QuickLinks - Interception

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Issue no. 207 - 18 September 2001

• USA - Anti-Attack Feds Push Carnivore (Wired)
  Federal police are reportedly increasing Internet surveillance after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

• USA - FBI Denies Bias in U.S. Raid That Shut Qatar Web Site (Reuters)
  An 80-strong U.S. terrorism task force raided the Texas-based host of Arabic Web sites, including that of Al-Jazeera, the Arab world's leading independent news channel, prompting charges of an "anti-Muslim witchhunt.'' But the FBI, which took part in the raid denied any anti-Arab bias and said it was executing an unspecified federal search warrant.

• USA - Senate Expands Surveillance Powers Following Attacks (Newsbytes)
  The Senate approved legislation that would dramatically expand the powers of law enforcement agencies to track the online activities of suspected criminals and terrorists. Among other things, the legislation would broaden "pen-register" and "trap-and- trace" laws - which allow law enforcers to obtain the phone records of suspected criminals - to cover Internet communications. see also Senate OKs FBI Net Spying (Wired), Congressional Response to Terrorism Threatens Privacy (EFF) and Ashcroft urges stricter anti-terrorism laws (AP).

Issue no. 206 - 3 September 2001

• Dutch Police expected to check 300.000 Internet-users in 2004 (Heise)
  Dutch Internet providers expect that in the year 2004 law enforcement agencies will be asking information on the name, address and living place of 300.000 Internet users.

• E-mail snoopers 'risk legal action' (BBC)
  Bosses who phone staff at home or vet employees' e-mails could face legal action, UK executive representatives have warned. Ringing staff at home to discuss work matters could, under UK human rights legislation, be construed as an invasion of privacy, the Institute of Management has said.

• ISPs forced to abet "Orwellian creep" (ZDNet Australia)
  Civil liberties group Electronic Frontiers Australia has spoken out against recommendations that could see Internet service providers forced to put their customers under constant surveillance.

• Protests over SA 'snooping' bill (BBC)
  Protests are growing in South Africa against the country's plan to give the security services new powers to monitor terrorists and serious criminals. Opponents say the Interception and Monitoring Bill is draconian, describing it as a charter for government snooping. see also So. Africa Weighs Police Spy Law (Wired), Privacy International's comments and Watchdog Needed to Oversee Implementation of the Interception And Monitoring Bill (bridges.org).

• U.S. Refuses to Disclose PC Tracking (New York Times)
  Invoking a national security law normally used in highly publicized espionage cases, the Justice Department told a federal judge that it would not publicly reveal the details of the "key logger" system used to gather evidence in the gambling and loansharking trial of Nicodemo S. Scarfo Jr.

• 'Web Bugs' Are Tracking Use of Internet (New York Times)
  A new report by Cyveillance, which tracks Internet sites for corporate clients says that the use of an Internet monitoring technology popularly known as "Web bugs" has exploded on personal Web pages, especially those created free through online companies like America Online and Geocities, a company owned by Yahoo.

Issue no. 205 - 3 August 2001

• Net activists launch campaign to jam 'Echelon' (CNN)
  Internet privacy activists and "hacktivists" have announced a day-long cyber-protest intended to jam a computer surveillance network whose existence isn't acknowledged by the governments said to run it.

Issue no. 204 - 27 July 2001

• FBI required to report on Net wiretaps (IDG)
  The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation requiring that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report annually to Congress detailed information about its use of the DCS 1000 e-mail and Internet surveillance system. DCS 1000 is more commonly known as "Carnivore," the system's former name.

• New Zealand Crimes Bill Raises Cybersnooping Concerns (Newsbytes)
  New Zealand's Green Party also claims that proposed legislation would give the police and intelligence services the right to hack into citizens' computers and intercept all e-mail traffic passing through and within New Zealand.

Issue no. 200 - 14 June 2001

• Germany - TK-Überwachung: Wirtschaftsminister rudert zurück (Heise)
  Bundeswirtschaftsminister Werner Müller hat nach massiven Protesten von Branchenverbänden, Datenschützern und Bundestagsabgeordneten an der geplanten Telekommunikations-Überwachungsverordnung (TKÜV) Einlenken signalisiert und sucht nun einen erweiterten Dialog mit der Wirtschaft. see also European ISPs Resist Police Demands for Data (The Standard).

Issue no. 199 - 4 June 2001

• EU warns on e-mail spy threat (FT)
  Public users of e-mail in the European Union should use encryption technology for their personal e-mails to ensure that they are not spied on by a US-led spy network called Echelon, the European parliament said.

