[Roy G Biv]

w.ll.am

Encryption only deals with the content of your usage - not the patterns of your usage - and that information can be hugely damaging in itself.

AoD

Explain?

Shouldn't this kind of request for expansion of powers have to be HEAVILY justified? "It would help us" is certainly not enough.

 

[kEiThZ]

Same as wiretapping too... and because I have an internet phone does that not mean they'd be able to legally tape my calls without a warrant.

VOIP is far more secure than plain old telephone service simply because of the way VOIP works (discretized data transmitted over varying pathways). Consequently VOIP is far more difficult to intercept other than at source. This has become a huge concern for police and intelligence services around the world.

http://www.voipcentral.org/entry/intelligence-agencies-cant-tap-voip-calls-so-an-edge-to-terrorists/

I don't know, however, how much information can be derived from ISPs with regards to stuff like VOIP. If you are using Vonage or Skype, I doubt the ISP would be able to fish out who you are talking. They could simply state that you are using VOIP period. Rogers/Bell Home Phone....different story.

Nevertheless, its actually fairly easy to intercept phone conversations these days. Given the prevalence of cordless phones and cellular phones, it's becoming more and more rare for the cops to actually need a warrant to phonetap someone (needed for actual wired taps). Most people (including many criminals) don't really undertake the hassle of using plain old corded telephones and/or encryption on the cellular telephones (if you are going to this, the recipient also has to employ the same software and key).

w.ll.am

Encryption only deals with the content of your usage - not the patterns of your usage - and that information can be hugely damaging in itself.

AoD

Explain?

Shouldn't this kind of request for expansion of powers have to be HEAVILY justified? "It would help us" is certainly not enough.

AoD is right. Look up "Pattern of Life analysis". It's a tool used by investigators. If you are making a VOIP call at a regular time to a regular number, the investigator can use that information to deduce your level of contact (frequency, depth of contact, etc.) with the other party.

http://www.science.mod.uk/Strategy/...-bec2-4e7b-b65f-2722a0bc82af&ActivityType=rd&

 

[w.ll.am]

Thanks Keithz,

I didn't know about those things.

For the most part wouldn't it make sense that criminal activity somewhat mimics the activity of a business? Your meetings aren't always at the same time... you make calls, you email, you conference. I don't really think they're meeting at the same time all the time. Interesting to think about.

I see what you're saying about the direct contact being traced. Encryption would only protect the data not the fact your are contacting X a bunch of times. There's ways to mask this though... Proxy through Russia or a country that doesn't respect the country you're in at all. Use new email addresses as a point of contact. Set your computer up as a spam machine so 99.9% of all messages are spam and the one in question just looks like it's on the list of spam. Just initial devious thoughts

 

[kEiThZ]

^ There's many things you could try…but there's also a few folks who make a willing to think like the crooks and outfox them. I won't delve into details but let's just say that Pattern of Life analysis can reveal tons about an individual. Think about this way…everybody has a routine. Get up, have a breakfast, leave for work, etc. It's not just when and who you make phone calls to. But combine that information with surveillance (ie. Light goes on at 6am in the guys house every morning, etc.). It's all that stuff that's brought together. And most organizations aren't as random as you think. For example, how many offices have regular conference calls (ie every Friday at 10 with New York and 11 with Paris, etc.)? There's a lot of bad guys who are just as organized.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

There's ways to mask this though... Proxy through Russia or a country that doesn't respect the country you're in at all.

what does it take for some north american agency to setup a proxy server in a country like russia, etc.?




no matter what, big brother knows when you're strokin' it to amputee porn:

you watch amputee porn and stroke it, big brother watches you watch amputee porn and strokes it as well. it's all one big giant stroke fest. everyone is watching everyone else, one big interconnected circle jerk spanning the globe all made possible with the internet. it's a voyeuristic dream! come one, come all!

 

[afransen]

Nevertheless, its actually fairly easy to intercept phone conversations these days. Given the prevalence of cordless phones and cellular phones, it's becoming more and more rare for the cops to actually need a warrant to phonetap someone (needed for actual wired taps). Most people (including many criminals) don't really undertake the hassle of using plain old corded telephones and/or encryption on the cellular telephones (if you are going to this, the recipient also has to employ the same software and key).

Decent quality cordless phones encrypt the signal between the transmitter and the handset.

 

[Roy G Biv]

So why can't they just get a warrant?