Index: [thread] [date] [subject] [author]
  From: Sze Tan <st2206@columbia.edu>
  To  : <cpc@emoglen.law.columbia.edu>
  Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 16:01:48 -0500

Paper One: Pulp Fiction, Privacy and the NSA

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Pulp Fiction, Privacy and the NSA



by Sze Tan

=20

Dan Brown, that wizened authority on internet civil liberties, writes in =
one of his more recent pulp novels:

=20

    =93The EFF doesn=92t have the first clue about what we do here [at =
the NSA],=94 Strathmore railed in disgust. =93If they knew how many =
terrorist attacks         we=92ve stopped because we can decrypt codes, =
they=92d change their tune.=94

=20

    Susan agreed, but she also knew the realities; the EFF would never =
know how important TRANSLATR was. TRANSLTR had helped foil dozens of     =
    attacks, but the information was highly classified and would never =
be released. The rationale behind the secrecy was simple: The government =
could         not afford the mass hysteria caused by revealing the =
truth; no one knew how the public would react to the news that there had =
been two nuclear close     calls by fundamentalist groups on U.S. soil =
in the last year.[1]=20

=20

Now the above passage may only be fiction (and badly written fiction at =
that), but it captures nonetheless rather accurately the main conflict =
between the U.S. government (specifically here, the NSA) and the =
American people (represented by civil-liberties groups like the EFF) =
today. The code-breaking supercomputer TRANSLTR does not yet exist; =
despite that, however, the fact still remains that our government does =
indeed routinely monitor much of the communication traffic over the =
Internet[2].=20

=20

Given this and the above picture sketched by Brown, have we then reached =
an impasse? Are the interests of individual privacy and state security =
so thoroughly incompatible that one has to triumph over the other =
conclusively for its own continued viability? Fortunately, the answer to =
this is =93No=94; unfortunately, however, we do not yet appear to have =
reached a consensus on the optimal balance between these divergent =
concerns.=20

=20

At first glance, it would appear that the NSA has already gotten that =
balance right. Lt. Gen. Michael Hayden, the NSA=92s director, says that =
the NSA has not spied on Americans since the 1970s[3]. He adds that =
while in certain special cases the NSA can look into the activities of =
U.S. citizens or residents, this is only if the agency believes that =
these persons are acting as agents for another country. Additionally, =
the agency must first obtain the permission of a special court created =
by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (passed in the wake of the =
1970s spying) and then get the attorney general=92s consent, before any =
surveillance is carried out.=20

=20

All this sounds fine and dandy, but alas, we=92ve only seen one side of =
the picture. What, for instance, is the failure rate of NSA applications =
to the special FISA court? We don=92t know, and Lt. Gen. Hayden sure as =
heck isn=92t going to tell us. =93It=92s hard for me to get into =
operation matters,=94 he says. =93Let me just say that we are very =
careful about what we ask for, that we have to be very confident that we =
have a very strong case, and therefore, when we go forward, we think we =
have very powerful arguments, and our track record reflects that.=94[4]=20

=20

Going by that frustratingly politically-correct language, we can =
conclude quite safely that the NSA has indeed virtually never been =
turned down, by either the FISA court or by the attorney general. What =
then, we might legitimately ask, is the good of an illusory =
check-and-balance system? To keep the masses at bay, leaving the job of =
worrying to the intelligent few, who are in any case being painlessly =
monitored anyway? Does monitoring of the monitors amount to no more than =
Lt. Gen. Hayden=92s assurance that =93there could [be abuses], but I am =
looking you and the American people in the eye and saying there are not =
=85 we don=92t get close to the Fourth Amendment=94[5]? And exactly what =
kind of a track record is Lt. Gen. Hayden referring to, in light of the =
unanticipated and un-intercepted atrocities of 9/11?=20

=20

NSA spying isn=92t limited to the United States, however. Under the =
terms of the UKUSA (pronounced yoo-koo-za) agreement[6], the United =
Kingdom spies on American citizens while America spies on British =
citizens; and the two groups subsequently trade data on a regular basis. =
Technically, this nifty arrangement may be legal, but the intent to =
circumvent the spirit of the laws protecting the peoples of both =
countries is clear[7]. The UKUSA interception system, named ECHELON, is =
used to intercept non-encrypted email, fax and telephone calls carried =
over the world=92s telecommunications networks[8]. It was designed =
primarily for non-military objectives: governments, organizations, =
businesses and individuals from every corner of the globe are all fair =
game. ECHELON potentially concerns every person communicating between =
(and within) countries anywhere in the world.

