroy" as in "have a good time with".

It is pretty scary that they are spending all that effort on twitter too. The American authorities are going for the easy option here, well easier. Massive monitoring of twitter in case the next 9/11'ers are orchestrating something in public, and probably one Farsi or Arabic speaker trawling though some random locked down radical islamic sites, without software, non-Roman scripts being to hard to search.

ejmaztec

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

one of them is from cork so how is he a british tourist?

On this occasion, it might be best to leave things alone, and let them keep him.

token101

ejmaztec wrote: »

On this occasion, it might be best to leave things alone, and let them keep him.

Yeah true. Langers like him have no place in our secession plans.

biko

MagicMarker wrote: »

It's the Sun, must be true.

Also here http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/01/30/leigh-van-bryan-and-emily-bunting-banned-from-entering-us-after-twitter-joke-about-destroying-america_n_1241104.html

“I kept saying they had got the wrong meaning from my tweet but they just told me ‘you’ve really f***ed up with that tweet, boy’.”

Niiice

working fool

You need to be careful
Saying that
" the firecracker is in the bigmac . The shoemaker will deliver it at 4pm "

Morlar

My name is URL wrote: »

What a miserable looking pair of eejits

That's probably just the jetlag.

mattjack

Keep typing and posting.... Uncle Sam is watching you all.....

Raging_Ninja

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

If you are thinking of travelling to the states watch your mouth on line. This looks like a similar case to the Paul Chambers blow up RobinHood Airport incident two years ago but there is a worrying difference.

Two British tourists were barred from entering America after joking on Twitter that they were going to 'destroy America' and 'dig up Marilyn Monroe'. Leigh Van Bryan, 26, was handcuffed and kept under armed guard in a cell with Mexican drug dealers for 12 hours after landing in Los Angeles with pal Emily Bunting.

The Department of Homeland Security flagged him as a potential threat when he posted an excited tweet to his pals about his forthcoming trip to Hollywood which read: 'Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America'.


What is worse, someone being arrested and deported for an innocent twitter message or the fact that the American Secret Service monitors every electronic message you make in the world?

Looks like another Paul Chambers case only in this incident the message would have been detected by automated US intelligence search robots rather than a physical person accidentally coming across the message.

This type of stuff is a grave concern considering our current government is willing to sign away our civil liberties to US orchestrated pacts such as ATCA, SOPA and PIPA which will similarly trawl through monitor and chastise your personal on line life.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4095372/Twitter-news-US-bars-friends-over-Twitter-joke.html

I've yet to see legislation where foreign nationals must be allowed entry to a country. In the end he was merely refused entry - he didn't go to prison, he was just held in custody and questioned before being put on a flight back.

Yahew wrote: »

It is pretty scary that they are spending all that effort on twitter too. The American authorities are going for the easy option here, well easier. Massive monitoring of twitter in case the next 9/11'ers are orchestrating something in public, and probably one Farsi or Arabic speaker trawling though some random locked down radical islamic sites, without software, non-Roman scripts being to hard to search.

Its all one great big internet.

hatrickpatrick

Overheal wrote: »

It's not a 4th amendment violation or anything either. It's a public site, the information can be viewed by anyone. If the CIA or NSA wants to run a server farm that trawls public twitter messages for threats, they can do that, just as much as google does the same thing to index the web.

Flipside is there are/were a few attempts to try and make it law for ISPs to have to store and record everything that a user does: every website they visit, etc. etc. and basically track the behavior of every user in the US from the back-end. That was shot down as a 4th amendment violation.

No, but it is a 1st amendment violation, surely?
And besides, anyone with half a brain knows that "destroy" in this context is clearly a slang metaphor, in the same way as you might say you "destroyed" a gaff or club, IE had a massive session in it.

Fear Uladh

American't believe it.

LighterGuy

That is insane :eek:
So some guy made a joke on twitter, and then homeland security held him upon entry?

its pretty obvious how they knew. flagged words used such as 'Destroy america' brought it to their attention... Therefore every twitter is being monitered. Facebook has to be too.

Raging_Ninja

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

No, but it is a 1st amendment violation, surely?
And besides, anyone with half a brain knows that "destroy" in this context is clearly a slang metaphor, in the same way as you might say you "destroyed" a gaff or club, IE had a massive session in it.

