Internet Explorer 10 privacy statement for Windows 7 Last update: December 2012

Internet Explorer 10 privacy statement for Windows 7

Last update: December 2012

At Microsoft, we're working hard to protect your privacy while delivering products that bring you the performance, power, and convenience you desire in your personal computing. This Internet Explorer 10 (“Internet Explorer”) privacy statement for Windows 7 focuses on features that communicate with the Internet, explains how those features collect your data, and describes the way that data is used. This privacy statement focuses on features that communicate with the Internet. It doesn’t apply to other online or offline Microsoft sites, products, or services. Internet Explorer has certain features that may impact or help you to protect your privacy. The sections below describe some of these features and how to change their settings.

Internet basics

Internet Explorer is designed to make it easy to browse and interact with websites on your intranet or on the Internet. Whenever you use the Internet, or software with Internet-enabled features, information about your computer ("standard computer information") is sent to the websites you visit and online services you use. Standard computer information includes your computer's IP address, browser type and language, access times, and referring website addresses. This information might be logged on those sites' web servers. Which information is logged and how that information is used depends on the privacy practices of the websites you visit and web services you use.

Web browsing features that store data

ActiveX Filtering

ActiveX Controls are pieces of software that supplement how your browser works. For example, some ActiveX Controls can play audio, video, or show images on a webpage. These controls may have an impact on the performance, security, and reliability of Internet Explorer. ActiveX Filtering lets you browse the web with these controls turned off. When you view a webpage that has had ActiveX Controls filtered out, some content on the page might be disabled.

If you choose to turn on ActiveX Filtering, you can turn ActiveX Controls back on for a single website by clicking the ActiveX Filtering icon in the Address bar. When you turn off ActiveX Filtering on a website, Internet Explorer stores the address of the website on which you have chosen to disable ActiveX Filtering. You can delete this data at any time with Delete Browsing History.

To turn on ActiveX Filtering

• Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, point to Safety, and then click ActiveX Filtering.

To turn off ActiveX Filtering

• Open Internet Explorer, click the Filter button in the Address bar, and then click Turn off ActiveX Filtering.

To turn off ActiveX Filtering on all websites

• Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, point to Safety, and then click ActiveX Filtering.

Application compatibility logging

This feature in Internet Explorer is designed for use by developers and IT professionals to determine the compatibility of their websites with Internet Explorer. When you activate this feature, Internet Explorer logs data points about your interaction with webpages in an event log, which can be viewed with the Windows Event Viewer. These events describe failures that might have happened on the site and can include information about specific controls and webpages that failed. By default, this information can be viewed by all users on the computer unless an administrator restricts this access. For more information about logs and the use of the Windows Event Viewer, search Windows Help for "Event Viewer".

AutoComplete

The AutoComplete feature in Internet Explorer lets you more quickly fill out web forms and go to websites you have visited in the past. AutoComplete collects and stores in the registry on your computer the data you type in web form text boxes and the Address bar. If you choose to use AutoComplete for passwords, they'll be stored in encrypted form on your computer. AutoComplete information is not shared with other user accounts on your computer.

The first time you submit a web form, you will see a message box that asks if you'd like to turn the AutoComplete functionality on.

To turn AutoComplete off

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
2. On the Content tab, under AutoComplete, click Settings.
3. In the AutoComplete Settings dialog box, clear the appropriate check boxes for the options you don't want to use, and then click OK.

To clear AutoComplete history

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
2. On the General tab, under Browsing history, click Delete.
3. In the Delete Browsing History dialog box, select the Form data and Passwords check boxes, click Delete, and then click OK.

Note

• To clear web address entries, you must select the History check box, which also deletes your browsing history.

Automatic Crash Recovery

As you browse the web, Automatic Crash Recovery in Internet Explorer stores information about your browsing session on your hard disk in the event of a crash, hang, or other unexpected shutdown. If your browsing session is shut down unexpectedly, Internet Explorer offers you the opportunity to resume your last browsing session.

Automatic Crash Recovery stores the following information:

• The web address (URL) of the webpage in each tab.
• Each tab's back/forward history (every site you visited in a tab in the order you visited them).
• The arrangement and ordering of the tabs.
• Data typed into web forms.

To turn off Automatic Crash Recovery

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
2. On the Advanced tab, under Browsing, clear the Enable automatic crash recovery check box, and then click OK.

Note

• Turning off Automatic Crash Recovery does not prevent Internet Explorer from saving information about your tabs; it only disables the recovery of your tabs or browsing session. None of this information is sent to Microsoft unless you choose to send it, such as in an error report.

Compatibility List Updates

For better website and PC hardware compatibility, you can turn on Compatibility List Updates. Compatibility Lists include, for example:

• Lists of websites that were designed for older or other browsers, which allow Internet Explorer to automatically adjust how it renders or communicates with those websites in order to improve compatibility and provide for a better user experience on those sites.
• Lists of hardware devices, particularly graphics hardware, that have known compatibility problems, so that Internet Explorer can avoid using these devices when rendering web content.
• Lists of popular web addresses that Internet Explorer provides as suggestions when the user is typing in the Address bar.

If you choose this option, Internet Explorer will periodically download an updated list of Compatibility settings from Microsoft, and standard computer information will be sent. You can turn off Compatibility List Updates at any time.

Compatibility View

Compatibility View helps make websites designed for older browsers look better when viewed in Internet Explorer. If you choose to view a website in Compatibility View, as a convenience to you, Internet Explorer will remember this choice and use Compatibility View the next time you visit the site. You can clear the list of websites you've chosen to display in Compatibility View by using Delete browsing history in Internet Explorer or the Compatibility View Settings dialog box.

To clear the list of Compatibility View websites

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, point to Safety, and then click Delete browsing history.
2. In the Delete Browsing History dialog box, select the History check box, and then click Delete.

To view or modify the Compatibility View settings on your computer

• Open Internet Explorer, press the Alt key, click Tools on the menu bar, and then click Compatibility View settings.

Controlling cookies

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a small text file that is placed on your hard disk by a website. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a website or web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer.

A cookie is often used to personalize your visit to a website or to save you time. For example, to facilitate a purchase the cookie could contain shopping cart information such as your current selection, as well as contact information such as your name or email address. To help websites track individual visitors, cookies often contain a unique identifier. It is up to the website that created the cookie to disclose to you what information is stored in the cookie and how that information is used.

Blocking cookies

You can accept or decline cookies. If you decide to block one or more cookies, the websites that use them might not function correctly. For example, if you do not allow cookies at all, you might not be able to view some websites or take advantage of customization features (such as local news and weather, or stock quotes).

To block all cookies

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
2. On the Privacy tab, move the slider up to Block All Cookies. With this setting, websites will not be able to store cookies on your computer.

Note

• Blocking all cookies might prevent you from accessing many websites. The next two Internet Explorer privacy levels, High and Medium High, might be more suitable. In addition, it is possible to block a cookie for a specific site by clicking Sites on the Privacy tab. For more information, see Internet Explorer Help.

Removing old cookies

Cookies previously saved to your hard disk can still be read unless you remove them.

To remove all of your existing cookies

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
2. On the General tab, under Browsing history, click Delete.
3. In the Delete Browsing History dialog box, select the Cookies and website data check box.
4. If you want to keep cookies associated with your saved favorites from being removed, select the Preserve Favorites website data check box.
5. Click Delete, and then click OK.

History

The History folder in Internet Explorer contains a list of links to the websites and Windows shell locations (drives and folders) you have visited recently.

To stop saving history

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
2. Under Browsing history, click Settings.
3. On the History tab, set the number of days to keep pages in history to 0, and then click OK.

Note

• To turn off History temporarily, you can use InPrivate Browsing. Click the Tools button, point to Safety, and then click InPrivate Browsing.

Enhanced Protected Mode

Enhanced Protected Mode provides additional security for Internet Explorer by making it more difficult for malicious software to run in Internet Explorer. Enhanced Protected Mode is disabled by default for Internet Explorer.

If you choose to turn on Enhanced Protected Mode and you visit a website which uses an Add-on that isn’t compatible with Enhanced Protected Mode, you will be offered a choice to disable Enhanced Protected Mode for that site so that the Add-on will be allowed to run, or to ignore future prompts about that Add-on. Internet Explorer stores the addresses of the websites on which you have chosen to either disable Enhanced Protected Mode or ignore future prompts. You can delete this data at any time with Delete Browsing History.

To turn Enhanced Protected Mode on or off

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, click Internet options.
2. On the Advanced tab, under Settings, do one of the following:
   • To turn Enhanced Protected Mode on, check the Enable Enhanced Protected Mode check box.
   • To turn Enhanced Protected Mode off, uncheck the Enable Enhanced Protected Mode check box.

To use the Delete Browsing History feature

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, point to Safety, and then click Delete browsing history.
2. In the Delete Browsing History dialog box, select the History check box, and then click Delete.

Manage Add-ons

Manage Add-ons in Internet Explorer lets you view, enable, and disable the list of add-ons that can be loaded by Internet Explorer. Add-ons you can manage include browser helper objects, ActiveX controls, toolbar extensions, explorer bars, browser extensions, search providers, Accelerators, and Tracking Protection settings.