=20

Given the breathtaking scope of the NSA=92s surveillance power, and the =
ostensible lack of any credible checks and balances, Americans do appear =
to have legitimate cause for concern. As Robert O=92Harrow, Jr. puts it =
in his recent book, No Place to Hide: =93Surveillance comes with a =
price. It dulls the edge of public debate, imposes a sense of conformity =
and introduces the uneasy feeling of being watched. It chills culture =
and stifles dissent.... The new legal authorities and the government's =
partnership with private information companies now pose a direct threat =
to this three-decade-old effort toward openness=85=94

=20

Consider the extreme case of Tunisia, a veritable modern-day Big Brother =
state. Every director of an ISP in Tunisia is required by law to =
maintain =93constant oversight=94 of the content on the ISP=92s servers, =
to insure that no information remains on the system that is contrary to =
=93public order and good morals=94. Almost all Tunisians interviewed in =
a survey indicated that they believed their government monitored email =
correspondence, and while they could not cite concrete evidence for this =
belief, they felt it was a reasonable assumption to make given the level =
of police surveillance of telephone conversations and other aspects of =
Tunisian life (as well as numerous incidents where emails were lost or =
delayed by one day or longer while en route). In truth, the state-owned =
super-ISP, the Agence Tunisienne d=92Internet (ATI), retains the =
discretion of scanning each and every individual=92s email account for =
subversive and =93objectionable=94 language. Additionally, all private =
ISP traffic ultimately is routed through the ATI, and the ATI remains =
the country=92s only international electronic gateway[9].

=20

Critics (our friend Dan Brown presumably being among one of them) often =
castigate the EFF and other civil liberties groups for asking too much, =
or for being unclear as to what their own demands are. It is submitted, =
however, that while there are indeed difficulties in marshalling the =
diffuse privacy interests of the citizenry, some effort, even if =
unconcerted, is better than none at all. It is the voice of the EFF and =
its allies that keeps the United States from turning into another =
Tunisia; it is their continued joint efforts that provide a safety net =
against any abuses within the darkened halls of the NSA. In the absence =
of (effective) state-sanctioned watchdogs, then, we have to turn to =
rearing our own puppies. The balance between individual privacy rights =
and state security interests might still be far from optimal, but we can =
at least be grateful for some semblance of a balance to speak of in the =
first place.=20



=20

=20

-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-------


[1] Dan Brown, Digital Fortress (1998), St. Martin=92s Press.

[2] For other more interesting factoids on privacy, a visit to =
http://www.danbrown.com/secrets/bizarre_facts/digital_fortress.html =
might be worthwhile.=20

[3] The NSA, along with several other government agencies, had =
eavesdropped on actress Jane Fonda, Dr. Benjamin Spock and other =
anti-Vietnam War activists at the time.

[4] David Ensor, The NSA: Spying on You?, available online at =
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/nsa/stories/privacy/ (last visited Mar =
2005)

[5] Id.

[6] See James Bamford, The Puzzle Palace: Inside the National Security =
Agency, America=92s Most Secret Intelligence Organisation (1983), =
Penguin Books New York USA, at 488-489.=20

[7] It is illegal for the United Kingdom government to spy on its =
citizens as well.=20

[8] See Duncan Campbell, They=92ve Got it Taped, New Statesman (Aug =
1988) at 10-12.

[9] See generally The Internet in the Mideast and North Africa: Free =
Expression and Censorship: Tunisia (1999), available online at =
http://www.hrw.org/advocacy/internet/mena/tunisia.htm (last visited Mar =
2005).


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<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Dwindows-1252">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2900.2604" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B=20
style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Pulp Fiction, Privacy and the =
NSA</B></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm =
0pt"><STRONG></STRONG> </P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><EM>by Sze =
Tan</EM></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><?xml:namespace =
prefix =3D o ns =3D=20
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">Dan Brown, that =
wizened authority=20
on internet civil liberties, writes in one of his more recent pulp=20
novels:</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><I=20
style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">    =93The EFF =
doesn=92t have the=20
first clue about what we do here [at the NSA],=94 Strathmore railed in =
disgust.=20
=93If they knew how many terrorist attacks     =
   =20
we=92ve stopped because we can decrypt codes, they=92d change their=20
tune.=94<o:p></o:p></I></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><I=20
style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><o:p> </o:p></I></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><I=20
style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">    Susan agreed, =
but she=20
also knew the realities; the EFF would never know how important =
TRANSLATR was.=20
TRANSLTR had helped foil dozens of         =

