Report: FBI conducting sweeping Internet wiretaps

The FBI appears to have adopted an invasive Internet surveillance technique that collects far more data on innocent Americans than previously has been disclosed," according to a story posted Tuesday on ZDNet, a technology news website.

Agents engaging in investigations appear to be amassing huge databases of data on thousands of Internet users, rather than eyeing the activities of particular suspects -- similar to the sweeping approach employed by the National Security Agency. The NSA wiretaps program drew congressional uproar after it was revealed the program was taking place without supervision by a court.

"Such a technique is broader and potentially more intrusive than the FBI's Carnivore surveillance system, later renamed DCS1000," ZDNet's Declan McCullagh writes. "It raises concerns similar to those stirred by widespread Internet monitoring that the National Security Agency is said to have done, according to documents that have surfaced in one federal lawsuit, and may stretch the bounds of what's legally permissible."

McCullagh calls it "the vacuum-cleaner approach," a technique used when police have obtained a court order but the suspect's Internet provider can't isolate an individual by their IP address -- the series of digits that identify an individual computer.

"That kind of full-pipe surveillance can record all Internet traffic, including Web browsing -- or, optionally, only certain subsets such as all e-mail messages flowing through the network. Interception typically takes place inside an Internet provider's network at the junction point of a router or network switch," McCullagh writes.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Report_FBI_conducting_sweeping_Internet_wiretaps_0130.html

stuff this in your ear, or elswhere- I ain't afraid of you, asshat.

:hi: :evilgrin:

Sometimes you would think some people could get a clue and in the process get a life :shrug:

The only good thing with government wasting money trying to monitor the internet means just that much less money they have to use for them air sorties in the middle east :nuke:

surely there are some brilliant hackers who can come up with ways so as to not allow the govt. to spy on our internet activity.

Like this software

Encryption Software for SQL Server,MSDE,MS Access,File Encryption:
http://www.netlib.com/index.html

They probably have work arounds for much. But if you were to use such that would be just one more crime they were committing against innocent citizens. I find in my life getting back at people or doing other things that are not life affirming against anything brings bad Karma. It's is impossible not have it come against you, but to bring it on is a whole other matter. Just watch, you will see

No need to hide, we were born naked and when we leave we take even less

I can envision a time when one must have a government approved business license to use encryption software and send encrypted files.

so we won't have it over here

....the Government should fear its people." V

We need a " V "