Some add-ons could collect information from your computer or otherwise impact your privacy. If an add-on you are using is provided by a company other than Microsoft, the use of any information collected will be subject to that company's privacy practices. If you choose to disable an add-on, the add-on might require you to restart Internet Explorer for the change to take effect.

To view or modify the add-ons on your computer

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Manage add-ons.
2. Under Show, click All add-ons, and then do either of the following:
   • To disable an add-on, click it, and then click Disable.
   • To enable an add-on, click it, and then click Enable.
3. Click Close.

Note

• Disabling an add-on does not remove it from your computer. It only prevents Internet Explorer from running the add-on's code—it does not prevent other software from using the add-on. Some add-ons also can be deleted from your computer by using Manage Add-ons.
  If an add-on is disabled or deleted, website pages that rely on that add-on may not work as expected. For more information about add-ons, click the "Learn more about toolbars and extensions" help link in Manage Add-ons.

Pop-up Blocker

Pop-up Blocker in Internet Explorer helps block most unwanted pop-up windows from appearing without blocking the pop-up windows you deliberately open. Pop-up Blocker is turned on by default.

To turn off Pop-up Blocker

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
2. On the Privacy tab, under Pop-up Blocker, clear the Turn on Pop-up Blocker check box, and then click OK.

To access the Pop-up Blocker settings

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
2. On the Privacy tab, under Pop-up Blocker, click Settings.

Note

• Not all pop-up windows can be blocked with Pop-up Blocker. For more information, see Internet Explorer Help.

Features that help you control your data

Delete Browsing History

With one click, Delete Browsing History in Internet Explorer lets you clear website passwords that you asked Internet Explorer to save, entries in the Internet Explorer history folder, web form data, temporary Internet files, cookies, the Last Tab Group, and files and settings stored by some Internet Explorer add-ons that have been saved on your computer. You can also clear some of these items individually, as explained in the "Removing old cookies" and "AutoComplete" sections of this privacy statement. Internet Explorer will remember the items you’ve chosen to delete in the Delete Browsing History dialog and will delete the same items the next time you delete your browsing history in any instance of Internet Explorer.

To use the Delete Browsing History feature

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, point to Safety, and then click Delete browsing history.
2. In the Delete Browsing History dialog box, select the items to delete (Temporary Internet files, cookies, history, Download History, form data, passwords, ActiveX Filtering and Tracking Protection data).
3. To keep data associated with your saved favorites, select the Preserve Favorites website data check box.
4. Click Delete, and then click OK.

Do Not Track

When you visit a website in any browser, you automatically share information with that website, such as cookies, your IP address, and other standard computer information. If the website contains content provided by a third-party website (for example a map, advertisement, or web measurement tools such as a web beacon or scripts), some information about you may be automatically sent to the content provider. This type of arrangement has several benefits: For example, you can access third-party content conveniently, and the presence of advertising on a website you are visiting may let the website provide access to premium content at no charge. There can, however, be an impact to your privacy as a result, because it is possible for the content providers to track you across multiple websites.

When the Do Not Track feature in Internet Explorer is turned on, Internet Explorer will send a Do Not Track request to the websites you visit and to the third parties whose content is hosted on those sites to let the sites know that you would prefer not to be tracked. Websites may continue to engage in activities you might view as tracking even though you have expressed this preference, depending on your websites' privacy practices.

To turn the Do Not Track header on or off

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, then click Internet options.
2. On the Advanced tab, under Settings, do one of the following:
   • To turn on do not track, check the Always send Do Not Track header check box.
   • To turn off to not track, uncheck the Always send Do Not Track header check box.

InPrivate Browsing

InPrivate Browsing can help keep your browsing history private on shared computers such as at home, or in an Internet café or public kiosk. History data that is accumulated while browsing the web in an Internet Explorer InPrivate window, such as temporary Internet files, web address history, or cookies, will be removed when you close the window. History in other Internet Explorer windows (not using InPrivate), will not be affected.

The InPrivate Browsing experience prevents local storage on your computer of the following:

• New cookies are not stored.
• New history entries will not be recorded.
• New temporary Internet files will be deleted after the InPrivate Browsing window is closed.
• Form data is not stored.
• Entered passwords are not stored.
• Addresses typed into the Address bar are not stored.
• Queries entered into the search box are not stored.

In addition, Internet Explorer will send a Do Not Track request to the websites you visit during InPrivate Browsing sessions. InPrivate Browsing is not designed to obscure your identity to your Internet provider or web servers on the Internet. It does not prevent data, such as your IP address, from being sent to websites you visit.

To turn on InPrivate Browsing

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, point to Safety, and then click InPrivate Browsing.
2. To turn off InPrivate Browsing, close the InPrivate Browsing window.

Tracking Protection

Tracking Protection helps prevent the websites you go to from automatically sending details about your visit to other content providers whose content is hosted on the websites you visit. Additionally, when you have a Tracking Protection List or Personalized Tracking Protection enabled, Internet Explorer will send a Do Not Track request to the websites you visit. It will also send a Do Not Track request to the third-party websites that provide content on the websites you visit if those third party sites have not been blocked by your Tracking Protection List. Websites may continue to engage in activities you might view as tracking even though you have expressed this preference, depending on the websites’ privacy practices.

Tracking Protection Lists

Tracking Protection Lists are like “Do Not Call” lists for content that may impact your privacy. When you add a Tracking Protection List, Internet Explorer will block third-party content, including cookies, from any site that is listed. By limiting calls to these websites, Internet Explorer will limit the information these third-party sites can collect about you. At the same time, Tracking Protection Lists can also include “OK to call” entries that permit calls to specific sites. These sites will, however, receive the Do Not Track request when you connect to them and they may refrain from either tracking your online activity or serving you content based on your online activity.

You can add a Tracking Protection List by finding a website that offers one, and then clicking a link or a button in the page to add it. Microsoft maintains a website with the Tracking Protection Lists that individuals and companies have asked us to publish. You can find a link to it in the Tracking Protection feature. When you add a Tracking Protection List, Internet Explorer will download the list and check it for updates periodically.

To remove or disable a Tracking Protection List

1. Open IInternet Explorer, click the Tools button, point to Safety, and then click Tracking Protection.
2. Click a list, and then do one of the following:
   • To delete the list, click Remove.
   • To temporarily disable the list, click Disable.

Personalized Tracking Protection List

Additionally, you can use the Personalized Tracking Protection List, which is included with Internet Explorer. This list is automatically generated based on data from the sites that you visit, including the third-party content providers on those sites. You can delete this data at any time in the Delete Browsing History dialog box.

To turn on the Personalized Tracking Protection List

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, point to Safety, and then click Tracking Protection.
2. Click Your Personalized List, and then click Enable.

When Tracking Protection is enabled, some content on the websites you visit might be filtered, and therefore will not be displayed. When content has been filtered, the Tracking Protection icon appears in the Address bar. If a website does not work correctly with Tracking Protection enabled, you can turn it off just for that website by clicking the Tracking Protection icon in the Address bar.

To delete Tracking Protection data

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, point to Safety, and then click Delete browsing history.
2. In the Delete Browsing History dialog box, select the InPrivate Browsing data check box, and then click Delete.

P3P privacy policies

Internet Explorer gives you the ability to view a website's P3P (Platform for Privacy Preferences standard) privacy policy and compare it to the privacy preferences you have set. Even if a website does not have a P3P privacy policy, it might have a written privacy statement that you can view.

To view a website's P3P privacy policy

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, point to Safety, and then click Webpage privacy policy.
2. Double-click the website whose privacy policy you want to view.

After reviewing a website's P3P privacy policy, you can specify how you want Internet Explorer to handle cookies from that website. If you want Internet Explorer to determine whether or not to allow this website to save cookies on your computer by comparing the privacy policy with your privacy settings, select the Compare cookies' Privacy Policy to my settings check box. If you want Internet Explorer to always allow cookies from this website to be saved on your computer, select the Always allow this site to use cookies check box. If you want Internet Explorer to never allow cookies from this website to be saved on your computer, select the Never allow this site to use cookies check box.

Strict P3P Validation is a new feature in Internet Explorer 10. If you enable this feature and you’ve kept Internet Explorer’s default cookie settings, cookies from third party sites that don't have valid P3P policies will be blocked to help protect your privacy.

To enable Strict P3P Validation

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
2. 2. On the Advanced Tab, under Settings, check the Enable Strict P3P Validation check box.

Note

• Although Internet Explorer can display a website's P3P privacy policy, Internet Explorer cannot verify that the website complies with its own privacy policy.

Features that help you connect to online services

Accelerators

Accelerators let you use web service providers more quickly and easily. For example, you can highlight a word on a website, right-click, and select the "Translate with Bing" Accelerator to obtain a translation of a word without having to go to a separate website.

Accelerators let you use web service providers more quickly and easily. For example, you can highlight a word on a website, right-click, and select the "Translate with Bing" Accelerator to obtain a translation of a word without having to go to a separate website. Internet Explorer has several Accelerators—including search, mapping, email, and translate Accelerators—that use Microsoft web services. You can add and remove Accelerators by using Manage Add-ons. When you click or move your mouse over an Accelerator, the title and full web address or URL of the current webpage, as well as standard computer information, and any content you have selected, might be sent to the service provider. If you use an Accelerator provided by Microsoft, the information sent is subject to the privacy statement for the associated online service. For example, if you use the “Translate with Bing” Accelerator, then the Bing privacy statement will govern use of the information. If you use an Accelerator provided by a third-party, use of the information sent will be subject to the third-party's privacy practices.

