Computer program put Leigh Van Bryan on the “watch list” after Twitter alarm set off – VIDEO
IrishCentral.com
February 3, 2012
Irishman Leigh Van Bryan’s experience with the Department of Homeland Security was horrific. Last month he was put on the “watch list”, interrogated, incarcerated and made to pay for his own deportation all because of some slang he used on Twitter.
The Department of Homeland Security has an automatic algorithm combing social media websites to pick out persons of interest. In December, Van Bryan, who planned on going on vacation to LA with his friend Emily Bunting, tweeted “Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America”. His use of the British slang “destroy” (“to party”) meant his tweets were monitored over the coming weeks.
Paul Quigley, founder of Newswhip.ie, explained in his column on Journal.ie, that the Department of Homeland Security would have picked the Irish tourist’s tweets, out of the daily 250 million posted everyday worldwide, using what is known as the “firehose”.
Read more: Big Brother really is watching — Irish tourist nabbed by US Government due to algorithm
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