FBI prisluškuje v knjižnicah

Bom kar pastal mail, ki sem ga danes dobil...

Gre pa za to, da FBI prisluškuje v knjižnicah, kar je iz pravnega stališča problem zato, ker je tako prisluškovanje neselektivno in preventivno.


The FBI Has Bugged Our Public Libraries
Bill Olds in the Hartford Courant
November 3, 2002

Some reports say the FBI is snooping in the libraries. Is that really happening?

Yes. I have uncovered information that persuades me that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has bugged the computers at the Hartford Public Library. And it's probable that other libraries around the state have also been bugged. It's an effort by the FBI to obtain leads that it believes may lead them to terrorists.

Many members of the public regularly use computers in libraries to access the Internet for research purposes or to locate information about particular interests. It's also not uncommon for students and others to communicate with friends and relatives through e-mail from there.

The FBI system apparently involves the installation of special software on the computers that lets the FBI copy a person's use of the Internet and their e-mail messages. (Don't ask me how I know about this because I can't reveal how I was able to collect the information.) Members of the public who use the library have not been informed that the government is watching their activities. It's not just the computers. Circulation lists that show which books someone borrowed are also accessible to the government.

What are the Hartford librarians saying?

"I can't disclose that we were presented with anything," said Louise Blalock, Hartford's head librarian.

I asked Mary W. Billings, the library's technical services manager, if the FBI had given her a subpoena or a court order for library information. Her response: "I cannot answer that question."

She did confirm that in recent months the FBI made two separate visits to the Hartford Library, and there were discussions about "computer-related information." On one visit, an agent asked to speak to the library staff - a request that was turned down.

Interestingly, Billings said, "The library is now working on a public notice that it can't guarantee that there isn't third-party monitoring" for people who use its computers. A library staffer also remarked, "You know there is software that can grab everybody's Internet use."

I know my librarian, and I believe she would tell me if the government were tracking my computer use at the library. Don't you agree?

No way. There's a gag order. When the FBI uses a court order or a subpoena to gain access to library computers or a list of the names of people who have borrowed certain books, librarians can't tell anyone - not even other librarians or you. They face a stiff federal penalty if they do. It's unfair that librarians should be placed in such a position.

Does this mean that when I use the library's computer to do research for college papers on Saudi Arabia or Islam, the FBI could be following my steps on the Internet?

Very possible. Of course, it may depend on which library you visit. And there's no way you're going to be able to find out. The librarians can't tell you, and you're not going to spot the special software in the computers. Even if the software hasn't been installed, there's a back door for the FBI to tap in through. The Internet service providers (businesses located elsewhere) are required to cooperate with the authorities, and spy software can be installed at that end.

But isn't this snooping only going to be used against people suspected of being terrorists?

That's not how it works. It can check on everyone who uses the bugged computers. The rules allow this kind of surveillance even if someone is not suspected of being a terrorist or under any kind of suspicion.

Is there a state law that protects my privacy in the library?

Yes. Circulation records must be kept confidential. However, a new federal law - the U.S. Patriot Act - takes priority over the state rule and allows the FBI to have easy access to these records as well as to the computers.

What are the FBI and the Congress saying about all of this?

Mum's the word. The FBI has refused to discuss the issue, and Congress wants to get more information. It has asked Attorney General John Ashcroft to describe what the FBI has been doing in the libraries. But Ashcroft also is not talking and has indicated he doesn't have to answer to Congress.

I've got nothing to hide when I go into a library, and I don't care if the FBI sees what I'm doing at the computer. What's the big deal?

We all want to be safe, and I don't know anyone who opposes the prosecution of terrorists. However, the way it is carried out is important. It comes down to a key question: How does a democracy deal with serious threats from terrorists and maintain its own freedoms?

Three points to consider:

1.) We have to be very careful that we don't fight terrorism in a way that destroys democracy. Terrorists may want us to accept their methods and the idea that our democracy should be tossed away. If that's what they achieve, we will have walked into a trap, and we will have given them a major victory.

2.) Libraries exist to provide information and knowledge to the public. When our own government places librarians in the position of participating, possibly against their will, to "watch" the public, it runs counter to vital principles that have guided us for much of our history.

3.) Protecting our freedom includes being able to openly communicate with each other without worrying that the government is listening or looking over our shoulders. The mere suspicion that we're being watched, even if we're wrong, can intimidate us in expressing our views. If Americans are only going to say and read what is "politically correct," our democracy will be in deep trouble.

Questions can be sent to Bill Olds, in care of The Hartford Courant, Features Department, 285 Broad St., Hartford, CT 06115 or by e-mail at docbillo@yahoo.com.
Copyright 2002, Hartford Courant

To že meji na paranojo...oziroma JE paranoja.
Kapsi so brez dela, pa se zmišlajo nove in nove metode. V bistvu ima od vsega tega "boja proti terorizmu" nekaj vplivnih ljudi osebne interese. Vse skupi je samo režija, oziroma "izgovor" da lohka počnejo kar sicer ne bi smeli.

Butasti američani. Potem pa še republikanci zmagajo na kongresnih volitvah...KAO zarad boja proti terorizmu! OH, PLEASE!

Hmm, popravek.
Novinarji casopisa so objavili poravek, v resnici naj ne bi slo za prisluskovanje v knjiznici, pac pa so samo zaplenili en racunalnik, ki je bil uporabljen za DOS.
Se je pa zgodil en drug primer, ko so na javnem mestu uporabili kamere za iskanje kriminalcev med množico. Face recognition sistemi...