What We Learned from Grandpa’s FBI File

Note to Self

WNYC Studios

Self-improvement, Tech, Note, Npr, Education, Public, Wnyc, Manoush, York, To, New, Self, Radio, Business, Technology, Relationships, City, Society & Culture, Zomorodi, Newtechcity

4.7 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 31 May 2017

⏱️ 19 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Our producer discovered an FBI file on her grandfather. Back then, the big threat was communists. Today, it's terrorists, Occupy and BLM. Maybe even you. And the surveillance methods are a lot less analog.

Support Note to Self by becoming a member today at NotetoSelfRadio.org/donate.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	The FBI
0:02.0	Over 30,000 Americans work there and its goal, according to its website, is to protect
0:10.1	you, your children, your communities and your businesses from the most dangerous threats
0:15.8	facing our nation.
0:18.4	So from terrorists to spies, from cyber villains to corrupt government officials, from mobsters
0:25.0	to violent street gangs, from child predators to serial killers.
0:30.2	Those are their words, not mine, by the way.
0:32.4	That's a lot of people it needs to protect you from, huh?
0:37.9	But how do FBI agents draw a line between, say, the president of the United States conducting
0:43.9	business and obstructing justice?
0:48.2	Or the difference between a domestic terrorist and someone who's just posting a Facebook
0:53.5	update about a march they went to?
0:56.5	Well to draw those lines, the FBI investigates.
0:59.8	In fact, they could be investigating you.
1:05.1	The vast majority don't know.
1:07.4	Most of these folks have no idea what these agencies are doing.
1:12.8	I'm a new summer Odie, and note to self, there are ways to find out if the FBI is watching
1:19.1	you online or off.
1:23.4	Today with the help of note to self senior producer Kat Aron will tell you how.
1:29.2	But first we want to tell you about the tools, digital and analog that the FBI uses to
1:34.4	do its investigating, and the reasons they have for investigating someone in the first place.
1:41.0	And to do that, we need to talk about a law that you may have heard of.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from WNYC Studios, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of WNYC Studios and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.