-Caveat Lector- ECHELON spyware plug-ins: Oasis & FLUENT GILC Alert Volume 5, Issue 2 March 29, 2001 A global surveillance network may be getting even more powerful than before. United States intelligence officials have released some information regarding two new programs. One of these programs, Oasis, automatically creates machine-readable transcripts from television and audio broadcasts. Reports indicate that Oasis can also distinguish individual speakers and detect personal characteristics (such as gender) then denote these characteristics in the transcripts it creates. At least one division of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) already operates Oasis, and there are plans to expand the program's use over the course of this year, as well as develop Chinese and Arabic versions. The other program, FLUENT, allows English-language keyword searches of non-English materials. This data mining tool not only finds pertinent documents, but also translates them, although the number of languages that can currently be translated is apparently limited (Russian, Chinese, Portuguese, Serbo-Croatian, Korean and Ukrainian). In addition, FLUENT displays the frequency with which a given word is used in a document and can handle alternate search term spellings. Many experts note that this new software may be used to upgrade the massive surveillance system, popularly known as ECHELON. ECHELON is designed to intercept communications from around the world, and is reportedly operated by the United States National Security Agency in conjunction with several other intelligence agencies. It is supposed to be capable of intercepting e-mail messages, faxes, and telephone conversations. Concerns about ECHELON's potential threat to individual privacy were heightened by a Congressional hearing several months ago, where the directors of both the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and NSA refused to provide details on the legal standards by which ECHELON operates. See Vernon Loeb, "Making Sense of the Deluge of Data," Washington Post, Mar. 26, 2001, page A23 at http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57318-2001Mar25.html Read Tabassum Zakaria, "CIA using data mining to keep smart," Reuters, Mar. 3, 2001 at http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2692457,00.html See also Thomas C. Greene, "CIA patching ECHELON shortcomings," The Register (UK), Mar. 6, 2001 at http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/8/17361.html <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
