“To be clear, Best Buy and Geek Squad have no relationship with the FBI and never have. We have not been trained by the FBI nor have we ever shared customer lists, conducted surveillance or searched customer computers for them. Our policies prohibit Geek Squad agents from accessing customer content other than what is absolutely necessary to solve the customer’s problem so we can maintain their privacy and keep up with our volume of repairs.
"On occasion, our repair agents inadvertently discover material that may be child pornography. They are not looking for it. But when it is discovered, we have a legal and moral obligation to turn that material over to law enforcement. We are proud of our policy and share it with our customers before we begin any repair.”
FBI Surveillance
FBI SURVEILANCE
"To keep the nation safe and take on both domestic and international threats, the FBI relies on a constant stream of intelligence gathered by a team of surveillance professionals.
Surveillance professionals work alongside case agents to discreetly gather intelligence in support of ongoing counterterrorism, foreign counterintelligence and criminal investigations." (According to the FBI job official site)
Surprisingly, the surveillance that should protect our society from any kind of danger would stir up various issues into our normal life.
Apple Refuses to Unlock San Bernardino Shooter's Phone
Apple Refuses FBI's Request to Hack San Bernardino Shooter's iPhone
SAN BERNADINO SHOOTING
San Bernardino shooting is one of the brutal terrorist attacks occurred in San Bernardino California on December 2nd, 2015. 14 people were killed and 21 others were seriously injured in a terrorist attack consisting of a mass shooting and an attempted bombing at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California. The suspects have been identified as 28-year-old Syed Rizwan Farook and 27-year-old Tashfeen Malik. After the shooting, the couple fled in a rented sport utility vehicle (SUV). Later, both were shot and killed in a gunfight with the police.
The case marked one of the highest-profile clashes in the debate over encryption and data privacy between the government and a technology company.
Although noting of real significance has been found on the San Bernardino terrorist's iPhone, which was unlocked by the FBI eventually without the help of Apple. The FBI has not disclosed what method it used to access the data on the iPhone but the method is believed to have been developed by a third party, a private entity, the government has refused to identify.
One of suspects’ iPhone was found in a vehicle the day after the shooting. Unexpectedly FBI Director James Comey alluded to the fact the bureau paid more than $1 million for the method used to disable the security feature of the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone.
A federal judge asked Apple to help the FBI unlock an iPhone belonging to Syed Farook, who was responsible for the shootings in San Bernardino in December which left 14 people dead. The judge asked Apple to provide "reasonable technical assistance" to the U.S. authorities, which would require the technology giant to overhaul the system that disables the phone after 10 unsuccessful password attempts. As consumers suddenly discover they can't keep their most personal information safe. Apple declined to help the FBI.
FBI paid Geek Squad as ‘confidential human sources’
Apple Refuses to Unlock San Bernardino Shooter's Phone. (Youtube)
Investigators say they have been unable to access "encrypted content" on the phone of suspect Syed Rizwan Farook.
Apple Refuses FBI's Request to Hack San Bernardino Shooter's iPhone (Youtube)
The White House has now also called on the tech giant to comply with a judge's order in the hunt for clues in the San Bernardino massacre.
CNN News: What explains the biggest U.S. terror attack since 9/11?
The federal agency trained company technicians on law-enforcement operational tactics, shared lists of targeted citizens and, to covertly increase surveillance of the public, encouraged searches of computers even when unrelated to a customer's request for repairs. Newly unsealed court documents suggest Best Buy has secretly teamed with the FBI to perform completely warrantless searches of customer computers.
In January, the FBI testified against Dr. Mark Albert Rettenmaier, 62, a gynecological oncologist, facing child pornography charges after Geek Squad technicians supposedly located an image of a young naked girl on his computer in 2011. The image was discovered in a section of Rettenmaier’s hard drive where deleted files are stored when he brought it to a Best Buy store for repairs.
Child Porn Case
Best Buy Co Inc. has denied allegations that the FBI used Geek Squad for secret public surveillance. A spokesman said the following:
