Impacts of post 9/11 smart surveillance (updated)

Impacts of post 9/11 smart surveillance - ........"Looks like the US of A is morphing into the USSR of Old." -Walter Derzko

"Immediately after the 9/11 Al-Qeada terrorist attacks, government officials in both the U.S. and Canada were quick to pass legislation to increase surveillance of their citizens.  But now, four years later, as fear of further terrorist attacks has become less acute and suspicion of government leaders' motives has heightened, more and more people are starting question the increased invasion of their privacy," says Dr. Kevin Haggerty, University of Alberta, Department of Sociology.

"Right after 9/11 it was impossible for anyone to say no to anything that would purportedly increase security," said Haggerty, (see  paper on the use of surveillance as response to terrorist threats, which was published in the Canadian Journal of Sociology.)

Increasing the ability of lawmakers to monitor our Internet use, financial transactions, personal movements and cell phone use were just a few of the measures in the U.S. Patriot Act and the Canadian Public Safety Act that became law shortly after 9/11.  But many of these measures had been proposed and rejected as unwarranted privacy invasions in previous years, Haggerty said.

The steep increase in surveillance infrastructure after 9/11 has been "intensive" and has "proceeded with little public debate or protest," he added.

"But polling and censor numbers are showing us that people have lost some of their trust in authorities, and we are now looking more critically at the restrictions being placed on our civil liberties."

There are many reasons to question increased surveillance, Haggerty believes.  For one, it is difficult to reverse the expansion of surveillance infrastructure once is has begun.  Moreover, even if you trust the people doing the monitoring, we have repeatedly seen how information gathered for one purpose can be used for other more questionable purposes by other groups.

Increased surveillance can also reduce our sense of privacy, which is "the cornerstone of a liberal democracy," he added.  "Without a sense of privacy, we tend to self-censor and don't say what we really think--it's hard to quantify, but it's a huge loss."

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"The more we know about surveillance and its uses, the more we can be aware of how and why it can be used to manipulate us, and the more in control we can be of our lives and the choices we make."

Recently, Massachusetts' Republican Gov. Mitt Romney was quoted on CNN, questioning why U.S. anti-terror agencies aren't wire-tapping communications in mosques.

How are you being affected by post 9/11 surveillance? Do you argree or disagree with these measures?  Pros ? cons? Other impacts

Walter Derzko

Expert, Consultant and Guest Speaker on emerging Smart Technologies and author of an upcoming book on the Smart Economy

The tables below outline how the government can track you and what new surveillance capabilities are looming on the horizon. You'll be surprised if not shocked!!

........Looks like the US of A is morphing into the USSR of Old.

(Posted with Permission from the author - Kevin Haggerty )

From: Seeing beyond the ruins: Surveillance as a Response to Terrorist Threats Haggerty, Kevin D, Gazso, Amber.  Canadian Journal of Sociology.  Spring 2005.  Vol.  30, Iss.  2;)

Table 1: Forms of Surveillance Used to Track Actions of September 11th Terrorists

Air Traffic Control

Airline Flight Records

Arrest Warrants (outstanding)

Automobile Registration

Automobile Financing Records

Bank Records

Black Box (airplane)

Car Financing Records

Car Rental Records

Personal Computer Records (suspected terrorists)

Credit Card Records

Criminal Records

DNA (recovered from crash sites)

Driving Records (i.e. speeding tickets)

Driver's License

E-mail Logs

Employment Records

Fingerprint Records

Ferry Records

Flight School Records

Forensic Evidence

Hotel Booking Records

Immigration Files

Intelligence Databases

Mailbox Rental Records

Medical Records

Pilot's License

Parole Records

Passport Photo

Identification Card

Radar Tapes

Refugee Claims

Rent Subsidy Cheques

Securities and Exchange Trading Records

Student Records

Surveillance Camera tapes (airport, banks, etc.)

Taxi License

Telephone Logs

Wiretaps

Telephone Numbers

Transponders (airplane)

Vehicle Registration

Video Footage

Visa (records, applications)

Wedding Photographs

Table 2: U.S. and Canadian Proposals to Increase Surveillance Capacity

Technology/Practice          Specifics

† = Canadian; × = American; ?  = Both American and Canadian

Documentation

× Business Records Expanded powers to require businesses to turn over records to the FBI

† Data Preservation Would require Internet service providers to preserve all data specific to a client or for a specified period of time

?  Educational Records Proposal to require college administrators to provide authorities with records of foreign students suspected of being involved in terrorism

× Financial Records Proposal to require financial institutions to identify individuals who deposit large amounts of money; Proposal to allow U.S. to monitor activities of nearly paperless banks (hawalas) in the Middle East

† Identification Cards Proposal to require immigrants to carry laser-imprinted ID cards

† Immigration Documents Addition of biometric data, such as fingerprints and retinal scan information to immigration documents

?  Internet Records Provisions to allow authorities access to easily obtainable subpoenas to retrieve Internet communications records from Internet service providers