Issue no. 198 - 28 May 2001

• Echelon 'not used for industrial espionage' (vnunet.com)
  A preliminary report by the European Parliament has attempted to dispel the myth that the Echelon spy network is capable of intercepting all data around the world and using it for industrial espionage. see leaked copy.

Issue no. 197 - 21 May 2001

• Schools Get Tool to Track Students' Internet Use (New York Times)
  The eSniff program is a modified version of a packet sniffer. ESniff detects packets that indicate that proscribed activities are going on - that a student is visiting Web sites that offer, say, sexual images, or copyright-violating music downloads or guns for sale or bomb- making instructions.

• Senate Anti-Gambling Bill Forces Schools to Spy on Students (The Standard)
  A U.S. Senate bill intended to stop wagering on amateur sports would require colleges and universities to monitor student Internet use for illegal gambling transactions and would withhold federal education funding from schools that failed to do so.

• Germany - Provider entwickeln Alternative zur geplanten Netz-Überwachung (Heise)
  Nach Auffassung des Verbands der deutschen Internet-Wirtschaft eco soll der Bereich Internet vollständig aus der geplanten Telekommunikations-Überwachungsverordnung (TKÜV) herausfallen. Das "normale" Abhören der Telefonleitungen reiche vollkommen aus, um auch die E-Mail-Kommunikation zu überwachen.

Issue no. 196 - 15 May 2001

• Europe 'Dismayed' by U.S. in E-Mail Spy Probe (Reuters)
  A European Parliament team probing a suspected U.S.-led global electronic eavesdropping system cut short a fact-finding visit after failing to meet with U.S. intelligence chiefs.

Issue no. 195 - 8 May 2001

• USA - New documents disclose FBI's Web surveillance (AP)
  The FBI has used Internet eavesdropping tools to track fugitives, drug dealers, extortionists, computer hackers and suspected foreign intelligence agents, documents show. The documents, obtained by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act, also detail how the FBI scurried last year to prove it wasn't "randomly looking at everyone's e-mail" once its Web surveillance practices came under attack.

• USA - Wireless Devices Account For Most Wiretaps In 2000 (Newsbytes)
  Wiretaps for cellular and other wireless devices accounted for roughly 60 percent of the total court-ordered telephone surveillance requests approved last year, according to the annual Wiretap Report of the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Issue no. 194 - 23 April 2001

• Germany - Polizeipräsident: Bund muss Handy-Überwachung erleichtern (Heise)
  Zur Bekämpfung des organisierten Verbrechens hat der baden-württembergische Landespolizeipräsident Erwin Hetger bessere Überwachungsmöglichkeiten von Mobiltelefonen gefordert.

Issue no. 193 - 3 April 2001

• Germany - Die neue TKÜV (TKRNews)
  Innere Sicherheit auf Kosten von Netzbürgern und Providern? Symposium des ITM, des Instituts für Kriminalwissenschaften und der Landesdatenschutzbeauftragten des Landes NRW am 11. Mai 2001 im Mövenpick-Hotel in Münster. Weitgehend unbeachtet von der Öffentlichkeit wurde im März diesen Jahres im Bundesrat der Entwurf einer Telekommunikationsüberwachungsverordnung beraten. Dieser Entwurf sieht u.a. eine umfassende Überwachung des Telefon- und des E-Mail-Verkehrs vor.

Issue no. 192 - 26 March 2001

• Die ETSI-Dossiers (Heise Online)
  Ein internationaler Verbund von Polizeibehörden und Geheimdiensten entwickelt einen weltweiten Standard zum Abhören digitaler Netze. Hand in Hand mit der Industrie legen die Gremien, die ihre Tätigkeit immer mit dem Etikett "lawful" schmücken, die Technik der Abhörschnittstellen fest - am EU-Parlament vorbei. Von Anfang an arbeiteten hier US-Behörden mit den EU-Ländern zusammen.

• European Parliament continues Echelon investigation (The Register)
  The European Parliament will continue its investigation into the Echelon spying system. A temporary committee was set up half way through last year when reports of the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand-sponsored spying system entered wide circulation.

Issue no. 190 - 12 March 2001

• Die Abhörtruppe im European Telecom Standards Instititute (Stern)
  Die Anfang des Jahres parallel bekannt gewordenen Überwachungsverordnungen in Deutschland und in Österreich beruhen beide auf einem Standard namens ETSI ES 201.671. Dieser Standard, der EU-weit gelten soll, wird von der Arbeitsgruppe "Lawful Interception" des European Telecom Standards Institute [ETSI] seit 1999 laufend weiterentwickelt.