Search from the Address bar

If you enter text in the Address bar in Internet Explorer and it does not resolve as a valid web address, or the text begins with a question mark, "search," "find," or "go," then Internet Explorer will redirect you to your default search provider to help you locate the site you are looking for. To provide this feature, Internet Explorer sends the invalid web address or the search query you typed to your default search provider, which returns web address options to your computer. Standard computer information might also be sent to your default search provider. If Bing is your default search provider, the information sent is subject to the Bing privacy statement. If you use a third-party search provider as your default, then information sent to the provider will be subject to the third party's privacy practices.

To turn AutoSearch off

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
2. On the Advanced tab, under Browsing, select the Do not search from the Address bar check box.

Search suggestions in the Address bar can help you refine your search by offering suggested search terms as you type. If your selected search provider offers this capability, each letter or character you type in the Address bar will be sent to your search provider when you type it. Standard computer information is also sent to the search provider as you type. If Bing is your default search provider, the information sent is subject to the Bing privacy statement. If you use a third-party search provider, use of the information sent will be subject to the third party's privacy practices. By default, search suggestions are turned off.

To turn search suggestions on or off

• Click in the Address bar and type any two characters (a minimum of two characters is required to trigger suggestions).
  • To turn on search suggestions, Click Turn on suggestions (send keystrokes to <search provider name>) at the bottom of the drop down list.
  • To turn off search suggestions, click Turn off search suggestions.

Web Slices

Web Slices let you automatically subscribe to and receive updates from webpages that change frequently, and view the updates without having to load the entire website. For example, you can subscribe to a Seattle, Washington weather Web Slice that updates when the current temperature changes. When you subscribe to a Web Slice or feed, you turn on automatic updating for all of your Web Slices and feeds. Your IP address will be sent periodically to the website that provides each Web Slice or feed to check for updates, even when Internet Explorer is not running.

To remove a Web Slice

1. On the Favorites bar, right-click the Web Slice that you want to remove.
2. Click Delete, and then click Yes.

To turn off automatic updates for Web Slices and feeds

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
2. On the Content tab, under Feeds and Web Slices, click Settings.
3. Clear the Automatically check feeds and Web Slices for updates check box, and then click OK.

Features that use Microsoft online services

Automatic upgrades

If you receive updates automatically through Windows Update, you'll receive updates to Internet Explorer, including upgrades to new versions. These updates are installed without interrupting you. If you would prefer to choose whether and when you receive an upgrade to a new version of Internet Explorer via Windows Update, you may do so.

To turn off automatic version upgrades

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click About Internet Explorer.
2. Clear the Install new versions automatically check box, and then click OK.

If you turn off automatic version upgrades, you'll still be offered a new version of Internet Explorer if you have Windows Update turned on, but it won't be installed automatically. For more information about Windows Update and your privacy, see the Update Services privacy statement.

Customer Experience Improvement Program

The Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) collects basic information about your computer and how you use Internet Explorer to help us improve the quality, reliability, and performance of our software and services. CEIP reports generally include information about your hardware configuration, a unique identifier generated by CEIP, performance and reliability data (such as how quickly the software responds when you click a button), and program use (such as which features you use most often).

Microsoft uses CEIP reports to improve our software and services. We use the unique identifier to distinguish how widespread the feedback we receive is and how to prioritize it. For example, the identifier allows Microsoft to distinguish between one customer experiencing a problem one hundred times and other customers experiencing the same problem once. Microsoft does not use the information collected by CEIP to identify, contact, or target advertising to you.

Internet Explorer uses your Windows CEIP setting. For more information about how to change the setting, see the Windows 7 privacy statement.

Location Services

Location Services in Internet Explorer let websites request your physical location in order to improve their services. For example, a mapping website can request your physical location in order to center the map for you.

When you visit a website that uses Location Services, you can choose whether or not to allow the website access to your location information. If you choose to allow a website access, Internet Explorer will contact a Microsoft location service to attempt to determine your computer’s physical location. This service uses your IP address and data from nearby Wi–Fi access points, if available.

Based on the information received, the Microsoft location service will determine your computer’s approximate location and provide it to the requesting website. The location information provided includes the latitude and longitude of your computer. It does not provide the requesting website information about available cell towers or Wi–Fi access points or any unique identifiers from your computer.

If you choose to not allow a website access to your physical location, no location data will be sent to the website, and no data will be sent to the Microsoft location service. If you choose to allow a webpage access to your physical location once, then the website will only have access to your location while you are viewing that webpage. If you choose to always allow a website access to your physical location, each time you visit any page on that site, it will be able to request information about your physical location. The website’s use of your location information will be subject that site’s privacy practices.

To turn on Location Services

• When you receive a request for location from a website, do one of the following:
  • To provide your location only once, click Allow once.
  • To provide your location every time you visit the website, click More options for this site, and then click Always allow.

To turn off Location Services

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
2. On the Privacy tab, select the Never allow websites to request your physical location check box, and then click OK.

To clear the list of sites allowed to always use location services

1. Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
2. On the Privacy tab, under the Location section, click the Clear Sites button.

SmartScreen Filter

SmartScreen Filter is designed to help warn you about unsafe websites that are impersonating trusted websites (phishing) or contain threats to your computer. If you opt in to SmartScreen Filter, it first checks the address of the webpage you are visiting against a list of high-traffic webpage addresses stored on your computer that are believed by Microsoft to be legitimate. Addresses that are not on the local list and the addresses of files you are downloading will be sent to Microsoft and checked against a frequently updated list of webpages and downloads that have been reported to Microsoft as unsafe or suspicious. You might also choose to use SmartScreen Filter manually to verify individual sites with Microsoft. Additionally, if you download or run a program from the Internet, SmartScreen will check the program against a list of commonly downloaded and known unsafe programs to help protect you from running unsafe programs.

When you use SmartScreen Filter to check websites automatically or manually, the address of the website you are visiting will be sent to Microsoft, together with standard computer information and the SmartScreen Filter version number. To help protect your privacy, the information sent to Microsoft is encrypted. Information that may be associated with the address, such as search terms or data you entered in forms might be included. For example, if you visited the Microsoft.com search website at http://search.microsoft.com and entered "Seattle" as the search term, the full address http://search.microsoft.com/results.aspx?q=Seattle&qsc0=0&FORM=QBMH1&mkt=en-US will be sent. Address strings might unintentionally contain personal information, but this information, like the other information sent, is not used to identify, contact, or target advertising to you. In addition, Microsoft filters address strings to try to remove personal information where possible. When you use Internet Explorer to download a program, SmartScreen Filter will send the information above, along with information about the downloaded program, such as a file identifier (a “hash”), results from installed antivirus tools, and the program’s digital certificate information, if available.

Periodically, information about your usage of SmartScreen Filter will also be sent to Microsoft, such as the time and total number of websites browsed since an address was sent to Microsoft for analysis. Some information about files that you download from the web, such as name and file path, might also be sent to Microsoft. Some website addresses that are sent to Microsoft might be stored along with additional information, including web browser version, operating system version, SmartScreen Filter version, the browser language, the referring webpage, and information about whether Compatibility View was enabled for the website. A unique identifier generated by Internet Explorer is also sent. The unique identifier is a randomly generated number that does not contain any personal information and is not used to identify you. This information, along with the information described above, is only used to analyze performance and improve the quality of our products and services.

SmartScreen Filter can be turned on and off from the Internet Explorer Safety menu. For example, to turn on automatic checking of all websites:

• Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, point to Safety, and then click Turn on SmartScreen Filter.

If you believe you have encountered an unsafe website, you can report it to Microsoft by clicking the Tools button, pointing to Safety, and then clicking Report unsafe website. When you report an unsafe website, some information will be sent to Microsoft, including the address of the site you are reporting, and the usage information described above.

Suggested Sites

Suggested Sites is an online experience that recommends websites, images, or videos you might be interested in. When you turn on Suggested Sites, your web browsing history is periodically sent to Microsoft, where it is saved and then compared to a frequently updated list of websites that are similar to sites you often visit. Suggested Sites also turns on automatic background updating for Web Slices and feeds, so that you can receive up-to-date suggestions on both the Suggested Sites page and the Suggested Sites Web Slice.

You can choose to pause or stop the Suggested Sites feature from sending your web browsing history to Microsoft at any time. You can also delete individual entries from your history at any time. Deleted entries will not be used to provide you with suggestions for other websites, although they will be retained by Microsoft for a period of time to help improve our products and services, including this feature. When you use InPrivate Browsing, no information about the webpages you visit will be sent to Microsoft.

When Suggested Sites is turned on, information about the webpages you visit is sent to Microsoft, together with standard computer information. This includes the addresses of the webpages you visit as well as information about images and videos included on the page. To help protect your privacy, the information is encrypted when sent to Microsoft. Information associated with the web address, such as search terms or data you entered in forms, might be included. For example, if you visited the Microsoft.com search website at http://search.microsoft.com and entered "Seattle" as the search term, the full address http://search.microsoft.com/results.aspx?q=Seattle&qsc0=0&FORM=QBMH1&mkt=en-US will be sent. Address strings might unintentionally contain personal information, but this information, like the other information sent, is not used to identify, contact, or target advertising to you. In addition, Microsoft filters address strings to try to remove personal information.

