NSA link analysis, anonymous phone numbers, and roving wiretaps

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Richard Wiggins <richard.wiggins () gmail com>
Date: May 15, 2006 3:19:10 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: ip () v2 listbox com
Subject: NSA link analysis, anonymous phone numbers, and roving wiretaps

Dave,

Here's one way that the NSA could use telephone link analysis:
revealing who is using a particular anonymous telephone number.

Think about it: if you use a pay phone, a pre-paid cell phone, or a
pre-paid calling card, law enforcement can't easily identify you.  But
if you're part of a network -- say, of Qaeda operatives -- you will
eventually call someone whose number is known or suspected to be part
of that network.  Call 2 or 3 known numbers in the circle, and they
could have a pretty good idea who you are.  Examining point of origin
and duration of calls refines things further.

Link analysis could pinpoint which anonymous phone numbers belong to
which telephone calling clusters.  Remember, after 9/11, the
government sought and received the ability to issue "roving wiretaps"
whereby they don't need a new warrant to start listening to a given
phone number that would otherwise be anonymous.

This is not to defend the NSA program; just to point out that in some
cases it might be effective for the claimed goal of the program.

The scary thing is: now that we know they're doing total link analysis
of all Americans' phone calls, why not apply this to other networks?
Terrorists other than Qaeda?  So-called eco-terrorists?  Organized
crime?  Drug dealers? White collar crime?  Reporters who specialize in
leaks?

A very steep, very slippery slope...

/rich


On 5/15/06, David Farber <dave () farber net> wrote:
>

> >> NSA Sweep "Waste of Time," Analyst Says
> >>

> >
> > Doesn't this discussion seem to assume that we must choose between
> > alternative programs?  Is it not possible (one would hope it's
> > likely) that NSA (or whomever) is pursuing multiple avenues of
> > approach, some of which will turn out to be ratholes, but some of
> > which may produce useful results?


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