A WIRED investigation uncovered coordinates collected by a controversial data broker that reveal sensitive information about visitors to an island once owned by Epstein, the notorious sex offender.

Archived version: https://archive.ph/tBv7z

  • pelespirit
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    9 months ago

    Is this a long winded warning that this information is out there? They name no names, just infer, and then say that we need our privacy at the end. Am I wrong that this seems like a call to arms so that people know how to fight this information coming out?

    Near Intelligence, for example, tracked devices visiting Little St. James from locations in 80 cities crisscrossing 26 US states and territories, with Florida, Massachusetts, Texas, Michigan, and New York topping the list. The coordinates point to mansions in gated communities in Michigan and Florida; homes in Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket in Massachusetts; a nightclub in Miami; and the sidewalk across the street from Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

    • the post of tom joad
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      9 months ago

      Yeah, where’s the beef? If they have location data of the pedophiles can’t they share what they have? With the police as well? I got the same feeling you did… Trying to play devil’s advocate, the most charitable reason i can think of that they’re being so coy is the location data implicates people with the power to crush them.

      • pelespirit
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        9 months ago

        I’m sure people who sued Epstein, Prince Andrew, etc., would have wanted those locations. If they could prove they were both there during that time, a lot of litigation would have been settled much faster. Also, maybe (I doubt it) some of those people could have been stopped.

      • Corkyskog
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        9 months ago

        Isn’t their business model to sell this shit? Probably looking for the highest bidder. Maybe we can crowdsource the funds?

    • Sunforged@lemmy.ml
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      9 months ago

      Nah the calls for privacy is because the same cell data that tracks the pedophiles also contains data that could track the victims.

      While many of the coordinates captured by Near point to multimillion-dollar homes in numerous US states, others point to lower-income areas where Epstein victims are known to have lived and attended school, including areas of West Palm Beach, Florida, where police and a private investigator say they located around 40 of Epstein’s victims. "Most of the clients who come to me, their number one concern is privacy and safety,” says attorney Lisa Bloom, who represented 11 of Epstein’s alleged victims. “It’s deeply concerning to think that any sexual abuse victims’ location will be tracked and then stored and then sold to someone, who can presumably do whatever they want with it.”

    • treadful@lemmy.zip
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      9 months ago

      It’s not just perpetrators though.

      "Most of the clients who come to me, their number one concern is privacy and safety,” says attorney Lisa Bloom, who represented 11 of Epstein’s alleged victims. “It’s deeply concerning to think that any sexual abuse victims’ location will be tracked and then stored and then sold to someone, who can presumably do whatever they want with it.”

      • pelespirit
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        9 months ago

        A lot of those victims want corroboration though. Also, they could at least release the known repeat attendees.

        • the post of tom joad
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          9 months ago

          have you seen quotes are you sure that the victims would want/need this corroboration? (Not trying to argue, just asking) If I’m understanding this correctly bad actors could use this to identify victims and “epstein” em, so i can see why Lisa Bloom would be worried.

          Edit: i phrased that poorly

  • Syn_Attck@lemmy.today
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    9 months ago

    RIP in piece to the edgelords who spoofed their GPS coordinates to Little Saint James Island to post a fake check-in status on Facebook and Twitter.

  • JamesTBagg@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    It’s odd that much of this traffic to the island happened AFTER Epstein’s conviction and “suicide.” Though, I would be wary of mishandling this data: just like not everyone who attends catholic church is a child molester, maybe not everyone who visited that island had nefarious machinations.

    • Syn_Attck@lemmy.today
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      9 months ago

      odd that much of this traffic to the island happened AFTER Epstein’s conviction and “suicide.”

      There were a lot of people going near there with drones, etc, to get video of the island as well. If nothing else, I’m glad this is doing something to bring the crazy unethical sale of location data to everyone’s attention. The FBI isn’t supposed to track someone to get this information without a warrant, but when it’s on the free market they can just pay for it, and it’s all above board. Plenty of articles about it. Even your local small town PD or the DEA or any interested business can do it. It’s the easiest way to track someone if you have money and they go everywhere with their phone, and there’s never a physical GPS tracker to find.

      maybe not everyone

      I’d be dumbstruck if every rich client who was woo’d by Epstein in his multibillion dollar money management for the obscenely rich was involved in his sex ring. In fact I’d be incredibly surprised if it was even a quarter of them. Sure, people who seek power and wealth are often involved in bad things, but this is on another level, and it’s usually an open secret who the creeps are. Plus even if they were deviants, there has to be a level of self-preservation… “A few of my friends have told me about this ‘service’, too many people know and this has been going on a long time and he’s going to get caught soon, he already has a record as a sex offender, I’m not letting him videotape me and ruin my freedom when I can pay someone’s family in a poor country $10,000 and have my pick of the litter.”

      But knowing and looking the other way? Well, these are people who exploit people for a living. Every billionaire is cutthroat and willing to keep their mouths shut if it will make benefit them.