| As we all know, times are changing. It's not surprising | | | | He thought the public should know what was going |
| today to read about how some of our rights are | | | | on. |
| being taken away due to terrorism concerns. | | | | Basically what is understood is they tap into fiber lines |
| Whatever you want to do, think first. Want to carry | | | | and use special analyzers to capture certain data |
| a backpack? No, can't do that here. Want to light a | | | | streams, depending on what keywords are used or if |
| cigarette in public? Can't do that. So it should be no | | | | something meets the criteria for interest to the |
| surprise, or maybe a surprise to some, when | | | | agency. People in the field call this "data mining". |
| evidence came out that good ole AT&T was | | | | Why does this matter to law enforcement or |
| helping our government spy on our internet | | | | emergency operations? What will be the effects if |
| messages. | | | | the public knows that all communications, including |
| First, some background. For years, the US has had | | | | internet, is regularly monitored? I don't know the |
| more freedom than most all countries. We still have | | | | answer to these questions. Obviously many intelligent |
| many freedoms that others could only hope for. | | | | criminals or terrorists understand secure |
| Religious freedom, freedom of speech, you name it. | | | | communications. It is understood that some of the 9 |
| Keep in mind people go to jail for life just for | | | | 11 hijackers used stenography's to encode |
| practicing a religion. Not here in the USA. | | | | communications in pictures. Stenography's is a science |
| With freedom of speech, there is an irony in that | | | | of taking a message and encoding it into a picture, |
| certain communications the government has the | | | | graphic, video, or sound file. It is actually making |
| freedom to monitor. For instance, telephone calls | | | | something that looks like something else, so that you |
| from the US to other countries has been available to | | | | never know to look at that as a communications |
| people who work for the government. Telephone | | | | device. |
| intercepts is not new. Think about it, what is the | | | | So we know that some criminals use advanced tools |
| biggest overseas telephone company, it is At&T. | | | | to communicate. Many of those tools will cause |
| It is widely believed that all telephone calls to other | | | | problems in solving crimes. The questions is, does the |
| countries are recorded and have been since the | | | | AT&T relationship with the government help |
| 1960's and before. And recently, it is understood that | | | | solve crime? Or does it stop spies? |
| there are computers that can search those | | | | People could argue that such spy systems definitely |
| conversations for keywords. Say the sentence "My | | | | could help our national defense and such. Others |
| kid really bombed out on the game last night" and | | | | could argue that it is a slippery slope, leading to an |
| you get your whole life put into super recording | | | | age where the government can instantly bring up |
| mode. | | | | every single record of communications you have |
| Now browse to the internet age. It is December 31, | | | | ever done over a telephone or internet. Big brother |
| 2004 and a technician for AT&T decides to | | | | on the horizon. Some people say what's wrong with |
| start the new year with a bang. He decides to talk | | | | that? I suppose it all has to be put into perspective. |
| about his "classified" work with his employer and the | | | | What freedoms will we give up for some security? |
| government. When the New York times reported on | | | | What freedom will we give our government in |
| the vast collection program going on, many people | | | | spending our tax dollars on questionable secret |
| knew this was happening, but this technician opened | | | | programs, when children go to bed hungry and our |
| up a can of worms. | | | | prisons are full of inmates? What questions can be |
| The technician talked to lawyers and the press. This | | | | answered with torture, and will we let our |
| is what he said. He talked about a Room 641A at 611 | | | | government not only spy on people but torture |
| Folsom Street, in San Francisco. There At&T has | | | | them? The questions are not easy. Our civilization is a |
| a large communication hub, actually part of the many | | | | complicated organism with many vulnerabilities to |
| backbones of the internet. The technician described | | | | terrorists. We have to keep in mind our security as |
| how the company worked with the NSA to listen in | | | | we continue to grow as a society. |
| to every bit of data going through that part of the | | | | What cost are we willing to bear, what will we give |
| internet. Since he was now retired he figured "who | | | | up so that we can sleep safe at night? |
| cares if I can't get a job with the spy bosses now?" | | | | |