SIGHTINGS



Big Brother:
Clinton Proposal - Monitor All
Banking, Telecommunications
& Other Industries
7-23-99
WORLD EXCLUSIVE ** THE DRUDGE REPORT
http://www.drudgereport.com

 
 
 
 
 
WHITE HOUSE PROPOSES MASSIVE COMPUTER MONITORING SYSTEM; WILL TRACK BANKING, TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND OTHER NETWORKS
 
The Clinton administration has developed a plan for an extensive computer monitoring system, overseen by the FBI, that will track banking, telecommunications and other industries, it will be reported on Wednesday.
 
The National Security Council is conducting a legal and technical review of the new Clinton plan, a final report is scheduled to be made public in September.
 
NEW YORK TIMES reporter John Markoff has been shown a draft, according to publishing sources, and was busy on Tuesday afternoon preparing a story.
 
In some government circles, the proposed system has been nicknamed "Hillary."
 
The plan calls for the development of a "sophisticated software system to monitor activities on non-military government networks" and a separate system to "track all transactions used in the banking, telecommunications and transportation industries."
 
The system is intended to alert law enforcement officials to computer attacks that might cripple governmental or the nation's economy. But it could also become a massive government utility used for surveillance of citizens, critics contend, with great potential for misuse.
 
"Law enforcement agencies obviously would be under great temptation to expand the use of the information in pursuit of suspected criminals," the TIMES will report.
 
The plan has drawn fire from civil libertarians because it blends "civilian and military functions" in protecting the nation's computer networks. Law enforcement agencies would be under great temptation to expand the use of the information in pursuit of suspected criminals. And the plan would put a new and powerful tool into the hands of the FBI.





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