Hi DL,
This is a proposal to legitimize what is already being mostly done, adding the ability to force installation of high-speed analysis hardware everywhere necessary, making it possible to "legitimately" bring into other agencies information to be used for law enforcement, so not just the NSA but also the guys with guns can get involved.
When you think about the free-for-all that used to be ISPs (5000 in the US at one point), these coalesce into a few NAPs that can be monitored for higher layers, and selected sessions decoded for packet analysis, statistically or by i.d. of suspected senders/receivers.
Equipment developed for NSA is well ahead of the current market, needless to say, and watching all packets by statistical sample is already easily feasible. The next step is simply to increase the sample rate, and look for information of interest, connecting the dots, accumulating potentially incriminating traffic for all involved, and, voila, you've got a pattern of communication for anyone you wish (or more accurately, everyone you wish).
You may have seen this simple graph of proximity and connectivity among people, based not on internet packets but just keyword/individual associations. Imagine what could be done when filtered through various concepts such as, oh, I don't know, loyalty to the Executive? Here's someone who's thought this through:
namebase.org |