Statistics about the webpages you visit will also be sent to Microsoft, such as the time that webpages were visited, which webpage referred you, and how you got there (for example, by clicking a link or one of your Favorites). A unique identifier generated by Internet Explorer is also sent. The unique identifier is a randomly generated number that does not contain any personal information and is not used to identify you. If you delete your browsing history or if you turn Suggested Sites off and back on again, a new unique identifier will be created. We do not correlate old unique identifiers with new ones. This information, along with the website addresses and past history, will be used to personalize your experience, as well as to improve the quality of our products and services.

To turn Suggested Sites on or off

• Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, point to File, click Suggested Sites, and then do one of the following:
  • To turn Suggested Sites on click Yes.
  • To turn Suggested Sites off click No.

Note

• Turning off Suggested Sites does not clear your history and does not turn off automatic updates for feeds and Web Slices.
  To delete your browsing history (with or without turning off Suggested Sites)
  • • Open Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, point to Safety, and then click Delete browsing history.

How we collect, use, and store your information

Collection and use of your information

The information we collect from you will be used by Microsoft and its controlled subsidiaries and affiliates to enable the features you are using and provide the services or carry out the transactions you have requested or authorized. It may also be used to analyze and improve Microsoft products and services.

In order to offer you a more consistent and personalized experience in your interactions with Microsoft, information collected through one Microsoft service may be combined with information obtained through other Microsoft services. We may also supplement the information we collect with information obtained from other companies. For example, we might use services from other companies that enable us to derive a general geographic area based on your IP address in order to customize certain services to your geographic area.

Except as described in this statement, information you provide will not be transferred to third parties without your consent. We occasionally hire other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, such as answering customer questions about products or services, or performing statistical analysis of our services. We will only provide those companies the personal information they need to deliver the service, and they are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose. Microsoft may access or disclose information about you, including the content of your communications, in order to: (a) comply with the law or respond to lawful requests or legal process; (b) protect the rights or property of Microsoft or our customers, including the enforcement of our agreements or policies governing your use of the services; or (c) act on a good faith belief that such access or disclosure is necessary to protect the personal safety of Microsoft employees, customers, or the public.

Information that is collected by or sent to Microsoft by Internet Explorer may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which Microsoft or its affiliates, subsidiaries, or service providers maintain facilities. Microsoft abides by the safe harbor framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of data from the European Union, the European Economic Area, and Switzerland.

Security and storage of your information

Microsoft is committed to protecting the security of your information. We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. For example, we store the personal information you provide on computer systems with limited access, which are located in controlled facilities.

Changes to the privacy statement

We may occasionally update this privacy statement. When we do, we will revise the "last updated" date at the top of the privacy statement. We encourage you to periodically review this privacy statement to be informed of how Microsoft is protecting your information.

For more information

If you have questions about this privacy statement, please contact us by clicking here.

Internet Explorer Privacy, Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052, USA

Keep your surfing to yourself Hide your browsing history from prying eyes with InPrivate Applies to these editions of Windows 7

Keep your surfing to yourself

Hide your browsing history from prying eyes with InPrivate

Applies to these editions of Windows 7

Starter

Home Premium

Professional

Ultimate

On this page

• Clear your history manually
• Using InPrivate Browsing to surf without leaving a trail
• What InPrivate Browsing doesn't do
• Keeping your surfing habits out of the hands of unwanted websites
• Using InPrivate Filtering to help maintain your privacy
• See who else could have been watching you
• The pro and con of blocking third parties
• Resources

By Jay Munro

Privacy seems to be getting harder to find in this age of public databases, surveillance cameras, and online social networking. Because of the nature of the web, it's pretty easy for someone using your computer to see what you've been up to on the web, as well as it is for a website to track where you've been. In this column, I'm going to show you how Internet Explorer 8 and InPrivate can help keep your surfing private, particularly when you share a computer with others.

Most of the time, you don't really care whether anyone knows which websites you've been visiting. Everybody looks at talking cats on YouTube, right? However, you might not want to disclose your destinations when you're banking at a kiosk, buying your sweetheart a birthday gift, or doing anything you shouldn't be doing at work.

In the past, the only way to cover your tracks on a shared computer was to delete your entire browsing history, which often deleted things you wanted to keep. Internet Explorer has given you some new ways to manually clear existing history, and a way to not leave a new history trail.

Clear your history manually

When you clear your history manually in Internet Explorer 8, you can choose to keep the cookies and temporary files associated with your saved favorites. This can help preserve preferences that you might have chosen on your favorite websites. To clear your history without upsetting your favorites, do the following:

1. In Internet Explorer, click the Safety button, and then click Delete Browsing History.
2. In the Delete Browsing History dialog, select the Preserve Favorites website data check box.
3. Select the check boxes for the things you want to delete, and then click Delete.

Preserve your Favorites website data

Your browsing history will be deleted, but any data associated with your favorites will stay. If you're new to Internet Explorer 8, you'll notice that the check boxes are sticky. Internet Explorer 8 remembers your settings so the next time you go to delete your history, it's set the way you want it.

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Using InPrivate Browsing to surf without leaving a trail

Clearing your history by hand is fine, but InPrivate Browsing lets you avoid leaving a trail on your computer in the first place. This way you can choose when you leave a trail, and when you don't. To use InPrivate Browsing, do one of the following in Internet Explorer:

• Click the New Tab button, and then click Open an InPrivate Browsing window.

  

  New Tab button

• Click the Safety button, and then click InPrivate Browsing.
• Press Ctrl+Shift+P.

When you start InPrivate Browsing, it opens a new window. As you browse, Internet Explorer 8 tucks away your cookies, temporary files, and other bits of history. When you close the browsing window, all of that is deleted. Keep this in mind if you're using a kiosk at the airport and you hear last call for boarding. Take that extra couple of seconds to close your InPrivate window.

The InPrivate Browsing window

Why doesn't InPrivate just toss that stuff in the first place? InPrivate needs to save a few things for your session so websites work correctly while you're browsing. For example, cookies are used by many sites to keep track of your choices, site preferences, and other things. If you change a setting on a website during your browsing session, InPrivate remembers during that session, but discards the information when you close the window. The next time you return to the website, your previous preferences are intact.

InPrivate Browsing can be used for viewing any website where you don't want to leave a history. I use it when I check my bank balance at work. I'm fairly confident our network administrators don't care which bank I use, but I'd rather not have that information on my computer. Note: If you only go to a site from within InPrivate Browsing, you have to re-enter user names, passwords, and other data every time you visit a website, as I do with my bank account information. But no history is what we want, right?

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What InPrivate Browsing doesn't do

Just as important as what InPrivate does do, is what it doesn't do. It's not anonymous browsing, so while you don't leave a trail on your computer, you might leave one on the web. Websites might be able to identify you by your browsing behavior on the site, or anything about your connection that can be recorded, such as your IP address. It also doesn't prevent someone on your network, like as a network administrator or a hacker, from seeing where you went, and possibly what you did on those pages.

If you save any favorites or feeds, or add a favorite or Web Slice to the Favorites bar, or install anything while browsing InPrivate, closing the browser window won't remove any of that. Changes to Internet Explorer settings, such as adding a new home page, are also retained after you end your InPrivate Browsing session.

If you use toolbars that save history or information on your computer, that isn't removed, either. Because of this, Internet Explorer disables all toolbars and extensions by default in an InPrivate window.

You can re-enable your toolbars by going to the Privacy tab in Internet Options and clearing the Disable toolbars and extensions when InPrivate Browsing starts check box.

Clear this check box to allow toolbars and extensions in InPrivate Browsing windows

InPrivate Browsing also doesn't protect you from malicious software or risky websites. If you download content or view sites known for hosting malware, you're not going to be any safer browsing with InPrivate than browsing without it. Internet Explorer offers security features that can help protect you from malicious sites, and that warn you not to download unknown software. However, if you still download and run a program that has a virus, your computer's going to get it.

For more information on what InPrivate does and doesn't do, as well as how to turn on disabled add-ons, see What is InPrivate Browsing?

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Keeping your surfing habits out of the hands of unwanted websites

While InPrivate Browsing helps you stay in control of your web surfing trail, InPrivate Filtering helps give you more control over who's keeping an eye on you online. To understand what InPrivate Filtering can help you with, you need to understand a little about how websites get online content.

Did you know that when you visit many of your favorite or trusted websites, other websites may also know you've been there? A lot of websites use third parties to provide content—advertising, weather gizmos, maps, analytical tools—to enhance your experience while on the site. The elements you most enjoy on some webpages may be placed there by a variety of third–party providers. It's just how the web works.

You're probably thinking, "So what?" Well, when you visit a favorite website, it gets some information from your browser—browser type, operating system, IP address, screen resolution. When you visit a website that has third-party content, that content provider can also get that information.

That's probably not too bad, but let's say you go to different websites that use the same content from the same third-party provider. Now that provider knows you care about its content, and also knows you visit all those websites. In time, the provider can develop a profile of your web surfing habits. When combined with other information—like if you clicked through to a specific ad and entered a contest—the provider can paint a pretty good picture of your web browsing preferences.