?  Medical Records Proposal to make medical records of suspects available to investigators

?  Passports To be made machine-readable and tamper resistant

Visualization

? Biometrics Computer programs enable Customs to scan facial features of travelers and check them against known criminals

?  Body Scanners Low level x-rays for use at airports that create an imaage of a person stripped of their clothing

† Electronic Scanners Remote scanning of fingerprints, palm prints, and photographs

× Gamma Ray Screening Screen trucks and vehicles at the border

× Photographs Travelers from specified countries will have their picture taken at the border

† Retinal Scans To be embedded in Canadian Immigration cards

× Satellite Monitoring Proposal to use satellites to monitor location and movement of trucks

× "See Through Walls" Technology Government tender to develop such technology to be used in the "fight against terrorism"

?  Surveillance Cameras To be used at the border and various military, governmental and symbolic locations

?  Thermal Imaging To be used at the border to view inside vehicles

† Transponders Electronic devices to be connected to vehicles to enable border guards to verify their contents

?  X-ray Scanner To be used at airports, national monuments, and potential targets of terrorist attack, and on vehicles at the border

Integration

† Advanced Passenger Information Technology that provides Customs with key information on travelers prior to their arrival in Canada

?  Databank Integration Proposal to integrate Police, Customs and Immigration databases both nationally and internationally

× Facial Scanning Check scans against known criminals

?  Information Sharing Intelligence officials and criminal justice officials will be allowed to share information on investigations (Police, Customs, Immigration, Grand Juries, airlines)

† Integrated Primary Inspection Line Document reader used by airport Customs to compare travelers against Customs, Citizenship and Immigration databases

× Passenger Records Provisions to ease transfer of passenger information to U.S. Customs and Immigration officials

× Student Visa Proposal to require colleges and universities to disclose information about foreign students, such as enrollment, change of major, or change of address, to Immigration and Naturalization Service investigators

?  System Integration Integration of Immigration, Customs and Visa data between Canada and the U.S. at foreign locations

?  Visa Information Sharing Proposal to share information from Visa applications between U.S. and Canadian Customs officials

Other

?  Anonymous Servers Proposals to eliminate anonymous Internet service providers

?  Bomb Detectors For use in airports

× Carnivore (DCS 1000) Monitors Internet communications

× Chemical Detectors To determine whether gas, nerve, chemical or biological agents have been released

× Citizen Informants (Operation Tips) Proposal to create "tips" infrastructure for domestic informant system; Public employees (i.e. letter carriers, truck drivers, utility workers) to be encouraged to act as informants

† Communication Interception Intelligence agency to be given new powers to intercept communications

† Domestic Communications Communications Security Establishment now entitled to capture communications between foreigners and individuals within Canada

?  Electronic Eavesdropping Intelligence monitoring of various forms of electronic communication

† Explosive Detectors Detects vapors in airports

?  Expanded Access to Private Records Provisions to enhance the police's access to stored information, such as medical and educational data

† Extended Surveillance Warrant Proposal to allow police to obtain 1year warrants (increase from the previous maximum of 60 days)

? Fingerprints Fingerprints of individuals from certain countries will be taken at the border

× Foreigner Monitoring Customs would track every foreigner who enters and leaves the country

× Internet Communication Proposals to install "back doors" to allow investigators access to communications (i.e. to conduct "Internet eavesdropping")

?  ISP (Internet Service Providers) Surveillance Allow for interception of Internet communications × Ionscan Spectometers Detects bombs, firearms, and drugs at airports and at borders

† Mail Opening Proposal to allow Customs authorities to open any large piece of mail leaving the country without a warrant

† Monetary Monitoring Increased monitoring of banking and financial institutions

× Privileged Communications Provisions that allow the Justice Department to monitor conversations between some individuals in federal custody and their lawyers

† Production Orders To compel Internet service providers to provide authorities with subscriber information

× Secret Searches Allow police to enter a suspect's home without notifying the suspect

× Speech Pattern Recognition Software Government tender to development such technology which will be used to "fight terrorism"

× Voice Recognition Software Tender to develop such software to identity terrorists

× Wiretaps  U. S. lawyers can order an emergency wiretap of a suspect's Internet account;

Police can tap any phone used by a suspect with a single warrant via "roving" wiretaps;

Provisions to wiretap foreign citizens suspected of involvement in terrorism

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Updated June 2006;  see  RFID Chips for Immigrants Guest workers?

Walter Dezko

Comments

[Max]

This is a very delicate and complex question. Hidden cameras and the like, when used correctly, are usually a good thing. But some of the people in power want to take it too far really.

[Mike]

Inasmuch as I want to get scared knowing that I really don't have any more privacy, sometimes we don't have much choice. Let's face it. We can be in danger or we're living with people whom we can trust. It pays to be safe than sorry. Owners even need to install some nanny cams, because who knows, what happens right at our own homes?