Document : FBI Surveillance Geeks Fear, Love New Gadgets | Threat Level

/fbi-gadgets

  • Document: FBI Surveillance Geeks Fear, Love New Gadgets | Threat Level | Wired.com
    http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/07/fbi-gadgets

    Can’t wait for 4G to become the ubiquitous standard for mobile communication? On the edge of your seat for the unveiling of Microsoft’s secret Menlo Project and Greenfield application?

    You’re not the only one watching the growth of these and other new technologies with rapt attention. According to an internal FBI document (.pdf), the law enforcement agency has a keen interest in evaluating each new technology for its surveillance possibilities and challenges.

    On the other hand, the FBI appears to be excited about the new
    opportunities for surveillance and evidence-gathering that Microsoft’s new Greenfield application might provide. Greenfield is reportedly an “activity-based navigation” system from Microsoft Research that will be able to track a phone user’s movements through a suite of sensors on the mobile phone, allowing a trail to be gathered indoors, where GPS tracking doesn’t reach.

    The information could also, however, be subpoenaed by law enforcement agents to track the movements of a suspect. “This kind of data is terrific for convicting people and terrific at exonerating people,” according to a news story the FBI document quotes.

    #privacy #FBI #WEB

  • Document: FBI Surveillance Geeks Fear, Love New Gadgets | Threat Level | Wired.com
    http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/07/fbi-gadgets

    Each technology section includes a discussion of the potential challenges to #surveillance, but most of these discussions were redacted by the #FBI before releasing the document. The document covers #net_neutrality, #4G, public Wi-Fi, anonymity services like #Tor, and cloud storage and file-sharing services such as #Dropbox, #SpiderOak and #SugarSync.

    In a show of irony, the document holds an uncharitable view of another cutting edge technology: an #Apple patent for a “killswitch” that uses voice and facial recognition to shutdown an iPhone or its data if the device detects that the person using it is not the rightful owner. The FBI calls Apple’s concept “Big Brother-ish”.