Its been 8 years since since I was released from jail, after being charged with wire fraud and computer fraud, for liberating real estate data. At the time, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) was stepping up prosecution of “scrapers” who were repurposing home listings from the national websites. I felt compelled to do something, which would prove to just be a primer for a much larger mission, I would be given, during a much darker time--making it a necessary step in my evolution.
Residential home data is actually public data, and if you are familiar with the real estate industry, individual agents and brokers hand over their own listings to their local multiple listing service (MLS), then pay for the privilege to have access to their own listings, via their local MLS organization. The national association of realtors in turn has relationships with these almost 2000 local and regional MLS, allowing them to display them on national, regional and local websites like realtor.com.
Nine years ago, I wrote a tool that would liberate all data from the NAR site, allowing anyone to build a website or app from the data, which I strongly felt were facts and should not be controlled by anyone. Even though I did not use the app myself, or generate revenue from it, my fingerprints were all over it and the NAR chose to come after me--I was charged with wire fraud and computer fraud. After lengthy court battle, I ended up with two felonies and a total of 16 months in jail. In hindsight, liberating real estate data was not a valid endeavor, but as I said before, this was all a primer.
After this difficult time in my life, I tried to pull things together. In the United States it can be hard. Once you're in the system, it is very difficult to get on your feet again. With fines, probation and the stigma of being a felon it is very difficult to ever go back to normal. I tried to have “normal” jobs again being a programmer at bullshit companies, only to clash with the petty tyrants who were in charge and were threatened by my skills. With fines, restitution and past legal fees, I saw no way out.
Eventually I left the country. Without a passport, I had to leave through alternative channels, and made my way to Europe, and via Spain I found my way to northern Africa and eventually Morocco. I was able to set up shop in a small community outside of El Jadida in Morocco. I found a little place where I could live, that had access to Internet via a shared connection in the neighborhood and try to establish a new reality for myself.
I’ve lived here for over a year, after bouncing around Europe and Northern Africa for three years, trying to find a place where I feel comfortable. During this time things have heated up in the U.S. with laws getting more strict laws around hacking, after Iran, China and other rogue groups have intensified their cyber attacks against the U.S. This activity has made it easier for the U.S. government to put you in the terrorist bucket, when using the computer and Internet in ways they disagree with.
Over the last five years I’ve updated the data liberation tool I built earlier to liberate real estate data, to now liberate, dedupe, organize and distribute any data, documents and general information via a bittorrent like distributed network. I have used the tool for lawful aggregation of government resources, into a single organized, yet federated network. But you can imagine how others have used this tool, without my consent, although much of I would not object to, if given the chance to comment.
So in the last year, I’ve heard from family and friends the FBI is looking for me again. With my fingerprints all over the tool, with my history, my handiwork has made me a desirable target again. Various powerful corporations and lawmakers have made it easy to now put me into a bucket of cyber terrorists, because my tools and resources empower whistleblowers, hackers and others to easily “harvest”, organize and disseminate information in ways they cannot control once set in motion.
I have counted over 10 high profile leaks in the last 3 months, inwhich my tools have been involved with. I know the FBI are looking for me, with much more intensity than they ever have before. I’m hyper aware of this, and have been preparing.
With the emergence of crowd-sourced tracking networks, I know the FBI has stepped up searches in Morocco and even begun asking questions around El Jadida. I’m a member of these networks, which also includes crowdsourced tracking of drone sightings. I received push notifications of two separate drone sightings in the area, this morning. The game has gone to the next level, they are not interested in seeing the next version of my tools.
According the push notication, I have 15 minutes, to make sure Mehdi, the overdose victim who is laying on my couch is wearing my jewelry, and is in possession of all the tell tale signs that would make him me. I had nothing to do with his overdose, he is just a favor from a friend of mine who works for the City of El Jadida.
You won’t see me leaving my humble abode. You won’t see me running. But you will know, when the next version of my tools are released. I hope you will download and fork yourself.