Now, the web doesn't always work very well without these third-party arrangements and a little give and take. You get free content in exchange for viewing advertising or providing some information. This system works and is usually mutually beneficial. And of course with targeted advertising, you just might get ads for something you're actually looking for.

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What are web analysis tools?

Web analysis tools are used by content providers to study your surfing habits. They often consist of scripts that can track how long you stay on a webpage, the pages you visit, the selections you make, and sometimes where you go next.

They can be visible, such as the familiar the hit counter, or virtually invisible, such as a 1-pixel image in the uppermost corner of a page. Those little images are called web beacons because they broadcast information back to another website when you visit the page the beacon is on. This tactic is often used in marketing e-mails to see whether you open a message, thus confirming your e-mail address is active or the e-mail was interesting enough to read. Most e-mail clients can block and notify you when they encounter an image. If you download the image and the screen doesn't seem to change (unless you look really carefully), it's probably a web beacon.

For more information, search for "web analysis tools" on your favorite search provider.

Using InPrivate Filtering to help maintain your privacy

But there are some content providers you don't want to know your surfing habits. This can be for any reason; that's your choice. Here's how InPrivate Filtering can help you better control that information.

InPrivate Filtering isn't designed to block ads, and it doesn't have a hidden agenda. It only looks for content on a webpage that comes from someplace other than the website you're on. It doesn't know the difference between a weather report you want and an ad you don't. Also, when you block content on a website, you could get either a poor experience with missing elements, or the site might not work at all. That can happen when website contains a web analysis tool that isn't a visually obvious to you, but is financially necessary to the website. If you want to block the content that helps the website pay the bills, the site might not want you to be there.

InPrivate Filtering provides a way for you to see which third-party websites are receiving your browsing information, and lets you choose which to allow and which to block. Like InPrivate Browsing, InPrivate Filtering is applied per-session—you have to turn it on every time you open your browser. You don't have to open a special window; just do one of the following to start using InPrivate Filtering:

• Select InPrivate Filtering from the Safety menu.
• Click the InPrivate Filter icon on the Internet Explorer status bar.
• Press Ctrl+Shift+F.

When InPrivate Filtering is turned off, the status bar icon is gray , and is in color when InPrivate Filtering is on. Click the icon, or press Ctrl+Shift+F once, and InPrivate Filter is on. Do it again, and InPrivate Filtering is off.

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See who else could have been watching you

InPrivate Filtering is always looking for and tracking third-party content that shows up on many different websites. Let's take a look and see which sites could have been watching you. Click the Safety button, and then click InPrivate Filtering settings. If this is the first time you've opened the InPrivate Filtering settings, click Let me choose which providers receive my information. The settings dialog box will display a list of content providers. If you've been using Internet Explorer 8 for a while, you probably have a good number of providers in the list.

With InPrivate Filtering, you have three options: turn it off and don't block anything, automatically block third-party providers, or manually choose which ones to allow or block. When you visit a website with third-party content, the filter makes a note of it. When you go to another website that has the same content, the filter adds to the count for that provider. When you cross a threshold of the number of websites that use some specific content, the content provider shows up in the list. By default, the threshold is 10 websites, but you can change it from 3–30. Once a content provider is on your list, InPrivate Filtering will block or allow it based on your preferences.

If you ever wonder how many things are blocked on a webpage, point your mouse at the InPrivate Filtering icon in the status bar.

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The pro and con of blocking third parties

The pro: We all know there are security risks on the web. You could be exposed to potentially malicious content or conduct on any website. Add in third-party content, and your risk comes from both the website you visit and the third-party content on it. While the site you're visiting may be trustworthy, you don't always know who is delivering additional content.

The con: The Internet works best when websites link to each other, and that model has brought a lot of content to the web for free. The benefit of allowing third-party content is that many websites can offer content for free that you would otherwise have to pay for. Free mail accounts, weather and traffic reports, talking cat movies, and other cool stuff we love is free because websites are willing to subsidize it in exchange for your eyes and information.

Internet Explorer 8 is all about choice. You have the choice of whether or not to leave a history trail on your computer; you can delete existing history without losing preferences on your favorites; and you can identify, block, or allow third-party content that's used on multiple sites. It's all up to you, so go forth and surf!

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Resources

If you'd like to read more about Internet Explorer features, check out the IE Blog, where you can get information straight from the Internet Explorer developers. For more information about how Microsoft protects your privacy, see the Internet Explorer privacy statement online.

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About the author

Jay Munro is a writer on the Windows team at Microsoft, specializing in Internet Explorer. Previously, he was a project leader with PC Magazine labs and a freelance writer for PC Magazine, Extreme Tech, PC Today, C-Net, Computer Shopper, and other magazines.

Have a comment for this columnist? Enter your feedback using the tool below. (You'll see the comment box after you click one of the buttons.) Note that although the columnist will read your feedback, personal replies are not possible due to the volume of feedback received.

The Very Radical Racist Background Of Michelle Obama

The Very Radical Racist Background Of Michelle Obama

Freedom Outpost

I did some background checking into Michelle Obama and her links with socialists, communists and other high ranking radicals that wish nothing more than to destroy the United States as it is, and create a brand new United States! This may sound absurd and demeaning, but it is true. Some of the words spoken by Michelle Obama and her husband Barack Obama have come directly from a radical book titled Rules for Radicals by Saul D. Alinsky.

I’ll expose Alinsky’s background in future articles, but before we go too far, let us just start with Michelle Obama’s college days, since to find her high school history seems to be quite difficult. Michelle Obama’s maiden name was Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, and she was born on January 17, 1964. She married Barack Hussein Obama in 1992.

According to FrontPageMagazine reporter Jacob Laksin, 

“In a [February 2008] interview with Newsweek, [Michelle] Obama reveals that she got into Princeton … not on the strength of her grades, which she admits were unexceptional, but thanks to her brother Craig, a star athlete and gifted student who preceded her to the school. As a ‘legacy’ candidate and a beneficiary of affirmative action, Michelle Obama was granted an opportunity that others more accomplished were denied.” The First lady got her college education due to her brother and her ethnicity, not her excellence in academics.

So why is she such a radical racist woman? It must come from somewhere in her background. Perhaps her parents were the ones who led her to this road of turmoil about racial prejudice. Let us take a brief look to see just what she was doing at Princeton while she was there and what types of people she had as her close friends. Some of Michelle Obama’s contacts in College were of the Marxist/socialist types.

Download Michelle Obama four of Michelle Obama’s thesis papers from Princeton University here

Princeton, 1984

Charles C. Johnson wrote on October 30, 2012, “Michelle Obama attends and promotes a ‘Black Solidarity’ event for guest lecturer Manning Marable, who was, according to Cornel West, probably ‘the best known black Marxist in the country.’ The event is the work of the Third World Center (TWC), a campus group whose board membership is exclusively reserved for minorities.”

A classmate of Michelle’s identified her to TheBlaze as the second person on the left. Article/photograph taken from The Daily Princetonian – Vol. CVIII, No. 107 November 6, 1984

Daily Princetonian article showing Michelle as a board member.

With this documented article, we see that Michelle Obama, much like her husband is closely associated with the teachings of Marxism and had attended meetings with Marxist-type people. We must now wonder, why did the people elect a man with a wife that has such a marked background, mixed with Marxism and communism by association with such types of people? Michelle Robinson’s racial animosity of Caucasian people is exposed through her articles and statements from the time she was at Princeton. One can see this in her ideas that the white population at Princeton were a bunch of “racist” individuals. Johnson quotes an article Michelle Robinson (Obama) wrote while at Princeton University, following an introduction to the quotation.

If ever there was an example of the TWC governing board’s obsession with race, an editorial from October 21, 1981 is it. The members took great offense to an op-ed titled “Rebuilding Race Relations,” calling the article “racist, offensive, and inaccurate” for daring to question the group’s true commitment and to present a thesis on race relations counter to its own.

“The word RE-building implies that race relations once existed and, for some mysterious reasons, fell apart … ,” the board wrote in a scathing letter to the editor.“We, on the other hand, believe that race relations have ?never? been and still are not at a satisfactory level. We are not RE-building. We cannot RE-build something that never existed in the first place.”

An early copy of the TWC’s constitution. (The Princeton Archives)

Another copy of the constitution and the preamble. (The Princeton Archives)

“Don’t hide behind excuses such as a lack of effort [to integrate with the Princeton campus] on our part,” the revealing letter added. “The bottom line is that white students on this campus are racist, but they may not realize it.” [Emphasis added] Princeton itself, however, was concerned about the self-segregation by black students and proposed reforms to counter it, including no longer permitting black students to all room together in one dorm and integrating black freshmen into the general student body. The TWC strenuously opposed all of these reforms, arguing that integration of nonwhite students would harm the “support system” available to them, especially blacks. (Julie Newton, “TWC criticizes CURL plan: Minority strife would worsen,” The Daily Princetonian, October 21, 1981).

The TWC is an organization of whose membership was exclusively reserved to Minorities only and the initials represent the words, “Third World Center”. Here we have to note that Michelle Robinson was an activist that had the intention to change the very ideology of the Princeton school she got into through the use of her brother! Here, she makes the statement, “The bottom line is that white students on this campus are racist, but they may not realize it” [Emphasis added]. This clearly shows an animosity towards white people while she was attending Princeton, and it also shows just what she thought of the college that allowed her to enter based upon her brother’s position and not her grades. Michelle Robinson was actually biting the hand that fed her!

