[Sawdring]

For anyone who thinks the NSA spying is a new thing. It seems to me it is just expanded to cover anyone who communicates on the internet.

[Smokin' Joe]

I just read the excerpt, but did they mention CARNIVORE? Both were Clinton era programs.

[DH]

Back in the beginning days of Free Republic we had many discussions on the Echelon spy system and Agenda 21.

We were aware of it then and the potential that existed for a spy system that would (not could) be used against all free Americans to control them.

Now look at what we have......the NSA that will invade every personal aspect of our lives so that the U.S. Government gestapo can arrest us at will for things we may have done, said, or thought.

IT’S HERE!

[usconservative]

For anyone who thinks the NSA spying is a new thing. It seems to me it is just expanded to cover anyone who communicates on the internet.

I've argued on this forum that the NSA's spying program was really a "maturation" of Echelon's capabilities.

Remember "kill Echelon day" back in 1998'ish? That was the day every internet user was supposed to include the 200 or so words/phrases that would trigger Echelon to archive and read their email. The purpose was to overwhelm Echelon and bring it down.

IMO, all this NSA stuff really is an expansion of Echelon's capabilities with more countries like Germany, UK, Spain, Italy etc.. signing-on to spy on their own citizens as well.

BTW: Merkel's protestations last week that she was "spied on" are laughable. Germany's "benefitted" from the NSA programs also --- they spy on their own citizens also so her faux outrage doesn't fly with me.

[CJinVA]

Don’t forget Clinton/Gore Clipper Chip, Key Escrow.

[Rappini]

I can remember a Radio talker by the name of Mark Scott in Detroit area who talked about Echelon back in the early 90’s. I’m sure it’s still in operation and it was keyed to certain words used in conversation.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

And don’t think for a second they are a “Rogue” agency.

Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act

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The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) is a United States wiretapping law passed in 1994, during the presidency of Bill Clinton (Pub. L. No. 103-414, 108 Stat. 4279, codified at 47 USC 1001-1010).

CALEA’s purpose is to enhance the ability of law enforcement and intelligence agencies to conduct electronic surveillance by requiring that telecommunications carriers and manufacturers of telecommunications equipment modify and design their equipment, facilities, and services to ensure that they have built-in surveillance capabilities, allowing federal agencies to monitor all telephone, broadband internet, and VoIP traffic in real-time.

The original reason for adopting CALEA was the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s worry that increasing use of digital telephone exchange switches would make tapping phones at the phone company’s central office harder and slower to execute, or in some cases impossible. Since the original requirement to add CALEA-compliant interfaces required phone companies to modify or replace hardware and software in their systems, U.S. Congress included funding for a limited time period to cover such network upgrades. CALEA was passed into law on October 25, 1994 and came into force on January 1, 1995.

In the years since CALEA was passed it has been greatly expanded to include all VoIP and broadband internet traffic. From 2004 to 2007 there was a 62 percent growth in the number of wiretaps performed under CALEA — and more than 3,000 percent growth in interception of internet data such as email.[1]”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CALEA

[I want the USA back]

Echelon was in the news. I knew about it, and so did anybody with a brain.