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- WHITE HOUSE PROPOSES MASSIVE COMPUTER MONITORING SYSTEM;
WILL TRACK BANKING, TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND OTHER NETWORKS
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- NEW YORK TIMES reporter John Markoff has been shown a
draft, according to publishing sources, and was busy on Tuesday afternoon
preparing a story.
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- In some government circles, the proposed system has been
nicknamed "Hillary."
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- 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."
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- 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.
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- "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.
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- 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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