Princeton took a look at the problems and came up with a plan that would integrate the different people and bring them into a more associative bonding. However, this was not strong enough for Michelle Robinson or the TWC since that would solve the problem that they shine a spotlight on, but it was not what they wanted and they countered that idea as shown below.

“Princeton itself, however, was concerned about the self-segregation by black students and proposed reforms to counter it, including no longer permitting black students to all room together in one dorm and integrating black freshmen into the general student body. The TWC strenuously opposed all of these reforms, arguing that integration of nonwhite students would harm the “support system” available to them, especially blacks. (Julie Newton, “TWC criticizes CURL plan: Minority strife would worsen,” The Daily Princetonian, October 21, 1981).” More

Radiation Safety Canada and the United States are raising the “acceptable levels” of certain toxic substances in the food being shipped in from Japan. - See more at: http://govtslaves.info/radiation-from-japan-is-already-killing-north-americans/#sthash.pkaaVGy7.jODOTDt9.dpuf

Radiation Safety

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New and Updated Information

• Updated - As of June 20th, FDA import investigators had performed 32,685 field examinations for radionuclide contamination. FDA had tested 1313 samples, 199 which were seafood or seafood products. 1312 samples had no Iodine-131, Cesium-134, Cesium-137, or other gamma-ray emitting radionuclides of concern. 1 sample was found to contain detectable levels of Cesium, but was below the established Derived Intervention Level (DIL) and posed no public health concern. More...

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• Questions about Food Safety
• Questions about Medical Products
• EPA-FDA Statement on Monitoring of Milk, Precipitation, Milk and Milk Products
• NOAA-EPA-FDA Statement on U.S. Seafood: Safe and Unaffected by Japan Radiation Contamination
• Donating Drugs to International Humanitarian Relief Efforts (PDF) 64 KB

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Questions about Food Safety
  

What systems does FDA have in place to protect the U.S. food supply?

The U.S. enjoys one of the world’s safest food supplies. FDA has systems in place to help assure that our food supply is wholesome, safe to eat, and produced under sanitary conditions.

 

FDA has a team of more than 900 investigators and 450 analysts in the Foods program who conduct inspections and collect and analyze product samples. FDA oversees the importation of the full range of regulated products, including food and animal feed, among other responsibilities.

 

Altogether, FDA electronically screens all import entries and performs multiple analyses on about 31,000 import product samples annually. During Fiscal Year (FY) 2010, the Agency performed more than 175,000 food and feed field exams and conducted more than 350 foreign food and feed inspections.

 

FDA works to inspect the right imports—those that may pose a significant public health threat – by carrying out targeted risk-based analyses of imports at the points of entry.

 

If unsafe products reach our ports, FDA’s imports entry reviews, inspections, and sampling at the border help prevent these products from entering our food supply. FDA also works cooperatively with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other agencies to help identify shipments that may pose a threat. If radiation levels in any food reach the FDA intervention level, FDA will take action to remove the food from distribution.

We will continue to keep you updated about this situation. For more information about milk and other food screening, please visit www.usa.gov/japan2011. 

 

 

What is FDA doing to ensure the safety of products imported from Japan?

FDA’s screening at U.S. borders will remain vigilant and will be augmented with radiation screening of shipments. On March 22, 2011, in order to complement the measures taken by the Government of Japan and to strengthen the global food safety net regarding certain products, FDA issued Import Alert 99-33(http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_621.html) regarding the importation of all milk and milk products and fresh vegetables and fruits produced or manufactured from the four Japanese prefectures of Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma. As of May 17, FDA has reduce the area of concern to three prefectures: Fukushima, Ibaraki, and Tochigi. This import alert was revised on March 25, April 12, April 15 and April 20, April 21, May 17, and July 11.

FDA is processing all food products from Japan in four categories:

• Category 1 consists of products that the Government of Japan has restricted for sale or export. Authorities will prevent these products from entering the U.S. These products cannot gain entry by providing sample results. As of July 11, 2011, these include:
  • Tea leaves from Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Kanagawa, and Chiba prefectures, and dace, ayu, and cherry salmon (yamame) from Fukushima.
  • Spinach, lettuce, celery, cress, endive, escarole, chard, collards, and other head-type leafy vegetables from the Fukushima Prefecture.
  • Turnips and other non-head type leafy vegetables, as well as broccoli, cauliflower, flower head brassicas (i.e. broccoli and cauliflower), mushrooms bamboo shoots, and Ostrich fern from the Fukushima Prefecture.
  • Sand lance from Fukushima Prefecture
  • Milk from the Fukushima and Ibaraki Prefectures.
  • Spinach and kakina from the Fukushima and Ibaraki Prefectures.
• Category 2 consists of products from the Fukushima, Ibaraki, and Tochigi Prefectures that the Government of Japan has not currently banned for sale or export. These specific products include dairy products and fresh produce. Under Import Alert 99-33, authorities may detain these products when they arrive in the U.S. Authorities will release these products from detention if the importer can show the products are compliant.
• Category 3 consists of food and feed products not covered by FDA’s Import Alert that come from these three Japanese prefectures:
  • Fukushima
  • Ibaraki
  • Tochigi

FDA will examine these products, sampling and testing as needed, to determine if they are safe to enter the U.S.

• Category 4 consists of all other FDA-regulated food products from Japan that are not listed in the Import Alert and do not belong to one of the other categories. Authorities will review these products using standard procedures, and as part of this may monitor and sample products as resources permit.

FDA may adjust this strategy based on additional information received from monitoring results in Japan. FDA may also further evaluate this strategy if the Government of Japan makes changes to its list of prohibited exports.
FDA’s import tracking system has been programmed to automatically flag all shipments of FDA-regulated products from Japan, and the Agency maintains a registry of companies that prepare, pack, manufacture, or hold food for intended consumption in the U.S. The Agency will be paying special attention to shipments from those companies in the affected area.
Standard operating procedure requires shippers to submit and FDA to receive prior notice of a shipment before the arrival of any shipments of FDA-regulated food/feed products. FDA’s Prior Notice Center (PNC) enables the agency to stop these products upon arrival at the U.S. border or before they are distributed in U.S. commerce if a credible threat is identified for any shipment.
United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents routinely use radiation detection equipment to screen food imports, cargo, and travelers. This screening helps identify and resolve potential safety or security risks. FDA is working with CBP to determine if their Automated Targeting System can assist in identifying shipments of FDA-regulated products, other than food or feed, originating from Japan before they arrive so that these shipments can be better targeted for examination. FDA’s import staff will review each shipment of regulated goods originating from Japan and determine if it should be examined and sampled or released.

What products come to the U.S. from Japan?

FDA-regulated products imported from Japan include human and animal foods, medical devices and radiation emitting products, cosmetics, animal and human drugs and biologics, dietary supplements, and animal feeds. Foods imported from Japan make up less than 4 percent of foods imported from all sources. (Food products from Canada and Mexico each make up about 29 percent of all imported foods.) Almost 60 percent of all products imported from Japan are foods. The most common food products imported include seafood, snack foods and processed fruits and vegetables.

What specific tests is FDA using?

FDA has procedures and laboratory techniques for measuring radionuclide levels in food, and can also utilize the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN). FERN integrates the nation's food-testing laboratories at the local, state, and federal levels into a network that is able to respond to emergencies involving biological, chemical, or radiological contamination of food. FDA is working with Customs and Border Protection (CPB) to share resources and techniques for measuring contamination. FDA has the ability to measure contamination in products and issued guidance in 1998 regarding safe levels.

 

For those food and feed imports from the areas in proximity to the reactor but not covered by the import alert, FDA will:

• Conduct a field examination, including time/temperature changes, water damage. 
• Collect a sample for radionuclide analysis at FDA laboratories.

For food and feed imports from Japan that originate outside the area of concern, FDA will:

• Collect a sample for any radiation pager reading significantly above background.
• As additional surveillance and as resources allow, collect other samples for radionuclide analysis as resources permit, for readings of 0 on the radionuclide pager. 

 

Click here for FDA's methodology used in radionuclide analysis

 

 

What does FDA look for when it tests food for radioactive contamination?

When FDA tests food for radioactive contamination, it measures how much radiation is released by radioactive materials that are not expected to be naturally present.
Radioactive materials are substances that release high energy particles or electromagnetic radiation. These high energy particles or electromagnetic radiation are emitted by unstable atoms as they go through transition to a more stable state. The energy that is released from radioactive materials is called radiation. Radioactive materials can be natural (for example, some rocks in the earth are radioactive) or man-made.

 

What are the principal radionuclides involved in a nuclear reactor accident?

Iodine-131 (I-131), Cesium-134 (Cs-134) and Cesium-137 (Cs-137) are the radionuclides of greatest concern to the food supply following a nuclear power plant accident.  Along with those three radionuclides, FDA also monitors others as needed – among them, Strontium-90, Ruthenium-103 (Ru-103) and Ruthenium-106 (Ru-106).
Since the Fukushima nuclear accident, FDA has screened incoming food items for these radionuclides and others as needed. FDA also continually evaluates data and information from the accident and adjusts monitoring activities as needed.

What are the standards FDA uses to determine the amounts of specific radioactive materials in foods and whether they may cause a safety concern?