You only have 1st amendment rights inside the US. He's a foreign national and the comments were made before he entered the country. He got to customs, was questioned and was refused entry.

Yahew

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

Its all one great big internet.

Yeah? Not for locked down forums it aint. It would take a bit of work to track those though.

Raging_Ninja

Yahew wrote: »

Yeah? Not for locked down forums it aint. It would take a bit of work to track those though.

You'd be surprised. If it's conected to the internet, people can get onto it whether you want it or not.

Yahew

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

You'd be surprised. If it's conected to the internet, people can get onto it whether you want it or not.

That's me signing out of my online banking options.

ejmaztec

It was all a ruse to distract Homeland Security from the truck-load of nukes heading north across the Mexican border.

nyarlothothep

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

If you are thinking of travelling to the states watch your mouth on line. This looks like a similar case to the Paul Chambers blow up RobinHood Airport incident two years ago but there is a worrying difference.

Two British tourists were barred from entering America after joking on Twitter that they were going to 'destroy America' and 'dig up Marilyn Monroe'. Leigh Van Bryan, 26, was handcuffed and kept under armed guard in a cell with Mexican drug dealers for 12 hours after landing in Los Angeles with pal Emily Bunting.

The Department of Homeland Security flagged him as a potential threat when he posted an excited tweet to his pals about his forthcoming trip to Hollywood which read: 'Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America'.


What is worse, someone being arrested and deported for an innocent twitter message or the fact that the American Secret Service monitors every electronic message you make in the world?

Looks like another Paul Chambers case only in this incident the message would have been detected by automated US intelligence search robots rather than a physical person accidentally coming across the message.

This type of stuff is a grave concern considering our current government is willing to sign away our civil liberties to US orchestrated pacts such as ATCA, SOPA and PIPA which will similarly trawl through monitor and chastise your personal on line life.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4095372/Twitter-news-US-bars-friends-over-Twitter-joke.html

What I find most worrying is that someone reading those messages thought "durr must arrest terrorists!" I cannot understand this psychology/mentality present in these authority figures whatsoever.

Doc Ruby

LighterGuy wrote: »

its pretty obvious how they knew. flagged words used such as 'Destroy america' brought it to their attention... Therefore every twitter is being monitered. Facebook has to be too.

Everything is monitored, emails, text messages on your phone, phone calls, posts on boards, google searches, downloads, facebook, everything. Watch that documentary Enemy of the State for more information.

Thats not to say there's some lad in a dark suit and shades sitting in front of a bank of monitors saying right, lets see what LighterGuy is up to today, it's monitored by programs which are tuned to watch for certain key phrases or combinations of activities which have been deemed suspicious. If something gets noticed, then you get the guy in the suit looking at it.

Raging_Ninja

Yahew wrote: »

That's me signing out of my online banking options.

You're right to do that. All you need is spyware on your computer, and people would be able to see what details you're entering to gain access to your bank account information. As these things go, that would be fairly straightforward.

Besides, the Echelon project searches through pretty much every form of electronic communication out there (beyond dedicated hardlines), searching for keywords etc, flagging suspicious messages to be analysed.

Irish Steve

Puts a whole new meaning on the langers that post things like "destroyed the bog before boarding the flight":D

How long will it before we hear about "Americans admit to becoming paranoid about being paranoid!"

Temptamperu

working fool wrote: »

You need to be careful
Saying that
" the firecracker is in the bigmac . The shoemaker will deliver it at 4pm "

A winks as good as a nudge to a blind bat

Gordon

This didn't happen on Twitter, it happened on tweeter apparently:

Freddie59

Two eejits. Rather than some BB conspiracy, there is every chance it was either:

* Stumbled upon.

* Reported.

RichieC

Freddie59 wrote: »

Two eejits. Rather than some BB conspiracy, there is every chance it was either:

* Stumbled upon.

* Reported.

Patriot act.

Freddie59

RichieC wrote: »

Patriot act.

They were fcuked out for being two thickeens really.

Cianos

Freddie59 wrote: »

They were fcuked out for being two thickeens really.

It's one thing saying "I have a bomb lol" to the check in desk, it's another tweeting something so meaningless and unspecific.

How many times have you heard bands etc rattle on about "conquering America"...it's the same thing.

When censorship reaches this level of paranoia, lacking any application of common sense at the mercy of individual freedom it does well to reinforce the climate of fear often spoken about.