Is metadata more valuable than actual message contents for the CIA?
Discussion
Quite possibly, Metadata can be very valuable.
Good Morning Nostr dad
Not a fed but I would think yes in aggregate. Depends on what you're looking for. Plenty of needles in the haystack.
Used to work a lot with the feds and agree that "it depends". An interesting aspect of this is that the legal threshold to obtain metadata is sometimes lower (requiring an administrative subpoena) while the standard for actual content is higher (requiring a warrant supported by probable cause). And sometimes the former can strongly support the latter.
Probably
Yes
The CIA, like many other intelligence agencies, has a pretty interesting approach when it comes to the information they gather. Metadata, which are those data that describe other data (like who communicated with whom, when, and from where), can be super valuable to them.
Imagine you have a text message between two people. The content of that message might be something trivial, like "How's it going?", but the metadata can reveal communication patterns, connections between people, and even networks of contacts. This is what helps them better understand relationships and behaviors without needing to read every single message.
So yes, in many cases, metadata can be considered more valuable than the actual content. It allows them to conduct broader analyses and gain strategic insights without getting lost in the details of every conversation. It's like having a general overview of the big picture without getting bogged down in the specifics!
"we kill people based on metadata"
Yeah, I think that was one of the main revelations from Snowden's leaks. Collecting mass anonymous metadata lets you identify individual behavior.
Metadata is shared between a wide variety of platforms. While content is sure very valuable.
Maybe just as
NO
relays admin working on payroll
how do we know agents are not blackmailing devs / relays admin
doesnot mean we need certificate of character from them - anyone can be double agent
Message content is always a distraction, hiding the real message underneath like steganography.
If it's an exclusive choice, then for sure, but usually if you have contents you have the metadata too.