I never really think about the fact that all my cyber footsteps can be tracked…I usually just go about my usual business of writing emails to friends and family, buying things online and checking my facebook with no clue or worry that all the while someone or something could be monitoring my every move…
I was just having a flick through Sophie’s new blog about Echelon and wanted to touch on one thing in particular… Echelon's success in catching criminals comes from the fact that 'criminals' aren't aware they are being monitored and don't know the 'keywords' that the surveillance device is tracking. The program has an air of ambiguity about it; the predominant users (U.S and U.K) don’t even admit to using it! If laws were enforced on Echelon and we all gave our permission to be monitored on the program surely we would be much more subtle with our cyber activity! If you know you are doing something wrong, you go to all lengths to no get caught. Look at drugs for instance. Police can monitor digital devices to track words such as ‘weed’ ‘E’ ‘Acid’ etc… suppliers are frequently caught out through such mediums. However, because suppliers know that such systems are in place the clever ones dodge being caught by using other words in texting and emails etc. Instead of dealing with the word ‘ecstasy’ the supplier will use the word ‘bickie’ or something as such.. Same goes for dealers that get a text message or phone call saying ‘hey can we have some weed’…if they are intelligent they will ignore the text message or not answer the call! Although it is known that Echelon does exist, the fact that some Governments don’t acknowledge using it, that keyword’s aren’t exposed and that there are no laws covering it means that criminals don’t have something to ‘dodge’…if they don’t know when or what they are being monitored, surely they are bound to slip up! Hence why it’s effective!
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2 comments:
How long do you think that might last (think, for instance, about how many police services now have a cybercrime division?)
Also, to think about the negative implications - if we don't know the 'triggers,' how do we know it is being used solely for the purposes you outlined here. For example, is it scanning for words like 'bomb' - or is it scanning for words like 'Muslim'?
Law, culture, stereotype and prejudice can get very tangled up, especially with emotionally volitile subjects -- a machine may be doing the scanning, but it is a human who writes the code and provides the keywords.
Just my extra 2c :)
Yeah, it is a human who make all the machine, law, rules and some stereotypical ethics on cyberspace..
Human nature=curiosity?
that would be it..
For echelon, this secret surveillance system, although this may help to catch the criminals.. because of this, we always need to be aware of 'being under surveillance'
Gosh, since I knew this machine scanning through all the words I use on my emails, txt or whatever..
I can't even joke? (just kidding)
I mean for the 'privacy issue' as well. No matter what bad things happening on the internet, because of these criminals, I can be little bit annoyed by knowing all these stuff. ..
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