FDA uses Derived Intervention Levels (PDF) (DILs) to help determine whether food presents a safety concern. The criteria used to set DILs include:

• the percentage of potentially contaminated foods in a person’s diet
• the amount of food typically eaten
• the length of time that a person may be expected to eat contaminated food
• the potential exposure to contaminated foods of different members of the population, including infants and children.

In general, DILs apply to all foods.  FDA does not have different DILs for different types of food, though DILs may be adjusted based on, for example, whether a food must be rehydrated before being ready to eat.
For more information about the DILs, please see the following links:

• CPG Sec. 560.750 Radionuclides in Imported Foods - Levels of Concern
• Accidental Radioactive Contamination of Human Food and Animal Feeds: Recommendations for State and Local Agencies (PDF)

What has FDA’s screening and testing shown so far?

As of June 20th, FDA import investigators had performed 32,685 field examinations for radionuclide contamination. FDA had tested 1313 samples, 199 which were seafood or seafood products. 1312 samples had no Iodine-131, Cesium-134, Cesium-137, or other gamma-ray emitting radionuclides of concern. 1 sample was found to contain detectable levels of Cesium, but was below the established Derived Intervention Level (DIL) and posed no public health concern.
MS Excel Data File

How will water contaminated with radioactive materials affect seafood safety?

FDA does not anticipate any public health effect on seafood safety. This is due to a number of factors:

• Little or no harvesting of fish is taking place in the area around the reactor. The initial earthquake and tsunami caused significant damage to fishing vessels and dock areas prior to the release of radiation. Additionally, many of the remaining ocean-worthy vessels are being used for recovery missions. Because of this, fishing is not a priority at this time.

• Water acts as both a shield and a diluent. Airborne radioactive particles settle on the surface of the water. The volume of water between particles and fish absorbs radiation, “shielding” the fish. In the case of a direct release into the sea, the amount of water in the ocean rapidly dilutes and disperses the radiation to negligible levels.

• Some radioactive isotopes rapidly decay. The half life of I-131 is about eight days. That means that the level of radiation drops by half every eight days. This process is called “radioactive decay.” This drop in the level of radiation means that the level does not stay constant through the lifetime of the fish. While Cesium isotopes have longer half-lives (Cs-134 has a half-life of about two years, Cs-137 a longer half-life of about 30 years), the radionuclides also undergo biological excretion and do not continue to build up in fish forever.

• FDA and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are screening all imported food from Japan. Fish harvested in Japan undergo the same screening for radiation when they arrive in the U.S. as other food products from Japan. This means that whole shipping containers are screened by CBP.  FDA field staff also conduct field examinations. They carry hand-held equipment that detects radiation. If the detectors indicate radiation above background levels, FDA samples and tests the shipment to determine the amount of radiation.

 

What about fish that swim from the reactor site into U.S. fishing waters?

Japan to U.S. waters would take several days under the best of circumstances. Vessels fishing in waters far off U.S. shores must also travel several days to return to port. It is unlikely that a fish exposed to significant levels of radionuclides near the reactor could travel to U.S. waters and be caught and harvested. If this improbable trip did occur, the level of short-lived radionuclides such as I-131 would drop significantly through natural radioactive decay during the time needed to make the journey.  At this time, Japanese tests have detected longer-lived radionuclides such as Cs-137 in only a few samples and at levels below FDA DILs. FDA’s testing of fish imported from Japan has not detected the presence of Cs-137.
In the unlikely scenario that pollutants could affect fish that have traveled to the U.S., FDA will work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)to test seafood caught in those areas. Together FDA and NOAA will also inspect facilities that process and sell seafood from those areas.

Where would the seafood be analyzed?

FDA's Winchester Engineering and Analytical Center (WEAC) will conduct any needed sample analysis. WEAC can also reach out to the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) laboratories that are able to perform this analytical testing for assistance if needed.

Is FDA looking at products that might have traveled through Japan at the time of the explosion?

FDA will be examining both food products labeled as having originated in Japan or having passed through Japan in transit. The same is true for raw ingredients.
  

Are there dairy products that come from Japan?

Foods imported from Japan constitute less than 4 percent of foods imported from all sources. Dairy products make up only one-tenth of one percent of all FDA-regulated products imported from Japan. Most dairy products in the U.S. market are produced domestically.
  

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reported low levels of radionuclides in milk in the U.S. Is this a cause for concern?

At this time, there is no radiation safety risk related to milk produced in the U.S.
EPA monitors milk for radiation under its RADNET program, and has reported extremely low levels of I-131 and Cesium in some milk samples. These results are expected and are far below FDA’s Derived Intervention Levels. Even for a person who drinks a lot of milk, it would be virtually impossible to consume enough milk to approach the level of concern.
As federal and state agencies test milk samples, low levels of I-131 may be found in different samples, and the levels may vary slightly. However these low levels are not expected to cause adverse health effects, even for the developing fetus, babies, or children.
At this time, there is no public health threat in the U.S. related to radiation exposure. FDA, together with other agencies, is carefully monitoring any possibility for distribution of radiation to the United States. At this time, theoretical models do not indicate that significant amounts of radiation will reach the U.S. Please see www.epa.gov for more information about monitoring efforts.
 

What will FDA do if grass or feed crop in the US does become contaminated?

FDA's response will depend on the nature of the risk determined to exist. If the grass or feed crop in the U.S. becomes contaminated, FDA will evaluate the risk based on:
A. the extent/type of contamination in terms of radionuclides and their levels
B. the area contaminated and whether it is used for food production
C. if used for food production, what types of foods or crops produced and whether those foods or crops would be further processed and if so, what foods would ultimately result from that further processing.

 

What are other Federal agencies doing to protect the food supply?

Information about the U.S. Government’s comprehensive efforts to protect the food supply can be found in this joint fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Additionally FDA continues to work with its fellow member of the Federal Advisory Team for Environment Food and Health, including EPA, USDA and CDC. The Advisory Team is a radiological emergency response group of technical experts tasked with providing protective action recommendations to state and local governments on behalf of its member agencies.

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Questions about Medical Products

What is the FDA doing to ensure the safety of drugs coming from Japan? 

FDA’s screening procedures will remain vigilant and will be augmented with screening of all Japanese shipments entering the United States.  The agency has established special procedures to evaluate drugs originating from the ten prefectures in closest proximity to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
FDA will physically examine for radiation all drugs originating from these ten prefectures.   Based on the results of those physical examinations, FDA may also test products to determine if they are safe to admit into the U.S.  FDA will also physically examine and test all injectable and inhalable drugs regardless of their place of origin within Japan.
 

Why is FDA paying special attention to injectable and inhalable drugs? 

Injectable and inhalable drugs will be subject to physical examination and testing regardless of their place of origin within Japan because these drugs more directly enter into the bloodstream.  All other drugs originating from outside of the ten prefectures in closest proximity to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant will be subject to normal processing for examination, sampling, and testing.
 

How long will FDA maintain this heightened level of scrutiny for drugs coming from Japan? 

FDA will adjust the evaluation and testing procedures based upon additional information about conditions in Japan, and the results of testing procedures of drugs originating from Japan.

Hypothetically, if they were needed, what are the FDA-approved products for treatment of internal contamination with radioactive iodine?

There are three FDA-approved potassium iodide (KI) products for use as an adjunct to other public health protective measures in the event that radioactive iodine is released into the environment. The three over-the-counter products are:

• Iosat Tablets (130 mg), Anbex, Inc., Williamsburg, Va., http://www.anbex.com 
• ThyroSafe Tablets (65 mg), Recipharm AB, Jordbro, Sweden,http://www.thyrosafe.com 
• ThyroShield Solution (65 mg/mL), Fleming & Company Pharmaceuticals, Fenton, Mo. http://www.thyroshield.com 

When administered at the recommended dose, KI is effective in reducing the risk of thyroid cancer in people at risk for inhalation or ingestion of radioactive iodine. KI floods the thyroid with non-radioactive iodine and prevents the uptake of the radioactive molecules. Potassium iodide works only to prevent the thyroid from uptaking radioactive iodine. It is not a general radioprotective agent.

Is potassium iodide the only medication available for radiation exposure?

Potassium iodide is the only FDA-approved medication available to treat contamination with radioactive iodine. There are FDA-approved products available that increase the rate of elimination of other radioactive elements. They include:

• Calcium-DTPA and Zinc DTPA, Hameln Pharmaceuticals. Approved to treat known or suspected internal contamination with plutonium, americium, or curium to increase the rates of elimination.

• Radiogardase (Prussian blue insoluble capsules), HEYL Chemisch-Pharmazeutische Fabrik GmbH & Co. KG. Approved to treat known or suspected internal contamination with radioactive cesium and/or radioactive or non-radioactive thallium to increase their rates of elimination.

 

We have heard that potassium iodide is in short supply. Is that correct?