attacks, but the information was highly classified and would never be =
released.=20
The rationale behind the secrecy was simple: The government could=20
        not afford the mass hysteria =
caused by=20
revealing the truth; no one knew how the public would react to the news =
that=20
there had been two nuclear close     calls by =
fundamentalist=20
groups on </I><?xml:namespace prefix =3D st1 ns =3D=20
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" =
/><st1:country-region><st1:place><I=20
style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: =
normal">U.S.</I></st1:place></st1:country-region><I=20
style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> soil in the last year.</I><A =
title=3D""=20
style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftn1"=20
name=3D_ftnref1><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[1]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><I=20
style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> <o:p></o:p></I></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><I=20
style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><o:p> </o:p></I></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">Now the above passage =
may only be=20
fiction (and badly written fiction at that), but it captures nonetheless =
rather=20
accurately the main conflict between the=20
<st1:country-region><st1:place>U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> =
government=20
(specifically here, the NSA) and the American people (represented by=20
civil-liberties groups like the EFF) today. The code-breaking =
supercomputer=20
TRANSLTR does not yet exist; despite that, however, the fact still =
remains that=20
our government <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">does </I>indeed =
routinely=20
monitor much of the communication traffic over the Internet<A title=3D"" =

style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftn2"=20
name=3D_ftnref2><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[2]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A>.=20
</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">Given this and the =
above picture=20
sketched by Brown, have we then reached an impasse? Are the interests of =

individual privacy and state security so thoroughly incompatible that =
one has to=20
triumph over the other conclusively for its own continued viability?=20
Fortunately, the answer to this is =93No=94; unfortunately, however, we =
do not yet=20
appear to have reached a consensus on the optimal balance between these=20
divergent concerns. </P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">At first glance, it =
would appear=20
that the NSA has already gotten that balance right. Lt. Gen. Michael =
Hayden, the=20
NSA=92s director, says that the NSA has not spied on Americans since the =
1970s<A=20
title=3D"" style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn3" =
href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftn3"=20
name=3D_ftnref3><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[3]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A>.=20
He adds that while in certain special cases the NSA can look into the =
activities=20
of <st1:country-region><st1:place>U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> =
citizens=20
or residents, this is <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">only</I> =
if the=20
agency believes<I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </I>that these =
persons=20
are acting as agents for another country. Additionally, the agency must =
first=20
obtain the permission of a special court created by the Foreign =
Intelligence=20
Surveillance Act (passed in the wake of the 1970s spying) and <I=20
style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">then</I> get the attorney =
general=92s consent,=20
before any surveillance is carried out. </P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">All this sounds fine =
and dandy,=20
but alas, we=92ve only seen one side of the picture. What, for instance, =
is the=20
failure rate of NSA applications to the special FISA court? We don=92t =
know, and=20
Lt. Gen. Hayden sure as heck isn=92t going to tell us. =93It=92s hard =
for me to get=20
into operation matters,=94 he says. =93Let me just say that we are very =
careful=20
about what we ask for, that we have to be very confident that we have a =
very=20
strong case, and therefore, when we go forward, we think we have very =
powerful=20
arguments, and our track record reflects that.=94<A title=3D""=20
style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn4" href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftn4"=20
name=3D_ftnref4><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[4]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A>=20
</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">Going by that =
frustratingly=20
politically-correct language, we can conclude quite safely that the NSA =
has=20
indeed virtually <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">never</I> been =
turned=20
down, by either the FISA court or by the attorney general. What then, we =
might=20
legitimately ask, is the good of an illusory check-and-balance system? =
To keep=20
the masses at bay, leaving the job of worrying to the intelligent few, =
who are=20
in any case being painlessly monitored anyway? Does monitoring of the =
monitors=20
amount to no more than Lt. Gen. Hayden=92s assurance that =93there could =
[be=20
abuses], but I am looking you and the American people in the eye and =
saying=20
there are not =85 we don=92t get close to the Fourth Amendment=94<A =
title=3D""=20
style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn5" href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftn5"=20
name=3D_ftnref5><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[5]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A>?=20
And exactly <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">what</I> kind of a =
track=20
record is Lt. Gen. Hayden referring to, in light of the unanticipated =
and=20
un-intercepted atrocities of 9/11? </P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">NSA spying isn=92t =
limited to the=20
<st1:country-region><st1:place>United =
States</st1:place></st1:country-region>,=20
however. Under the terms of the UKUSA (pronounced yoo-koo-za) =
agreement<A=20
title=3D"" style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn6" =
href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftn6"=20
name=3D_ftnref6><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[6]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A>,=20
the United Kingdom spies on American citizens while America spies on =
British=20
citizens; and the two groups subsequently trade data on a regular basis. =

