Big Brother Is Watching

WELCOME TO 1984...

The Student Printz

iTech is watching everything done

By David McRaney

February 16, 2006
USM's Chief Information Officer said all campus emails and voice-over-Internet Provider phone conversations may be open to monitoring by the FCC as soon as February 2007 at what could be a considerable monetary cost to students.

USM CIO Homer Coffman said earlier this week USM is expected to comply with a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking handed down by the Federal Communication Commission that requires all college campuses to standardize their equipment and procedures so lawful surveillance can occur.

"In general terms, they want the ability to sit in Washington D.C. and wiretap anybody in our networks without anyone knowing it," said Coffman. "It wouldn't require them to get a subpoena, and we would never know someone was in there."

The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act passed in 1992 to make it easier for law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and the DEA to execute wiretaps within commercial voice services. At the time, most internet traffic took place over dial-up connections and fell under the act's umbrella. In response to broadband becoming the dominant connection method, it was extended in 2005 to include private, educational and research networks, according to Educause, a nonprofit education information technology watchdog group.

The date to come into compliance has already passed.

"It's not a question of whether or not we should do this; it is now law," he added. "Universities and private networks must comply."

Coffman said the FCC has been vague about what becoming compliant will involve. But, he believes USM will be expected to upgrade its existing networks to make it possible for law enforcement to monitor internet traffic without physically setting up equipment on campus.

"They don't specify what compliance is, but they are supposed to tell us within a month or so," said Coffman. "I expect it to be a backdoor route through our routers, and to get new equipment, new switches and routers, Educause is expecting it to cost approximately $700 per student."

The extra cost per student would likely have to come from a tuition increase, according to Educause.

Coffman added the compliance was never discussed with universities.

"It just became law, and you are mandated to comply," he said.

Coffman said it is not yet clear how they will access data.

"Say you have a researcher working on a biochemical agent," Coffman said. "They can monitor who he talks to. They can monitor phone calls without notification or detection. They can read emails. If they have a target in mind they wish to monitor, they can look through spreadsheets or web-based document or word documents"

Coffman said he briefed USM's information technologies board about the situation and Educause's opposition, pointing out compliance would be cost-prohibitive. Coffman said the board is concerned.

The issue is not likely to go unnoticed by faculty, and some have already expressed opposition.

"I think is a very serious issue," said Bob Press, assistant professor of political science at USM. "I don't think we should accept surveillance of students and faculty. It tends to go against the First Amendment."

Press added he believes there are many open questions as to who is going to be deciding what is worth listening to and intends to bring the issue up at Friday's Faculty Senate meeting.

"I think this is an issue that will probably end up in Congress and the courts," he said. "I don't think we should sit idly by and let it happen.

"National security is an important issue, but the Constitution provides some pretty clear protections against unreasonable search and seizure, and this falls into that category. This must be subject to wide public debate, and personally I am against it."

Associate professor of political science Kate Greene said she is absolutely opposed as well.

"It sounds like a violation of (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978)," said Greene. "I try to be careful already, and only talk about student and job-related issues over email. I also use my Comcast account while on campus."

According to Coffman, 200,000 emails a day pass through USM's 34,000 email accounts, all of which would be subject to monitoring.

"The date has already passed for compliance, but we have asked for clarity," said Coffman.

Coffman added compliance would have a major impact on how the network would be upgraded.

"They want high-end routers and switches, but we have a limited budget. It will have a major financial impact on this University to comply with what they are asking," he said.


http://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i23/23b01301.htm another article on the subject