Issue no. 188 - 24 February 2001

• Germany - Rot-Grün will Telekommunikation lückenlos überwachen (Telepolis)
  Mit der Telekommunikations-Überwachungsverordnung (TKÜV) plant die Bundesregierung, die letzten Lücken bei der Überwachung der Telekommunikation zu schließen und auch den Email-Verkehr der umfassenden Kontrolle der Strafverfolger zu unterwerfen.

• Netherlands - Interception Requirements Get Internet Providers Into Trouble (Telepolis)
  A third of Dutch Internet Providers are feared to face bankrupcy due to the high costs of mandatory interception of Internet traffic.

Issue no. 183 - 14 January 2001

• Year-End Worldwide Round-Up on Internet Surveillance (American Reporter - Andy Oram)
  Government surveillance was the most pressing policy issue in cyberspace this past year. The wildly divergent proposals popping up around the world make it hard to tease out a trend, but a long-range historical look suggests that a shift in strategy is underway globally.

• France - Écoutes : la Constitution épargne les opérateurs (Yahoo FR)
  Le code des télécommunications prévoit, « par les nécessités de la sécurité publique », que chaque opérateur mette son matériel à jour afin d'autoriser toute forme d'interception des messages analogiques ou numériques, transportant de la voix ou des données. Jusqu'ici le financement de cette activité était assuré par l'État. Mais la loi de finances rectificative, selon sa dernière mouture du 15 novembre 2000, cherchait à inverser la donne : « Les opérateurs mettent en place et assurent la mise en uvre des moyens nécessaires aux interceptions. Les investissements réalisés à cette fin sont à leur charge. Mais le Conseil constitutionnel n'a pas retenu ces dispositions. Dans leur décision du 29 décembre, les "sages" se sont référés au principe de « l'égalité devant les charges publiques ». Ainsi, s'il est légitime « d'imposer aux opérateurs de mettre en place et de faire fonctionner les dispositifs techniques permettant les interceptions, les dépenses en résultant ne sauraient incomber directement aux opérateurs. »

Issue no. 181 - 10 December 2000

• Experts: Carnivore review had no teeth (ZDNN)
  A who's who among corporate and academic security researchers criticized a government-funded review of the FBI's Carnivore Internet surveillance system as "limited" and "inadequate." The researchers said that while a previous review completed by a team at the Illinois Institute of Technology Research Institute (IITRI) appeared to have been conducted in good faith, the results were incomplete. see alsoLegal Controversy and the FBI's 'Carnivore' Program (GigaLaw.com).

• Secret plan to spy on all British phone calls (Observer)
  Britain's intelligence services are seeking powers to seize all records of telephone calls, emails and internet connections made by every person living in this country. MI5, MI6 and the police are demanding new legislation to log every phone call made in this country and store the information for seven years at a vast government-run 'data warehouse', a super computer that will hold the information. see Submission on communications data retention law (NCIS).

Issue no. 179 - 26 November 2000

• UK - Secrets, Spies and Whistleblowers (ARTICLE 19 and Liberty)
  Freedom of Expression and National Security in the United Kingdom.

• USA - E-Mail Surveillance Tool Said OK (AP)
  The FBI's controversial e-mail surveillance tool works about the way the bureau says and generally doesn't "overcollect" evidence, an independent reviewer of the system said. But his remarks failed to calm the fears of privacy advocates. see also Review Released on Web Wiretap (New York Times).

Issue no. 178 - 19 November 2000

• Carnivore raises new concerns (ZDNN)
  The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has warned that new documents released by the FBI under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) showed Carnivore could monitor all Internet traffic - including e-mail, Web surfing, and file transfers - something the FBI had previously denied. Compare and contrast Don't click the panic button over Carnivore (Gartner / CNET News.com) Concern over Carnivore is probably overstated and is at least premature.

Issue no. 174 - 21 October 2000

• France blasts Britain over Echelon (ZDNet UK)
  A French parliamentary enquiry has harshly criticised Britain for its involvement in the Echelon satellite surveillance system, which it denounces as a threat to individual liberty and commercial privacy. Echelon is the codename for a surveillance network built by the UK and U.S. at the onset of the Cold War in order to eavesdrop on international satellite communications. It is one part of a global surveillance effort that counts on cooperation from Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

• USA - FBI’s Carnivore has partners (MSNBC)
  Carnivore, the FBI’s controversial e-mail snooping program, is part of covert surveillance triad known inside the bureau as the "DragonWare Suite," according to recently declassified documents. The documents also outline how the DragonWare Suite is more than simply an e-mail snooping program: it’s capable of reconstructing the Web surfing trail of someone under investigation.

