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NSA Chose Invasive Phone Analysis Option

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the why-do-things-the-right-way-when-you-can-do-it-the-easy-way dept.

Encrypted Anonymous Coward writes "The Baltimore Sun reveals the existence of an interesting experimental NSA program codenamed ThinThread from the late 90`s. The program involved link analysis of traffic data, with a twist; The phone numbers from the U.S. would only be analyzed in an encrypted form. This way the analysis would potentially be possible under existing privacy laws, according to the people behind the program. The NSA could gather further unencrypted details if there was evidence of a threat. Political infighting seems to have dropped an interesting and respectful program from the books."

6 of 307 comments (clear)

  1. On condition of anonymity by Billosaur · · Score: 4, Funny
    Four intelligence officials knowledgeable about the program agreed to discuss it with The Sun only if granted anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

    Let's hope they didn't talk on the phone...

    --
    GetOuttaMySpace - The Anti-Social Network
  2. Hmm by The+Living+Fractal · · Score: 5, Funny

    NSA: "Stand very still, we're going to beat you with this baseball bat."
    U.S. Citizen: "Don't I have rights? You can't just beat me with that bat!"
    NSA: "Don't worry, we've encrypted it."

    --
    I do not respond to cowards. Especially anonymous ones.
  3. Re:Can We Get the NSA involved in F/OSS? by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 2, Funny

    Exactly! Perhaps they could come up with a descriptive name that alludes to the level of utility and usability of the program. In which case, they'd end up calling it...The Gimp!

    *ducks*

    --
    This guy's the limit!
  4. HA! by j0nkatz · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah, and I "encrypt" all the mp3s I download for free off the internet. I never listen, I just analyze.

    --
    Don't mod me, bro'!!!!
  5. Re:Okay, have we caught anyone? by Colonel+Angus · · Score: 2, Funny

    Would you stop aiding the terrorists already! You know if they answer that, the terrorists will have won.

  6. Bureaucratic shuffle by Saint+Facetious · · Score: 2, Funny

    Lots of people seem to be worried that the encrypted information would have been decrypted and then misused. C'mon people, haven't any of you dealt with a federal government agency? Do you have any idea what kind of mounds of paperwork an analyst would have probably had to have gone through to decrypt anything? Probably so much paperwork that they'd rather just dismiss the most blatant evidence just so they wouldn't have to work on the bureaucratic shuffle.