FBI now using commercial software to spy on Net

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=423234

FBI Abandons Web Surveillance Technology

FBI Abandons Internet Surveillance Technology Designed to Read E-Mails Among
Suspected Criminals

The Associated Press

Jan. 19, 2005 - The FBI has effectively abandoned its custom-built Internet
surveillance technology, once known as Carnivore, designed to read e-mails
and other online communications among suspected criminals, terrorists and
spies, according to bureau oversight reports submitted to Congress.

 Instead, the FBI said it has switched to unspecified commercial software to
eavesdrop on computer traffic during such investigations and has
increasingly asked Internet providers to conduct wiretaps on targeted
customers on the government's behalf, reimbursing companies for their costs.

The FBI performed only eight Internet wiretaps in fiscal 2003 and five in
fiscal 2002; none used the software initially called Carnivore and later
renamed the DCS-1000, according to FBI documents submitted to Senate and
House oversight committees. The FBI, which once said Carnivore was "far
better" than commercial products, said previously it had used the technology
about 25 times between 1998 and 2000.

The FBI said it could not disclose how much it spent to produce the
surveillance software it no longer uses, saying part of its budget was
classified. Outside experts said the government probably spent between $6
million and $15 million.

The congressional oversight reports were obtained last week under the U.S.
Freedom of Information Act by the Washington-based Electronic Privacy
Information Center, a civil liberties group that criticized the surveillance
software after it was first disclosed in 2000.

FBI spokesman Paul Bresson said the bureau moved to popular commercial
wiretap software because it was less expensive and had improved in its
ability to copy e-mails and other communications of a targeted Internet
account without affecting other subscribers.

<snip>


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