[9821] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Drafting Legislation [Yes, He *Is* a Bit Spooky]
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Tom Fitzgerald)
Fri Jan 21 23:21:56 1994
From: Tom Fitzgerald <fitz@wang.com>
To: barney@databus.com (Barney Wolff)
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 94 23:21:21 EST
Cc: com-priv@psi.com
In-Reply-To: <9401211952.AA09904@uu6.psi.com>; from "Barney Wolff" at Jan 21, 94 2:52 pm
> Are you seriously suggesting that the CIA cannot look at / listen to/
> read domestic open sources? What are they supposed to do, refrain from
> reading their local paper?
> Spying domestically is different from reading what's published. Let's not
> go into frenzy mode here.
There's no reason why the CIA should be prohibited from getting domestic
open information, but there's no reason why the CIA's budget should be
spent on the examination of this information for its own sake either. Its
job isn't to record domestic information - why should any hardware or time
be paid for to do this?
There are important reasons why the CIA would want a net presence, of
course: some information can be picked up off the net for free that they'd
have to pay for otherwise, and many people in the CIA must be involved in
policy discussions that may as well take place (partly) on the net. And
CIA employees would be welcome to spend as much of their own time as they
want on the net.
That doesn't mean the CIA should use USENET as a source of intelligence
(that doesn't read the way I meant it, but I'll let it stand). That's not
its job, and it's a waste of its budget.
--
Tom Fitzgerald Wang Labs fitz@wang.com
1-508-967-5278 Lowell MA, USA