Issue no. 172 - 8 October 2000

• UK - Lawful business practice regulations - response to consultation (DTI)
  The final regulations will authorise businesses to monitor or record all communications transmitted over their systems without consent for a number of purposes including investigating or detecting unauthorised use of the business's telecoms system. The Telecommunications (Lawful Business Practice) (Interception of Communications) Regulations 2000 see also "Big Boss" wins powers to watch workers (Reuters).

• USA - Critics Denounce Carnivore Review (AP)
  Critics of the FBI's "Carnivore" e-mail surveillance system say the independent reviewers picked by the Justice Department to examine the program are government insiders. The Illinois Institute of Technology's Research Institute and Chicago-Kent College of Law were chosen to undertake the review, meant to give an outside examination of the FBI's controversial tool. But several members of the research team have ties to the federal government and to the Clinton administration.

Issue no. 171 - 1 October 2000

• Russian court overturns part of eavesdropping law (DFN)
  Russia's Supreme Court ruled that part of the SORM eavesdropping legislation was illegal. SORM allows the secret police to tap into any communication over telephone, cellular, or internet network. The Supreme Court ruled illegal the part of SORM which stated that no information about wiretapping decisions could be provided to communications companies.

• La confidentialité du courriel au centre d'un procès à Paris (AFP)
  Le courriel est-il un courrier comme un autre? C'est la question que devra trancher le tribunal correctionnel de Paris, qui a examiné la plainte d'un étudiant koweïtien contre trois responsables de son ancienne école, poursuivis pour avoir espionné sa messagerie électronique.

• UK - Home Office consultation on use of RIP Act powers (Press Release)
  A public consultation on the draft codes of practice on interception, covert surveillance and the use of covert human intelligence sources is to be made under Section 71 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The consultation period begins on 25 September and the closing date for consultation responses is 17 November 2000. A summary of the consultation responses will be made available on the Home Office website.

• USA - Committee toughens email interception law (ILN - Wired)
  The House Judiciary Committee approved the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 2000, a bill that would require law enforcement to obtain a warrant before reading email messages.

• USA - Justice Department selects Illinois institution to review 'Carnivore' (ILN - CNN)
  The U.S. Department of Justice announced that a Chicago institution has been chosen to review the so-called "Carnivore" system, its controversial e-mail surveillance program, to determine whether it violates privacy rights. see winning proposal. see also Carnivore review team picked, Carnivore review team information leaked, FCC may adopt Carnivore (Wired).

Issue no. 170 - 24 September 2000

• Software to snoop on office porn sneaks (Yahoo)
  A British company has launched a software package designed to catch employees who access pornography at work. The new system Pornsweeper is able to detect sexually explicit images being transmitted in and out of the workplace via the Internet.

Issue no. 169 - 16 September 2000

• International Forum on Surveillance by Design (Privacy International et al)
  22 September 2000, London, UK. A one day public meeting on the development of global surveillance strategies for law enforcement and national security.

Issue no. 168 - 9 September 2000

• Industry criticism delays UK internet bill (Financial Times)
  The UK government abandoned its attempt to rush through rules on employers' monitoring of employees' e-mails ahead of the October 2 introduction of the Human Rights Act, after ferocious industry criticism.

• Japan's Police Gain Right to Tap Phone, E-Mail (industry Standard)
  Japan's police have gained the right to eavesdrop on telephone calls and fax messages and access e-mail accounts in the course of their investigations into serious crimes. These are defined by the law as crimes involving illegal drugs, weapons, organized group illegal entry into Japan and organized murders.

• USA - Court limits federal wiretapping powers (CNET News.com)
  A federal judge in Washington blocked the expansion of federal wiretapping powers, saying the the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) threatened individual privacy. The court did leave in place a provision that will require mobile phone carriers to let authorities pinpoint which antenna cell phone callers are using.

Issue no. 167 - 6 August 2000

• Dutch Secret Service accused of e-mail snooping (IDg)
  Reports that intelligence agents have been intercepting e-mail traffic have added urgency to the debate about electronic snooping in the Netherlands, where a pending bill would broaden the government's power to monitor communications.

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