As our way of life becomes increasingly computerized, and as electronic
surveillance technology becomes more advanced, the availability of
information about each and every one of us to governmental and
non-governmental spies has soared. The word privacy seems no longer to
bear any significance. Whether it’s computer databases and the
Internet, PC taps, hidden cameras, bugs, phone wiretaps or surveillance
satellites, it seems there is no longer anywhere to hide.
PC
Monitoring and Internet Hacking
Using
no more than a computer and a modem, curious hackers can violate the privacy
of others through monitoring and managing the processes conducted on their
PCs. Moreover, surveillance hardware and software technology enables its
owners – whether authorized or not—to spy on the World Wide Web surfers
very easily. Hackers are effortlessly able to monitor all kinds of
Internet chat conversations, view them in real time, know all URLs visited
by the targeted PCs, track all keystrokes pressed on keyboards and which
windows they were pressed in, and discover all windows viewed and interacted
with by the user. They are also capable of exercising active file sharing
with others' PCs; they can browse files, as well as transfer, rename, and
delete files (Internet Monitoring Software). Even passwords, once
thought to be very private, can be revealed by using password-cracking
programs.
Privacy
can be more harshly violated through "spyware programs". These are
software application programs that are offered to the public; they contain
hidden functions to secretly send information to the publishers via the
Internet for marketing purposes without notifying the users. Programs
classified as spyware are too numerous to list, but include such popular
freeware programs as RealPlayer, Download Accelerator, Comet Cursor, PKZip,
Cute FTP, GoZilla, and Kazaa (Rittenhouse). Once a spyware program is
downloaded, it begins gathering information about the user. In order
to keep the gathered information linked to a specific installation, all the
information that is sent to the spyware manufacturer needs to be uniquely
identified. This allows the publisher to update the customer's database (Fernadez).
Microsoft—that solely monopolizes the computer software industry—uses a
tracking device known as the Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) in its
application programs.
A
GUID is used in different ways. Alternatively referred to as a
"super cookie", it can be used to secretly track the Web surfing
habits of a particular user (Rittenhouse). Perhaps the most famous was
the GUID Microsoft developed and inserted into its Microsoft Office
documents and files obviously without informing its users. When
discovered, privacy advocates objected and Microsoft announced it had
released software to remove the GUIDs and said they would not be using them
in the future (cknow.com). The RealPlayer website states that Real
Networks cannot, and will not, associate the RealPlayer GUID with any of the
users' personally identifiable information. However, even if this is
true for the Microsoft Office and the Real Player GUIDs—something we can
never be sure of—it might not be true for other similar Microsoft
application programs whose manufacturers are effectively able to monitor
users' behavior on the Internet.
Computer
Databases and the National Identity Card
Detailed
personal information about each citizen in most countries of the world is
stored and updated on computer databases designed for credit cards, social
security cards, and most importantly, drivers’ licenses. All
transactions conducted by card owners are instantly recorded on the related
databases. Routine commercial surveillance—namely customer
profiling, supposedly done for marketing purposes—also provides a
significant amount of information about customers. If linked together
in a massive mega database and analyzed, the information of both
governmental and commercial databases can constitute a comprehensive source
for surveillance on all legal citizens. Several countries have already
proposed or actually implemented new national identification card systems
that would merge all computerized data on separate databases into one huge
database and one unified identity card that uniquely identifies each and
every citizen of the country and records all his/her personal information
and ongoing transactions. This would take place using networked
computer technologies and smart cards with biometric1 information such as
digital fingerprints (Lyon). The consequence would be complete monitoring of
all individuals at the touch of a button.
Proposals
to implement the national ID card system in many countries, including
democratic ones, are already underway and bills for this very purpose are
being discussed to be passed in parliaments and become binding laws.
Some aware intellectuals in the United States, Great Britain and other
countries are opposing National ID card bills that threaten the privacy of
individuals. However, passing those bills might just be a matter of
time, especially after September 11 and the declared war on terrorism.
Governments
are defending the national ID card system claiming that the holders of
national ID smart cards would be very accurately and safely distinguished
from illegal residents who might be involved in acts of terrorism. Although
red herring debates on the issue are currently taking place, analysts
predict that the bills are probably going to pass and the national ID card
system is going to come into effect sooner or later.
Telephone
Communications and Wiretapping
Standard
telephone systems can be tapped without any technical difficulties: a
microphone can be placed inside the telephone set; alternatively, the wires
of the telephone exchange of the building where the target is located can be
tapped, as can those of the telephone company’s central exchange (Leprevost).
These techniques are largely undetectable by the target.
