Suspicious power usage?

[DrFever]

The power company cannot share your power info with anyone. This is what my dad told me when we specifically talked about pg&e and cannibis growing. He was an executive in a large power company and said its private info between you and your service provider, and they can't narc on you to any law enforcement agency. Power usage is not evidence also, the power company just wants your $$$$$ growing cannabis indoors in good for business

WRONG
Under CISPA, companies can hand “cyber threat information” to any government agency with or without limitations on what agency can receive the information. Generally, the information will be given to a central hub in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). But once it’s in DHS’s hands, the bill says that DHS can then hand the information to other agencies, including the National Security Agency.
Can the government use my private information for other purposes besides “cybersecurity” once it has it?

Yes. Even though the information was passed along to the government for only “cybersecurity purposes”—the government can use your personal information for cybersecurity, investigating any cybersecurity crime or criminal exploitation of minor, protecting individuals from death or serious physical injury, or protecting the national security of the United States. Under the National Security Act, which CISPA amends, national security interests can include:

(i) threats to the United States, its people, property, or interests;

(ii) the development, proliferation, or use of weapons of mass destruction; or

(iii) any other matter bearing on United States national or homeland security.

This broad definition gives the government too much power to use private information without safeguards.

What can I do to stop the government from misusing my private information?

CISPA does allow users to sue the government if it intentionally or willfully uses or retains their information for purposes other than what is permitted by the law. But any such lawsuit will be difficult to bring because it’s not at all clear how an individual would know of such misuse. An individual could not even use transparency laws, like FOIA, to find out, because the information shared is exempt from disclosure.

What i am getting at , is since 911 any and all imformation via your water power bill banking info can be obtained at any given time from authorities with out a search warrant if they can hold you in jail with no charge for eternity what makes you think they cannot obtain your personal info They can if the government can listen look at your texts do not think they cannot look at other areas if they think there is a crime being done

 

[DrFever]

Police suspected a grow-op in Gomboc's home after receiving an anonymous tip, speaking with neighbours, and conducting surveillance of the house. Thinking they didn't have enough evidence to obtain a search warrant, police sought information from the local electricity supplier, Enmax. They received information showing cyclical patterns of electricity use indicative of a grow-op of some sort.

Armed with this information, police sought and obtained a search warrant permitting the search of Gomboc's home - which in turn led to the seizure of 165 kg of bulk marijuana and 206 grams of processed marijuana.

The question for the Court was simple: Should police have obtained prior judicial authorization allowing it to obtain data on Gomboc's energy consumption. The answer to this question turns on whether there is a reasonable expectation of privacy in relation to the consumption data. The Supremes ruled 7-2 there was no reasonable expectation of privacy, but they came to this conclusion in an odd fashion.

Four judges ruled there could be no reasonable expectation of privacy, as the consumption data does not reveal any "intimate details of the lifestyle and personal choices" of any occupant

 

[FunkBomb]

You have no rights, they own you. That was George Carlin back in 2008. He was a smart man. Buy some LED lights to cut out some electrical costs. A few solar panels and 12V deep cycle batteries go a long way too. The list is endless, just like the excuses.

-Funk

 

[Jhhnn]

Police suspected a grow-op in Gomboc's home after receiving an anonymous tip, speaking with neighbours, and conducting surveillance of the house. Thinking they didn't have enough evidence to obtain a search warrant, police sought information from the local electricity supplier, Enmax. They received information showing cyclical patterns of electricity use indicative of a grow-op of some sort.

Armed with this information, police sought and obtained a search warrant permitting the search of Gomboc's home - which in turn led to the seizure of 165 kg of bulk marijuana and 206 grams of processed marijuana.

The question for the Court was simple: Should police have obtained prior judicial authorization allowing it to obtain data on Gomboc's energy consumption. The answer to this question turns on whether there is a reasonable expectation of privacy in relation to the consumption data. The Supremes ruled 7-2 there was no reasonable expectation of privacy, but they came to this conclusion in an odd fashion.

Four judges ruled there could be no reasonable expectation of privacy, as the consumption data does not reveal any "intimate details of the lifestyle and personal choices" of any occupant

That's Canada. They did kinda bend over backwards for the drug warriors, much as in the US. The whole story-

http://ablawg.ca/2011/01/12/is-r-v-...xpectation-of-privacy-or-is-there-more-to-it/

Or, what I offered about greed, above.

The facts that led to Daniel Gomboc standing trial on serious drug-related charges are straightforward. A Calgary police officer in Mr. Gomboc’s neighbourhood on an unrelated incident noticed something unusual about his house: although it was winter, there was no snow on the roof (unlike all the other homes in the area), there was heavy condensation on the windows and the curtains were stained with moisture. The officer referred the matter to the drug unit, which assigned two officers to investigate. They made similar observations, detected the scent of “growing marijuana,” and described the house as sweating profusely. Taking these as indicia that the dwelling was possibly being used as a marijuana grow-op, police subsequently placed the home under surveillance, questioned Mr. Gomboc’s neighbours, and then asked Enmax (the local power supplier) to place a device called a digital recording ammeter (DRA) on the property to monitor the power cycling for it – a request made without a warrant and with which the utility complied. Five days after placing the device on the power line to the house, Enmax released the data to the police, explaining that the DRA had shown unusual power cycling that was inconsistent with typical household usage. Based on the totality of evidence, the police obtained a warrant to search Mr. Gomboc’s home, where they found marijuana plants, several bags of harvested marijuana in the freezer, and various other items associated with the production and sale of marijuana. Mr. Gomboc was charged with possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, production of marijuana and theft of electricity.

Checking the power consumption was just icing on the cake. In many jurisdictions in the US, they'd have obtained a warrant w/o it or obtained a warrant to get it rather easily.

The guy never had a prayer, once the cops saw that his roof was clear, his house was sweating & the windows were iced up.

Cops are trained to notice things, like the obvious. Duh.