FBI Data Transfers Via Telecoms (Quantico Circuits). How/Where NSA Access To Telecom System Occurs

[KittyWampus]

I've been searching for this info since the S. affair first began. Thanks to OnyxCollie for helping me find an article from 2008
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2008-04-08/news/36816391_1_telecom-firms-foreign-intelligence-investigations-fbi


When FBI investigators probing New York prostitution rings, Boston organized crime or potential terrorist plots anywhere want access to a suspect's telephone contacts, technicians at a telecommunications carrier served with a government order can, with the click of a mouse, instantly transfer key data along a computer circuit to an FBI technology office in Quantico.

The circuits -- little-known electronic connections between telecom firms and FBI monitoring personnel around the country -- are used to tell the government who is calling whom, along with the time and duration of a conversation and even the locations of those involved.

Snip
Since a 1994 law required telecoms to build electronic interception capabilities into their systems, the FBI has created a network of links between the nation's largest telephone and Internet firms and about 40 FBI offices and Quantico, according to interviews and documents describing the agency's Digital Collection System. The documents were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy group in San Francisco that specializes in digital-rights issues.

The bureau says its budget for the collection system increased from $30 million in 2007 to $40 million in 2008. Information lawfully collected by the FBI from telecom firms can be shared with law enforcement and intelligence-gathering partners, including the National Security Agency and the CIA. Likewise, under guidelines approved by the attorney general or a court, some intercept data gathered by intelligence agencies can be shared with law enforcement agencies.

"When you're building something like this deeply into the telecommunications infrastructure, when it becomes so technically easy to do, the only thing that stands between legitimate use and abuse is the complete honesty of the persons and agencies using it and the ability to have independent oversight over the system's use," said Lauren Weinstein, a communications systems engineer and co-founder of People for Internet Responsibility, a group that studies Web issues. "It's who watches the listeners."

[Recursion]

1. Good article, thanks for posting

The policies about controlling this system are all-important here.

[BehindTheCurtain76]

5. Thanks

The apologist ostrich excusers will find this info annoyingly inconvenient. Ever hear of a machine called a Stingray that cops use to mimic a cell phone tower and only costs $5000??? They follow anyone investigated for marijuana that a judge won't give them a warrant for by intercepting all their calls and texts and GPS locations. This nation has been asleep first by putting their tail between their legs after 911 and next by thinking everything got fixed because Obama was installed. If you don't think Obama is buddies with the Bushes like Bill Clinton is then you need to look into it. Anyone see that photo of Jeb Bush and Bush Sr visiting the White House unannounced...in the Dallas Morning News? It was when Netenyahu won his election and Obama was told to get in line regarding attacking Iran most probably but China indicated they would not allow their oil supply to be interrupted and things got hot for a bit. Bush Sr is as evil as it gets. His father tried to overthrow FDR in a military coup called the Business Plot in 1933 and I'll bet since John Hinkley's father was meeting with close friend Neil Bush the day of the 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan as reported on ABC news that day that that was another Bush plot. I expect Jeb to win in 2016 but Hillary to be the hawkish back-up if they can't steal enough votes. I'm sure Obama is scared of the Bushes but who wouldn't be?

[KittyWampus]

6. I'm one of the posters who gets labeled an "apologist ostrich excuser". So maybe we aren't

"apologist ostrich excusers" but people looking for actual facts.

Why haven't seen this article from 2008 posted yet?

[leveymg]

2. These are the CALEA-compliant switches that the FBI and the NSA use to access the telecom spine

They've been installed everywhere -- at telco switching stations and the routers at ISP's are also required by the same law to allow the gov't to tap into the line or get a copy of the message.

[NewGuyDD]

3. Is this what you were looking for

... the only thing that stands between legitimate use and abuse is the complete honesty of the persons and agencies using it ...

[KittyWampus]

7. yes, because before finding this information the only factual info about how they tap into the lines

published in the recent past was about tapping into undersea cables.

And I haven't seen ANYONE on DU post about this.

Except OnyxCollie last night.

And I don't have any one on ignore and have been looking.

[silvershadow]

4. As to who watches the listeners, I'm not sure, but Congress provides all funding. nt

[randome]

8. Pretty much the same can be said for any LE system.

"...the only thing that stands between legitimate use and abuse is the complete honesty of the persons and agencies using it and the ability to have independent oversight over the system's use..."

What stops the FBI from going through our garbage? What stops a police officer from stalking us?

Bureaucracy serves a purpose. If you make the system require multiple levels of sign-offs and approvals, you make it much less likely to be abused. Complexity serves as a deterrent to abuse.

Just as with Snowden's claims, the full picture on this is not known unless we also know what safeguards and restrictions are currently in place.

[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]The truth doesn’t always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one you’re already in.[/center][/font]
[hr]

[KittyWampus]

9. A big problem is the safeguards reside in Congress. And they seem to be refusing their role in

oversight. Except for a few hardy souls.

Why don't Congresscritters go to briefings on this stuff?

The Obama Administration holds briefings but many don't show.

It's been posted (haven't seen direct quotes) that some in Congress don't want to go to the briefings because they are afraid they'll later reveal some classified information. We both would probably point out they probably don't want to miss a fund raiser on their schedule.

[KittyWampus]

10. Kick