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Wiretapping, The Year in Review

Posted by michael on from the have-you-hugged-your-private-key-today? dept.

An AC was the first to send in this CNN article about FBI wiretapping, based on documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act Request. (I found the article funny because the documents were so heavily censored - the FBI gets to eavesdrop on the public, but not vice-versa.) According to CNN: wiretapping is up, up, up. But the Electronic Privacy Information Center notes that the U.S. court system has just released its annual wiretapping report, and according to EPIC, wiretapping is down. I think someone forgot to carry a 1 somewhere.

3 of 74 comments (clear)

  1. Clarification by SirWhoopass · · Score: 5

    The CNN article is reporting that the requests for internet wiretaps is up since 1997. The EPIC information is showing the actual number of taps for each year. It also indicates that the number of taps is increasing (except for state taps, which are down from 1998 to 1999, but up from 1997 to 1999).

  2. FBI Productivity... by DarenN · · Score: 5

    in their cybercrime division?

    *Scene: Budgetary meeting on Capitol Hill*

    FBI rep: So, as you can see, numbers of cases solved are up, percentages of convictions are up, crime is down, and fraud is down.

    Senate committee: But here there is a 1% decrease in the number of wiretaps

    FBI: Yes, but...

    Senate committee: But in your annual report you committed to increases of....5%, wasn't it

    FBI: But....

    Senate committee: No buts, your productivity is clearly down in your cybercrime division. Your request for $2.5 million extra for your cybercrime division this year is denied until you meet your targets.

    FBI: But...

    Chairman : Shush

    FBI: B...

    Chairman : I've got a whole bag of "shush's" here all with your name on them. Now go.

    *FBI representative exits the room muttering "I hate you"*

    --
    Rational thought is the only true freedom
  3. Bias by Plague+You · · Score: 5
    The very first line of the CNN story displays an implicit collaborative bias:

    The FBI has used Internet eavesdropping tools to track fugitives, drug dealers, extortionists, computer hackers and suspected foreign intelligence agents, documents show.(bold-faced emphasis mine)

    Notice that of this list, only foreign intelligence agents are described as "suspected". Everyone else is given a "true" identifier, or at least one with no modifier indicating lack of certainity. This may seem like nit-picking, but contextual analysis of this nature certainly can give insight into the inherent biases of a given culture.

    So what does this mean? I interpret it as CNN implicitly assuming the FBI is correct in their allegations against these sub-groups with the possible exception of foreign spies. Perhaps this indicates a bewilderment to the point of denial that anyone would freely choose to spy on the US. Scary as that last inference is, it is nothing compared to the former. In essence, CNN is promulgating the belief that if you are under suspicion, then you probably are guilty.

    So much for the "liberal media" myth.