Types
of telephone surveillance techniques can be basically divided into
wiretapping and bugging (Elder):
1.
Wiretapping—the deliberate use of electronic or electrical equipment to
intercept the oral communications of non-consenting parties by a third
party. Wiretapping involves tapping into a wire or other conductor
that is used for communications. This wire can be a telephone line, a
PBX cable, a local area network, a CCTV video system, an alarm system, or
any other communications medium. The first telephone wiretap in the
United States occurred in 1885 – only four years after the introduction of
the telephone.
Wiretaps
are broken into four primary categories (hardwired, soft, record, and
transmit). A hardwired wiretap is the physical access to a section of
wire that the signal (i.e.: telephone line) travels on. A second set
of wires is attached (normally with an isolation or slave device) and the
signal is then bridged back to a secure location.
A
soft wiretap is modification done to the software used to run the phone
system. A record wiretap is a tape recorder wired into the phone line.
Finally a transmit wiretap is an RF transmitter (a bug) connected to a wire
(often containing a microphone itself). (Granite Island Group)
2.
Bugging— a "bug" is a device that is placed in an area that then
intercepts communications and transmits or conducts them out of that area to
a listening post. It involves the placement of a miniature electronic device
to overhear conversations. Unlike wiretapping, it can pick up many
conversations if strategically planted.
Video
Cameras
For
public security reasons or for protecting private properties, thousands of
cameras are filming the streets of big cities. Very small, wireless
video cameras can be hidden to send video images to any TV or VCR over long
distances. Both public and private areas are packed with these very
sophisticated cameras that watch people on the street, in stores, schools, subways, ATMs and museums. The scope of video surveillance is
continuing to widen.
Surveillance
Satellites and Echelon
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Menwith
Hill in Yorkshire UK, part of the Echelon spy system. |
Satellites
can perform astonishing feats. A spy satellite can monitor a
person’s every movement on any place on the earth (whether indoors or
outdoors) under all circumstances, and in any kind of weather. The
most stunning aspect of satellite surveillance is related to very advanced
types of satellites that are being developed to be capable of reading human
brains i.e. to spy on thoughts in minds. In short, satellites
guarantee that there is no place to hide on the face of the earth (Fleming).
In 1971, the United States National Security Agency (NSA (established its
secret global surveillance system, and perhaps the most powerful
intelligence-gathering network in the world, Echelon. Mainly operated
by the intelligence agencies of five countries – USA, UK, Canada,
Australia, and New Zealand— Echelon intercepts and processes international
communications via communications satellites. Echelon can capture any
form of electronic communication; hence it has the potential capability to
monitor virtually every phone call, fax, email and telex message sent
anywhere in the world (Poole). What Echelon actually does is that it sifts
through the traffic it gathers to recognize certain keywords that are
pre-determined according to intelligence criteria.
Two
years ago, the European parliament established a contemporary committee to
investigate the issue of project Echelon, which was suspected of breaching
the European Convention on Human Rights and spying on European industrial
companies. In 2001, the committee condemned Echelon's existence and
agreed to step up meaningful rhetorical pressure on the United States.
In
a post 9/11 world, the race is on to develop technology to watch our every
step. The question is, how long will citizens of the world tolerate
this constant infringement on privacy?
Sources:
- Abdul Karim, "From
the Shadows: Exposing the New World Order." Cassette. Halaqa Media
of UK.
- BBC, 29/9/2001, "Q&A:
What you need to know about Echelon."
- Electronic
Privacy Information Center. "Biometric Identifiers".
- Elder Jr., Willie J.
"Electronic Surveillance: Unlawful Invasion of Privacy or Justifiable
Law Enforcement." Yale-New
Haven Teachers Institute
- Fernadez, Enrique.
"Intelligence Report." Cuban
American Military Council CAMCO.
- Fleming, John. "The
Shocking Menace of Satellite Surveillance." 14 July 2001.
- Internet
Monitoring Software. Directory of high quality Internet monitoring programs.
- Leprevost, Franck.
"Development of Surveillance Technology and Risk of Abuse of Economic
Information." European
Parliament. Scientific and Technological Options Assessment STOA.
November 1999.
- Lyon, David.
"Surveillance in Information Societies: Before and After September11
2001."
- Poole, S. Patrick.
"ECHELON: America's Secret Global Surveillance Network."
- Rittenhouse, David.
"Information Technology Abuse – Privacy Issues". www.infopackets.com.
2002.
- "Types of Wiretaps,
Bugs, and Methods." Granite
Island Groups.
- www.cknow.com.
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Devices using biometric identifiers attempt to automate this process by comparing the information scanned in real time against an "authentic" sample stored digitally in a database.
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