The document in question:

http://epic.org/foia/epic-v-dhs-medi...ng-12-2012.pdf

has about 285 pages.

No reference to usenet or google-groups. That's where I'd be looking if
I were looking for signs of "anti-gov't sentiment" or "social unrest".

=====================================

Homeland Security is monitoring the web for anti-government sentiment
and signs of social unrest

http://www.infowars.com/group-forces...drudge-spying/

Group Forces Congressional Hearing On Big Sis’ Twitter, Drudge Spying

Steve Watson
Infowars.com
February 9, 2012

A privacy advocacy group has swayed Congress to hold a hearing next week
into the Department of Homeland Security’s practice of monitoring social
networks such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as media reports and
organizations, including The Drudge Report.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) recently obtained close
to 300 pages of documents, as a result of a Freedom of Information Act
lawsuit, detailing the federal agency’s “intelligence gathering”
practices on the web.

Among the documents were guidelines from DHS instructing outside
contractors to monitor the web for media reports and comments that
“reflect adversely” on the agency or the federal government.

As Reuters reported last month, in early 2010 contractors were asked to
spend 24 hours monitoring news media coverage on popular websites,
including Facebook, Twitter, Hulu, WikiLeaks, as well as news sites
including the Huffington Post and The Drudge Report.

The contractors were required to provide the DHS with feedback on any
potential “threats and hazards”, as well as “any media reports that
reflect adversely on the U.S. Government and the Department of Homeland
Security (D.H.S.) ability to prevent, protect and respond, to recovery
efforts or activities related to any crisis or events which impact
National Planning Scenarios.”

The documents also state that the program should highlight “both
positive and negative reports on FEMA, C.I.A., C.B.P., ICE, etc., as
well as organizations outside of D.H.S.”

The documents obtained by EPIC indicate that following the exercise, a
procurement official awarded an $11.3 million contract to General
Dynamics Advanced Information Systems in order to carry out the
monitoring on a “24/7/365 basis”.

EPIC director Ginger McCall notes that monitoring what people are saying
about government policies goes too far and has a chilling effect on free
speech.

“The Department of Homeland Security’s monitoring of political dissent
has no legal basis and is contrary to core First Amendment principles,”
she said.

“The language in the documents makes it quite clear that they are
looking for media reports that are critical of the agency and the U.S.
government more broadly,” said McCall. “This is entirely outside of the
bounds of the agency’s statutory duties.”

DHS officials have admitted that monitoring of social networks for
negative opinion was undertaken by the agency, but claim that the
operation was a one off test and was quickly dropped as it did not meet
“operational requirements or privacy standards,” which “expressly
prohibit reporting on individuals’ First Amendment activities.”

EPIC argues otherwise and has presented evidence that suggests the
practice is being held up by the DHS an an example that should be
emulated.

“They are completely out of bounds here,” McCall said. “The idea that
the government is constantly peering over your shoulder and listening to
what you are saying creates a very chilling effect to legitimate
dissent.

The Congressional hearing, DHS Monitoring of Social Networking and
Media: Enhancing Intelligence Gathering and Ensuring Privacy, will be
held Thursday February 16th.

However, it is already apparent where the House subcommittee for
intelligence and counter-terrorism stands on the matter. As reported by
Reuters, the top two members of the subcommittee, Rep. Patrick Meehan
(R-PA) and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), wrote to DHS Intelligence Chief
Caryn Wagner last month, pressing her to more carefully monitor users’
posts on sites such as Facebook and Twitter, in order to help detect
“current or emerging threats.”

As we have also previously reported, The DHS has openly announced that
it is actively monitoring social media for signs of “social unrest”, in
a bid to pre-empt any sign of social dislocation within the United
States.