FDA daily evaluates the pharmaceutical supply for a wide variety of drugs to assess shortage issues.
Despite the fact that there is no public health event in the U.S. requiring KI, FDA is aware of an increased demand for KI products. FDA is working with these companies to facilitate increased production. FDA can’t provide an exact date on when that might happen but it will occur as quickly as possible.
Due to public concern related to the nuclear incident in Japan, there is an increased demand for drugs used to prevent and treat harmful effects caused by radiation exposure or contamination with radioactive materials. At this time, however, the U.S. Government is not recommending that residents of the United States or its territories take potassium iodide, even as a preventative measure. According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, all the available information continues to indicate that the U.S. Territories and the U.S. West Coast are not expected to experience any harmful levels of radioactivity. Based on this, it is not expected that U.S. citizens will need potassium iodide. Nonetheless, the FDA is working with manufacturers to facilitate increased production of this medicine as quickly as possible.

 

Does FDA recommend that consumers purchase potassium iodide as a protective step?

No. There is no public health event requiring anyone in the U.S. to take KI because of the ongoing situation in Japan.

 

With exports from Japan disrupted, is there any possibility that some medical products could be in short supply?

FDA has been contacted by a few companies who receive product from Japan and the Agency is working with them on their supply issues.

 

Have U.S. manufacturers of potassium iodide been asked to ship any products to Japan?

At this time, the FDA is not aware of any request from Japan to the U.S. manufacturers of FDA -approved potassium iodide. In addition, there is not a public health event requiring anyone in the U.S. to be taking KI because of the ongoing situation in Japan.
Drugs shipped to a foreign country, including as part of a humanitarian relief effort, are considered exports, and therefore, need to meet certain legal requirements under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). If a drug is approved and is otherwise in compliance with the FFDCA’s requirements, there are no additional restrictions by FDA on its exportation. Drugs that are not approved or that otherwise are not in compliance with the FFDCA’s requirements may be exported if the exportation meets certain conditions and requirements.

 

Can a sponsor of an investigational new drug export its product to Japan?  Does FDA have to authorize such an export?

The sponsor of an investigational new drug can export its product to Japan.  The FDA regulations, found at 21 CFR 312.110(b), outline several ways for the sponsor to export its investigational new drug provided the new drug satisfies the terms listed.  For exports most relevant to the current situation, prior FDA authorization is not required for the sponsor to export an investigational new drug under this section of the regulations.

 

If I see web sites advertising potassium iodide or alternative cures, should I buy the products?

Due to public concern related to the nuclear incident in Japan, there is an increased demand for drugs used to prevent and treat harmful effects caused by radiation exposure or contamination with radioactive materials. One drug, potassium iodide (KI), has been approved by the FDA to prevent thyroid cancer in people internally contaminated with radioactive iodine.
At this time, the U.S. Government is not recommending that residents of the United States or its territories take KI, even as a preventative measure. According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, all the available information continues to indicate that Hawaii, Alaska, the U.S. Territories, and the U.S. West Coast are not expected to experience any harmful levels of radioactivity.
The FDA is alerting consumers to be wary of internet sites and other retail outlets promoting products making false claims to prevent or treat effects of radiation or products that are not FDA-approved. These fraudulent products come in all varieties and could include dietary supplements, food items, or products purporting to be drugs, devices or vaccines.

Has FDA taken any action on these types of products thus far?

FDA has issued Warning Letters to firms promoting a variety of fraudulent products that claim to prevent or treat the harmful effects of radiation exposure from the nuclear power plant incident in Japan as a consequence of the earthquake and tsunami. The firms that received the letters, along with the radiation protection products they market, are:

• KT Botanicals, LLC: -  “Acute Radiation Exposure Support Formula" - http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm251311.htm
• Eidon, Inc. - ”Liquid Iodine”  - http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm251793.htm
• Premier Micronutrient Corporation  - "Bioshield Radiation® R1",  "Bioshield Radiation® R2" - http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm253423.htm
   

 

How can consumers identify products that may be violative?

Consumers should be wary of the following:

• claims that a product not approved by FDA can prevent or treat the harmful effects of radiation exposure related to a nuclear incident (i.e., meltdown of a nuclear power plant);  
• suggestions that a potassium iodide product will treat conditions other than those for which it is approved, i.e., KI floods the thyroid with non-radioactive iodine and prevents the uptake of the radioactive molecules, which are subsequently excreted in the urine;
• promotions using words such as “scientific breakthrough,” “new products,” “miraculous cure,” ”secret ingredient,” and ”ancient remedy”;
• testimonials by consumers or doctors claiming amazing results;
• limited availability and advance payment requirements;
• promises of no-risk, money-back guarantees;
• promises of an “easy” fix; and,
• claims that the product is “natural” or has fewer side effects than approved drugs.
• claims that kelp, seaweed, and other food products contain enough iodine to protect against radioactive iodine. These products contain very little iodine when compared to the approved drug products. There are no foods or dietary supplements approved by FDA for protection against radioactive iodine

Don't be fooled by professional-looking Web sites. Avoid Web sites that fail to list the company's name, physical address, phone number, or other contact information. For more tips for online buying, visit Buying Medicines and Medical Products Online. To determine if a particular drug is FDA approved, check The Orange Book17 or Drugs@FDA.
Consumers and health care professionals are encouraged to report adverse side effects or medication errors from the use of both approved and unapproved radiation exposure products to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program at www.fda.gov/MedWatch or by calling 800-332-1088.

***WAKE UP A FRIEND*** LEAKED CONFIRMED U.S. ARMY DOCUMENT … OUTLINES PLAN FOR “RE-EDUCATION CAMPS” IN AMERICA!! [W/ SOURCE DOCS]

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Political activists would be pacified to sympathize with the government
RELATED: Yes, The Re-Education Camp Manual Does Apply Domestically to U.S. Citizens

A leaked U.S. Army document prepared for the Department of Defense contains shocking plans for “political activists” to be pacified by “PSYOP officers” into developing an “appreciation of U.S. policies” while detained in prison camps inside the United States.

The document, entitled FM 3-39.40 Internment and Resettlement Operations (PDF) was originally released on a restricted basis to the DoD in February 2010, but has now been leaked online.

The manual outlines policies for processing detainees into internment camps both globally and inside the United States. International agencies like the UN and the Red Cross are named as partners in addition to domestic federal agencies including the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA.

The document makes it clear that the policies apply “within U.S. territory” and involve, “DOD support to U.S. civil authorities for domestic emergencies, and for designated law enforcement and other activities,” including “man-made disasters, accidents, terrorist attacks and incidents in the U.S. and its territories.”

The manual states, “These operations may be performed as domestic civil support operations,” and adds that “The authority to approve resettlement such operations within U.S. territories,” would require a “special exception” to The Posse Comitatus Act, which can be obtained via “the President invoking his executive authority.” The document also makes reference to identifying detainees using their “social security number.”

Aside from enemy combatants and other classifications of detainees, the manual includes the designation of “civilian internees,” in other words citizens who are detained for, “security reasons, for protection, or because he or she committed an offense against the detaining power.”

Once the detainees have been processed into the internment camp, the manual explains how they will be “indoctrinated,” with a particular focus on targeting political dissidents, into expressing support for U.S. policies.

The re-education process is the responsibility of the “Psychological Operations Officer,” whose job it is to design “PSYOP products that are designed to pacify and acclimate detainees or DCs to accept U.S. I/R facility authority and regulations,” according to the document.

The manual lists the following roles that are designated to the “PSYOP team”.

- Identifies malcontents, trained agitators, and political leaders within the facility who may try to organize resistance or create disturbances.

- Develops and executes indoctrination programs to reduce or remove antagonistic attitudes.

- Identifies political activists.

- Provides loudspeaker support (such as administrative announcements and facility instructions when necessary).

- Helps the military police commander control detainee and DC populations during emergencies.

- Plans and executes a PSYOP program that produces an understanding and appreciation of U.S. policies and actions.

Remember, this is not restricted to insurgents in Iraq who are detained in prison camps – the manual makes it clear that the policies also apply “within U.S. territory” under the auspices of the DHS and FEMA. The document adds that, “Resettlement operations may require large groups of civilians to be quartered temporarily (less than 6 months) or semipermanently (more than 6 months).”

The historical significance of states using internment camps to re-educate detainees centers around the fact that it is almost exclusively practiced by repressive and dictatorial regimes like the former Soviet Union and Stalinist regimes like modern day North Korea.

We have exhaustively documented preparations for the mass internment of citizens inside America, but this is the first time that language concerning the re-education of detainees, in particular political activists, has cropped up in our research.

In 2009, the National Guard posted a number of job opportunities looking for “Internment/Resettlement Specialists” to work in “civilian internee camps” within the United States.

In December last year it was also revealed that Halliburton subsidiary KBR is seeking sub-contractors to staff and outfit “emergency environment” camps located in five regions of the United States.

In 2006, KBR was contracted by Homeland Security to build detention centers designed to deal with “an emergency influx of immigrants into the U.S,” or the rapid development of unspecified “new programs” that would require large numbers of people to be interned.

Rex 84, short for Readiness Exercise 1984, was established under the pretext of a “mass exodus” of illegal aliens crossing the Mexican/US border, the same pretense used in the language of the KBR request for services.

During the Iran-Contra hearings in 1987, however, it was revealed that the program was a secretive “scenario and drill” developed by the federal government to suspend the Constitution, declare martial law, assign military commanders to take over state and local governments, and detain large numbers of American citizens determined by the government to be “national security threats.”

Under the indefinite detention provision of the National Defense Authorization Act, which was signed by Barack Obama on New Year’s Eve, American citizens can be kidnapped and detained indefinitely without trial.