Technically, this nifty arrangement may be legal, but the intent to =
circumvent=20
the spirit of the laws protecting the peoples of both countries is =
clear<A=20
title=3D"" style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn7" =
href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftn7"=20
name=3D_ftnref7><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[7]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A>.=20
The UKUSA interception system, named ECHELON, is used to intercept =
non-encrypted=20
email, fax and telephone calls carried over the world=92s =
telecommunications=20
networks<A title=3D"" style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn8"=20
href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftn8" name=3D_ftnref8><SPAN=20
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN style=3D"mso-special-character: =
footnote"><SPAN=20
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[8]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A>.=20
It was designed primarily for non-military objectives: governments,=20
organizations, businesses and individuals from every corner of the globe =
are all=20
fair game. ECHELON potentially concerns every person communicating =
between (and=20
within) countries anywhere in the world.</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">Given the =
breathtaking scope of=20
the NSA=92s surveillance power, and the ostensible lack of <I=20
style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">any</I> credible checks and =
balances,=20
Americans do appear to have legitimate cause for concern. As Robert =
O=92Harrow,=20
Jr. puts it in his recent book, <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: =
normal">No Place=20
to Hide</I>: =93Surveillance comes with a price. It dulls the edge of =
public=20
debate, imposes a sense of conformity and introduces the uneasy feeling =
of being=20
watched. It chills culture and stifles dissent.... The new legal =
authorities and=20
the government's partnership with private information companies now pose =
a=20
direct threat to this three-decade-old effort toward openness=85=94</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">Consider the extreme =
case of=20
<st1:country-region><st1:place>Tunisia</st1:place></st1:country-region>, =
a=20
veritable modern-day Big Brother state. Every director of an ISP =
in Tunisia=20
is required by law to maintain =93constant oversight=94 of the content =
on the ISP=92s=20
servers, to insure that no information remains on the system that is =
contrary to=20
=93public order and good morals=94. Almost all Tunisians interviewed in =
a survey=20
indicated that they believed their government monitored email =
correspondence,=20
and while they could not cite concrete evidence for this belief, they =
felt it=20
was a reasonable assumption to make given the level of police =
surveillance of=20
telephone conversations and other aspects of Tunisian life (as well as =
numerous=20
incidents where emails were lost or <I=20
style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">delayed </I>by one day or longer =
while en=20
route). In truth, the state-owned super-ISP, the Agence Tunisienne =
d=92Internet=20
(ATI), retains the discretion of scanning each and every individual=92s =
email=20
account for subversive and =93objectionable=94 language. Additionally, =
all private=20
ISP traffic ultimately is routed through the ATI, and the ATI remains =
the=20
country=92s only international electronic gateway<A title=3D""=20
style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn9" href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftn9"=20
name=3D_ftnref9><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[9]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A>.</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">Critics (our friend =
Dan Brown=20
presumably being among one of them) often castigate the EFF and other =
civil=20
liberties groups for asking too much, or for being unclear as to what =
their own=20
demands are. It is submitted, however, that while there are indeed =
difficulties=20
in marshalling the diffuse privacy interests of the citizenry, some =
effort, even=20
if unconcerted, is better than none at all. It is the voice of the EFF =
and its=20
allies that keeps the <st1:country-region><st1:place>United=20
States</st1:place></st1:country-region> from turning into another=20
<st1:country-region><st1:place>Tunisia</st1:place></st1:country-region>; =
it is=20
their continued joint efforts that provide a safety net against any =
abuses=20
within the darkened halls of the NSA. In the absence of (effective)=20
state-sanctioned watchdogs, then, we have to turn to rearing our own =
puppies.=20
The balance between individual privacy rights and state security =
interests might=20
still be far from optimal, but we can at least be grateful for some =
semblance of=20
a <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">balance</I> to speak of in =
the first=20
place. <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2></FONT></o:p> </P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p> </o:p><BR =
clear=3Dall>
<HR align=3Dleft width=3D"33%" SIZE=3D1>
</P>
<DIV style=3D"mso-element: footnote-list">
<DIV id=3Dftn1 style=3D"mso-element: footnote">
<P class=3DMsoFootnoteText style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><A title=3D""=20
style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftnref1"=20
name=3D_ftn1><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[1]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><FONT=20
size=3D2> Dan Brown, <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Digital =
Fortress</I>=20
(1998), <st1:place>St. Martin</st1:place>=92s =
Press.<o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV id=3Dftn2 style=3D"mso-element: footnote">
<P class=3DMsoFootnoteText style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><A title=3D""=20
