What story research have you done that would potentially put you on a watch list, say with the FBI or MI5?

[ShelbyDawn57]

I've been working on some interesting stories lately. At least I think so. Anyway, for one, I've been doing research into various party drugs like Ecstasy and ketamine. For another things you would need to create a fake identity. I can see in my innate paranoia, any of these searches getting me a visit from guys in bad suits driving black suburbans.

So, I guess the question is, what trouble have you been getting into lately?

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

I read ALOT of declassified cold war era CIA, KGB, and MI6 manuals on spycraft to write two of my stories. I highly doubt that would actually put me on anyone's radar... But it did give me pause lol.

 

[MrPixel]

Researching sex clubs.

Also, looking into state parks with “sex in the woods” potential. That might seem trivial (and somewhat assumed) in most of the US, but in our state the park system has its own police force - not just rangers - that is very aggressive with patrolling parks for any indication of sexual activity. Horny couples beware. Heck, there was a local news article a couple of years back about a guy getting busted for taking a leak off of a wooded trail.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Many of my stories contain content, which if real, would be considered confidential, secret, or even top secret. I come up with fictional content by doing enough research to make it realistic for the readers.

I am currently working on a dystopian themed novel and researching such things as HEMP (high-altitude electromagnetic pulse) testings that have been performed by multiple nuclear powers. It's all openly available information on the web, but I suppose the right keyword searches could trip an alert for someone somewhere.

 

[alohadave]

I doubt that anyone cares to look at what any of us are searching for proactively. The records are there, so that if you follow through on the things you search for, they can find your history.

 

[OverconfidentSarcasm]

I'm currently working on a crime novel featuring a private investigator trying to nail a massively corrupt US Senator. And... I kinda realized that I'm not that knowledgeable about how a US Senator's work day looks like. So, my search history looks something like this:

- Where do senator's live?
- Do senators' cars get searched regularly?
- Radio Frequency for Mercedes S Class key fobs
- Does an octopus have a butthole?
- Do senators get secret service details?

*EDIT*
The octopus question was unrelated to the story.

 

[samhasstories]

Anyway, for one, I've been doing research into various party drugs like Ecstasy and ketamine.

I did similar research in college. I can call it research, right?

I google things every now and then that make me wonder, is this flagging something? Not enough - yet - I don't think, to cause any problems. I've heard there is a dark web out there, if you really want to get into it. But I don't actually know what that means.

 

[KeithD]

I've been working on some interesting stories lately. At least I think so. Anyway, for one, I've been doing research into various party drugs like Ecstasy and ketamine. For another things you would need to create a fake identity. I can see in my innate paranoia, any of these searches getting me a visit from guys in bad suits driving black suburbans.

So, I guess the question is, what trouble have you been getting into lately?

In my second career, I edited books for mainstream publishers. As my background was in intelligence, many of these books were on terrorism and espionage. While factchecking, I did, on occasion, receive a bit of attention.

 

[PeytonMirabelle]

The proper way to cut a throat. I'm sure that raised an eyebrow or two.

Of course it's the old joke about the two agents monitoring searches, when one starts getting agitated about what's being searched, and the second says, "wait for it," only for the next search to be, "why isn't my book selling?"

 

[MrPixel]

I doubt that anyone cares to look at what any of us are searching for proactively. The records are there, so that if you follow through on the things you search for, they can find your history.

Not necessarily. It’s possible to cover your tracks with things like Tor Browser and any of dozens of VPN services, clearing your local browser history, and doing the occasional hard drive scrub.

That said, certain forensic techniques can recover file fragments after simple disk erasures. My question… and even researching this could potentially “flag” you… is whether there is a similar technique for solid-state mass storage like on the laptop I’m using right now. Research into covering one’s tracks like this can trigger child porn enforcement interests.

Also, browser searches in certain states - Louisiana, for one - are possibly hazardous as ISPs have been recently tasked with monitoring for porn activity in general. Have no idea if the new laws have been tripped-up because of the sheer volume, but if they’re smart about it, AI is perfect for combing through billions of “illicit” searches.

 

[alohadave]

It’s possible to cover your tracks with things like Tor Browser

I wouldn't count on Tor for anonymity, since it's known that various government agencies operate nodes.

whether there is a similar technique for solid-state mass storage like on the laptop I’m using right now.

You'd use an overwriting program to write a series of patterns to the storage until there is no latent data pattern extant. That won't get you flagged, as it's a legit use case when destroying or selling a drive.

If you search for 'secure delete ssd'. There are plenty of guides.

