Wiretapping?

[nacktman]

[jon71]

There is a court set up specifically to approve VALID wiretaps. I'm not against it IF there is probable cause. Without that we are setting up govt. agents above the law to go after anyone and everyone on a whim. Already we have seen that the primary target of this abused power is not terrorists but American citizens who disagree with this administrations policy of unnecessary war. Incidentally the existing court is basically a rubber stamp so no request that is even in the ballpark of legit would ever be rejected.

[Sauna]

In old Soviet Union all calls had possibility to be taped based on random. They had only direct lines and no PBX:s (company exhanges) to control all calls. I know that police does this in serious crimes in all countries and it is more registering the calls than listening them because listening is very time consuming.

[johny]

Sauna]:""In old Soviet Union all calls had possibility to be taped based on random.""

Thats only partially true, not a random but all.
One of those computer stations was installed few streetblokes from me, that was demolished as first after freedom regaining.

That was quite serious computer with language recognition system (made at Ukraina voice recognition institute at beginning of 60~ies (!!!), what was fishing out the specific words from ALL (!!!!!!) conversations, as extern as intern calls.

For example -"dollar", "currency", "USA" "Brezhnjev", "Solzehenycin" etc etc - about couple os dozen "suspicious phrases". If computer recognized such phrase, the all conversation was recorded automaically at taperecorder and listened by special "girls" in fastened sequence. If girls (those worked there more as hundred such persons for million city) recognized that special words was just the random mistake, the tape was erased, if them said - that MAY be something interesting - the tape was sent to KGB headquarters to be studied and archived.

Of course the number electronical recognition system was firstly introduced far off from the real care abput phone owners service - but to record what and from where was phoning for those tapes (the phone station was peeping the code of number by short tonal sygnal after initiating flag in the line by other bitonal signal at certain frequencies.

If once one person fell into KGB register, there was high probability, his most of phone calls will be recorded to study by routine. Even, perhaps, on his phone line will be instattled the "close down" spy system.

That spy system contained the 110 kHz parasitic sygnal generator, very stable, what has a quite moderate decrease rate and for what the cable of phone may be considered as bifilar line (similarly as internet cable at computers) - so transferring this high-Ohm current all city wide at choosen phone line (for that every phone station had a certain "secret room" where that machinery was controlled by KGB).

At the private flat when the phone tube is closed down, the big inductivity is connected on line ends (ring bell), so it is "opened" for high frequencies and "shortened" only for low frequencies. Logically, the physical sizes of contacts about 1x4 cm at distance about 1 mm one from each other made a parasytic capacitance to disconnected microphone about 20-30 pF what is not the least barrier for high frequencies. And that was more than enough let the 110 kHz subcarrying tone be moduled by all nises what happen in that private flat. Later its small technical problem to realize the synchronous detecting of the voice sygnals so that from phone central officers may easely hear everything what has been said in so distant flat what they are spying off, even if phone tube is off.

Those sync detector devices on radiolamps was produced in "hidden" secret division of giantic State electronics factory "VEF" at middle of my city. However sad, this factory is now bancrupsed - most of their products was far not so bad.

[Naturist Mark]

Under the FISA law, the government can get an authorizing warrant up to 72 hours AFTER they place a wiretap. So there is absolutely no hinderence in the case where they "have to move fast". The FISA court has never turned down a wiretap request. The fact that the administration is not willing to follow the law, or Constitution, suggests they are doing something far more illegal. Many people (including NSA employees) are suggesting that the "terrorists" in question are journalists and opposition campaign officials.

-Mark

[ncnudlady]

Wow, Mark you mean to say the current administration is mostly likely listening in on those that oppose their polices, damn and here I thought it as just me.
Also, isn't that what Nixon and his gang did 34 years ago as well?

[Garry]

What good will wire-tapping do now-a-days? With cell-phone use in high demand it will be impossible to tap into a cell to cell call.

Jr.

[Sauna]

You are quite right but, they can collect lots of information who called to somebody and where he was then. The location information is very good in city areas (works also inhouse where GPS do not work) and not so good in country areas. They can also measure in which direction you were driving with exact timing. All this information is in database.

[ncnudlady]

Garry, I am sure there is a way to listen in on cell phones how else would hackers be able to tap into laptops using wireless connections.

The biggest hacker in the world is the US government, well maybe second after Microsoft!

[usmc1]

quote:

Originally posted by Garry:
What good will wire-tapping do now-a-days? With cell-phone use in high demand it will be impossible to tap into a cell to cell call.

Jr.

You and all Americans need to understand that the listeners at NSA have the capacity to slice, rice and dice cell phone traffic.

They can use your cell phone to monitor your conversation even when the cell phone is not active.

This is not a flashlight under the bed looking for black helicopters, it is fact.

And NO!, I'm not going to source or otherwise jump through my *** for the knee-jerk doubters. Believe it or not.

That is part of why the skirting of FISA is so damned outrageous.

[Naturist Mark]

quote:

Originally posted by Garry:
What good will wire-tapping do now-a-days? With cell-phone use in high demand it will be impossible to tap into a cell to cell call.

Jr.

"Wiretapping" is just shorthand for "using technical means to intercept phone and data messages". Cell phones are MORE vulnerable than ordinary phones.

-Mark

[Unwired]

quote:

Originally posted by ncnudlady:
Garry, I am sure there is a way to listen in on cell phones how else would hackers be able to tap into laptops using wireless connections.

Possible but highly improbable, at least for the average citizen (with the feds, all bets are off) for calls in the PCS (1900MHz) band. GSM and CDMA networks use frequency hopping and 'pseudonoise' modulation techniques, respectively, that would need to be overcome for one to even begin to decode the contents of a traffic channel in a wireless phone conversation. In essence, one would need a receiver with the complexity of a cellular base station to pull it off.

Again, as far as the feds are concerned, all bets are off.



UW

[Naturist Mark]

quote:

Originally posted by Unwired:
Possible but highly improbable, at least for the average citizen (with the feds, all bets are off) for calls in the PCS (1900MHz) band. GSM and CDMA networks use frequency hopping and 'pseudonoise' modulation techniques, respectively, that would need to be overcome for one to even begin to decode the contents of a traffic channel in a wireless phone conversation. In essence, one would need a receiver with the complexity of a cellular base station to pull it off.

Again, as far as the feds are concerned, all bets are off.

Since the mid 90s service providers have been required by the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act to build in 'wiretap' capabilities to all phone services. No matter how robust the frequency hopping, spread spectra or digital scrambling, your calls can be monitored by US authorities.

-Mark

[nacktman]

So far:

There are 12 posters saying yes that the government should be required to get warrants (which is the law).

There are 9 posters saying no that the government should not be required to get warrants (which is unlawful).

A concurrent national poll asking the very same question word for word (the source for this poll) has the numbers running 67% to 33% for requiring the government to obey our laws and get warrants.

The next question is of those 33% how many think that since they are advocating illegal activities they should be the ones that the government is spying on? Isn't the government looking for just such illegal activities in the first place.
That my friends is the conundrum of the moment.

[Hooked]

How about a fair trade? If the government can hear my phone calls then I'd like to hear the politicians phone calls. Maybe broadcast over the radio. Now THAT would be some INTERESTING listening.