style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftnref2"=20
name=3D_ftn2><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[2]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><FONT=20
size=3D2> For other more interesting factoids on privacy, a visit to =
</FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://www.danbrown.com/secrets/bizarre_facts/digital_fortress.ht=
ml"><FONT=20
size=3D2>http://www.danbrown.com/secrets/bizarre_facts/digital_fortress.h=
tml</FONT></A><FONT=20
size=3D2> might be worthwhile. <o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV id=3Dftn3 style=3D"mso-element: footnote">
<P class=3DMsoFootnoteText style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><A title=3D""=20
style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn3" href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftnref3"=20
name=3D_ftn3><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[3]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><FONT=20
size=3D2> The NSA, along with several other government agencies, had =
eavesdropped=20
on actress Jane Fonda, Dr. Benjamin Spock and other anti-Vietnam War =
activists=20
at the time.</FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV id=3Dftn4 style=3D"mso-element: footnote">
<P class=3DMsoFootnoteText style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><A title=3D""=20
style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn4" href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftnref4"=20
name=3D_ftn4><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[4]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><FONT=20
size=3D2> David Ensor, <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The NSA: =
Spying on=20
You?</I>, available online at </FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/nsa/stories/privacy/"><FONT=20
size=3D2>http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/nsa/stories/privacy/<;/FONT></A>=
<FONT=20
size=3D2> (last visited Mar 2005)<o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV id=3Dftn5 style=3D"mso-element: footnote">
<P class=3DMsoFootnoteText style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><A title=3D""=20
style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn5" href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftnref5"=20
name=3D_ftn5><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[5]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><FONT=20
size=3D2> <st1:State><st1:place><I=20
style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Id.</I></st1:place></st1:State><I=20
style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><o:p></o:p></I></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV id=3Dftn6 style=3D"mso-element: footnote">
<P class=3DMsoFootnoteText style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><A title=3D""=20
style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn6" href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftnref6"=20
name=3D_ftn6><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[6]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><FONT=20
size=3D2> See James Bamford, <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: =
normal">The Puzzle=20
Palace: Inside the National Security Agency, America=92s Most Secret =
Intelligence=20
Organisation </I>(1983), Penguin Books New York=20
<st1:country-region><st1:place>USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>, at =
488-489.=20
<o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV id=3Dftn7 style=3D"mso-element: footnote">
<P class=3DMsoFootnoteText style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><A title=3D""=20
style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn7" href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftnref7"=20
name=3D_ftn7><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[7]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><FONT=20
size=3D2> It is illegal for the <st1:country-region><st1:place>United=20
Kingdom</st1:place></st1:country-region> government to spy on its =
citizens as=20
well. </FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV id=3Dftn8 style=3D"mso-element: footnote">
<P class=3DMsoFootnoteText style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><A title=3D""=20
style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn8" href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftnref8"=20
name=3D_ftn8><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[8]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><FONT=20
size=3D2> See Duncan Campbell, <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: =
normal">They=92ve Got=20
it Taped</I>, New Statesman (Aug 1988) at =
10-12.<o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV id=3Dftn9 style=3D"mso-element: footnote">
<P class=3DMsoFootnoteText style=3D"MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><A title=3D""=20
style=3D"mso-footnote-id: ftn9" href=3D"mhtml:mid://00000011/#_ftnref9"=20
name=3D_ftn9><SPAN class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-special-character: footnote"><SPAN =
class=3DMsoFootnoteReference><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: =
AR-SA">[9]</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></A><FONT=20
size=3D2> See generally <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The =
Internet in the=20
Mideast and North Africa: Free Expression and Censorship: Tunisia</I> =
(1999),=20
available online at </FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://www.hrw.org/advocacy/internet/mena/tunisia.htm"><FONT=20
size=3D2>http://www.hrw.org/advocacy/internet/mena/tunisia.htm<;/FONT></A>=
<FONT=20
size=3D2> (last visited Mar 2005).<o:p></o:p></FONT></P></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>

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