 

[MadeleineSinha]

I'm currently working on a crime novel featuring a private investigator trying to nail a massively corrupt US Senator. And... I kinda realized that I'm not that knowledgeable about how a US Senator's work day looks like. So, my search history looks something like this:

- Where do senator's live?
- Do senators' cars get searched regularly?
- Radio Frequency for Mercedes S Class key fobs
- Does an octopus have a butthole?
- Do senators get secret service details?

*EDIT*
The octopus question was unrelated to the story.

I’m only interested in one of your searches.
C’mon. Spill it. Do they?

 

[MillieDynamite]

I'm sorry, I don't search and tell.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I’m only interested in one of your searches.
C’mon. Spill it. Do they?

@EmilyMiller Might know... She's our resident cephalopod expert.

 

[SyleusSnow]

Oh, I use Tor Browser when researching stuff that might get me on a No Fly list. Not impenetrable, especially for governments, but good enough.

I don't use a VPN. With a VPN, everything from your computer goes through it, including all that wonderfully identifying MS Windows telemetry. With Tor, only your Tor Browser traffic goes out the link.

 

[KeithD]

I haven't tried any evasion in researching terrorism and espionage--which has helped in getting a response occasionally of "Oh, it's only you." I can also attest to it being real that there is online checking of such activity.

 

[Zootonius]

 

[MrPixel]

Well… anyway… like any of this is new. Back in the ‘70s, it was known in the data processing trade that the FBI and CIA were buying magazine mailing lists through straw buyers, and collating addresses (and names) to trace “subversive activities”. Too many liberal publications like Mother Jones and ACLU membership would put you on a watchlist. I was tempted for years to subscribe to Mother Jones and National Review at the same time in hopes that their heads would explode.

 

[StillStunned]

Over 25 years of research for texts I'm editing, I've probably searched almost anything you can imagine. Hasn't stopped both the EU and the CJEU from approving me to work for them.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Probably two things you should take as a given.
1, If the NSA wanted to know what was on your computer and what you are searching for you couldn't stop them from finding out.

2. All of us are such small potatoes they don't care.

 

[Paul_Chance]

A search alone (or in combination with other searches) won't get you on anyone's watch list, so feel free to search to your hearts content while looking for background information for your story.

It would come into play after the fact, but that's about it. We haven't reached the pre-crime state yet.

When the various intelligence agencies are scooping up vast amounts of data to cross-index, what they're looking for is connection points. What connects YOU to THEM and what communications are exchanged.

If you were already a suspect in a specific event or crime, or tied to a specific individual or group, then you've got a potential whole other set of problems.

The data is subject to massive amounts of automated analysis and you'd need to hit on several points before a human being ever saw it.

 

[AchtungNight]

I honestly have no idea. I haven’t ever been subjected to any investigations from such agencies far as I know in roughly twenty years of creating adult content. Yes, I’ve posted stories based on celebrity gossip, but all the info I’ve used is from interviews and movies the real celebrities made public plus the product of my own imagination. I explicitly explain my stories are fictional and have no expectations of them ever being otherwise. That goes for the stories featuring original characters too. No woman, celebrity or otherwise, has ever come after me in a negative way because of my stories other than to say they’d rather not know about them or have them on their sites. Others, women and men, have praised my work, so it evens out. I was aspiring law enforcement before I started writing smut stories and I’ve accepted it wasn’t for me. Any fan of my stories wants to contact me irl, I will gladly talk to you and might even make a lasting connection if we have compatible interests & kinks. Distance might be an issue too, I’m not into online dating unless it progresses quickly to real life.

 

[Blind_Justice]

I've done a lot of reading on various combat techniques, everything from martial arts to CQC to HEMA to gun hacks. But considering the state of weapon legislation in the US, that shouldn't cause much concern and even in Germany, that stuff is hardly illegal. So... no, I've done no research which would put me on somebody's radar. Should I ever need to do so, I'd start by building a safety net of burner VPNs and IP spoofs, just to be as hard to track as possible.

 

[Voboy]

SO, so, so so so much research. And not just for stories. I'm a curious person, and some of the things I'm curious about are a little off-kilter.

But I think my research into undercover police procedure and accompanying studies of mafia-like behaviors would probably qualify as story-based research that might draw undue attention. I also spent a lot of time on a project some years ago, researching how brothels could be run semi-legally.

 

[Seadog777]

Everybody is being watched.
Everybody is on a list of some sort.
They've pretty much admitted it, without coming out and saying it.