| While doing my job, I learned that fiber optic cables from the secret room were tapping into the Worldnet circuits by splitting off a portion of the light signal. I saw this in a design document available to me, entitled "Study Group 3, LGX/Splitter Wiring, San Francisco" dated Dec. 10, 2002. I also saw design documents dated Jan. 13, 2004 and Jan. 24, 2003, which instructed technicians on connecting some of the already in-service circuits to the "splitter" cabinet, which diverts some of the light signal to the secret room. The circuits listed were the Peering Links, which connect Worldnet with other networks and hence the whole country, as well as the rest of the world.
One of the documents listed the equipment installed in the secret room, and this list included a Narus STA 6400, which is a "Semantic Traffic Analyzer". The Narus STA technology is known to be used particularly by government intelligence agencies because of its ability to sift through large amounts of data looking for preprogrammed targets. The company's advertising boasts that its technology "captures comprehensive customer usage data ... and transforms it into actionable information.... (It) provides complete visibility for all internet applications." My job required me to connect new circuits to the "splitter" cabinet and get them up and running. While working on a particularly difficult one with a technician back East, I learned that other such "splitter" cabinets were being installed in other cities, including Seattle, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego. What is the significance and why is it important to bring these facts to light? |
This is truly scary, Big Brother stuff, a program put together by people who neither understand nor are concerned with American's constitutional right to privacy. Thankfully, however, the telecommunications infrastructure in this country is privately-owned and operated, which means that lawsuits can move forward against the companies involved separately from any actions taken against the government.
Watch this lawsuit closely. The stakes here are enormous. And to my friends out in SF who work in telecomm -related industries, keep your eyes and ears open. You never know when you might accidentally come across something that EFF could use in the fight to protect out rights.
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