Re:FBI arrest man over alleged Amazon centre bomb plot
by big_curses on Monday April 12, 2021 @06:20PM
(#26785903)
It of course matters how far they went in interacting with him, but if all it takes for someone to try to bomb a building is another person online going, "do it, I'll sell you a bomb", they should probably not be free and are clearly a danger. If this is mainly due to mental illness, that can and should be considered during the trial as far as punishment/rehabilitation goes, but has no bearing on the fact that they were willing to bomb a building.
Re:FBI arrest man over alleged Amazon centre bomb plot
by ahelwer on Monday April 12, 2021 @06:26PM
(#26785952)
This is a very unrealistic idea of how these cases usually play out. I linked this article elsewhere in the thread: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/fbi-entrap...
Re:FBI arrest man over alleged Amazon centre bomb plot
by shadowgovt on Monday April 12, 2021 @06:18PM
(#26785880)
I'm afraid I don't see the relationship between the notion of catfishing one's significant other and setting up a honeypot for somebody seeking weapons to harm other people. The arrested individual wasn't married to the FBI agent, and I don't think anybody reasonable maintains a similar trust relationship with either strangers or government agents to the one that they maintain with their significant others. Can you clarify your meaning?
Re:FBI arrest man over alleged Amazon centre bomb plot
by ahelwer on Monday April 12, 2021 @06:23PM
(#26785928)
The people generally aren't seeking weapons to harm other people, or at most have very angry thoughts about some target. The feds do their research. They gain their trust. They play on their fears & desires. They suggest the crime.
Re:FBI arrest man over alleged Amazon centre bomb plot
by shadowgovt on Monday April 12, 2021 @06:44PM
(#26786116)
It appears juries have concluded that people that suggestible cannot be trusted in open society (based on the Buzzfeed article you linked to).
To make it more clear: trying to hack a computer system does not change that system. Trying to convince a person to carry out an attack (via social pressure, provision of materiel, planning, etc.) definitely changes that person.
I mean really, the more I think about this the more ridiculous it gets. Imagine coming up with an online persona to try to seduce your significant other with all your personal knowledge about them, as a form of penetration testing. We rightly view people who do this as being very controlling & insecure - not normal or justifiable behavior at all, and it materially changes your relationship with them regardless of how it turns out!