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FBI Pressures Internet Providers To Install Surveillance Software

Posted by Soulskill on from the a-piece-of-the-action dept.

An anonymous reader sends this quote from an article at CNet: "The U.S. government is quietly pressuring telecommunications providers to install eavesdropping technology deep inside companies' internal networks to facilitate surveillance efforts. FBI officials have been sparring with carriers, a process that has on occasion included threats of contempt of court, in a bid to deploy government-provided software capable of intercepting and analyzing entire communications streams. The FBI's legal position during these discussions is that the software's real-time interception of metadata is authorized under the Patriot Act. Attempts by the FBI to install what it internally refers to as 'port reader' software, which have not been previously disclosed, were described to CNET in interviews over the last few weeks. One former government official said the software used to be known internally as the 'harvesting program.'"

4 of 225 comments (clear)

  1. List of Those Who Decline - Marketing by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 5, Informative

    Let me know who's declining to install warantless taps and I'll put them on my list of businesses to engage for projects.

    For those wondering, Democracy Now carried the Senate hearing a day or two ago with Senator Lahey grilling the Deputy Director of the NSA, who revealed that of all the S.215 intercepts that have happened since 9/11, he could point to only one terrorist plot that maybe (just maybe) would have happened 'but for' the NSA spying. This is the purported benefit of sacrificing the privacy of three hundred million people.

    I haven't seen this make the mainstream news yet, at least from the links on the aggregators I read. Oh, but since the spying justification is falling apart, there's going to be a terrorist attack on Sunday. :P

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  2. Re:Don't you think it's a little late now? by homey+of+my+owney · · Score: 4, Informative

    I can't imagine why anyone is so indignant about this now. It has been on-going since 1997. THAT was the time to be indignant, not 15 years in.

  3. Re:ENOUGH ALREADY! by Black+LED · · Score: 4, Informative

    I have a lot to hide. That doesn't mean any of it is illegal.

  4. Re:ENOUGH ALREADY! by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 5, Informative

    And even if most/all of what you have to hide is illegal, GET A WARRANT!

    --

    "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"