Shostack + Friends Blog Archive

AOL and DHS: Where's the Proof?

Several folks have sent me a link to a Free Market News article “HOMELAND SEC. SURVEIL ALL AOL FILES,” with a suggestion I link to it. I thought it was squirrelly, but when the normally quality Chief Security Officer Magazine picks it up, I felt a need to respond. And frankly, I call bull.

by staff reports
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) claims [1] America OnLine is providing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “unlimited surveillance” of their members, according to the London-based Financial Reporter [2] newspaper. According to a recently released [3] DOC report [4], “AOL works ‘closely’ with the DHS to supply information on any AOL customer. It reportedly allows agents from these entities ‘free and unfettered’ access [5] to AOL Hq. at Dulles, Va. for the purpose of ‘watching over and keeping surveillance’ … on the millions of AOL customers.”

Ok, so my questions are:

1. Where is this report? What’s it called? There’s no press release about any report, and there’s no title given.
2. What newspaper is that? Google has never heard of it.
3. Recently released? How about a date?
4. Maybe a title?
5. Even cooperating entities don’t allow for ‘free and unfettered access,’ because agents need help navigating. So there’s a cost involved.

Joi Ito is also skeptical, and none of his many readers tracked down anything useful.

Originally published by adam on 17 Oct 2005
Last modified on 17 Oct 2005
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