FC: Surveillance update: European spycams, Israel's Xacct, Japan, more

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Sat Mar 02 2002 - 08:33:52 PST

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    Date: Fri, 01 Mar 2002 03:03:51 +0100
    From: Ralf Bendrath <bendrathat_private-berlin.de>
    Organization: http://www.fogis.de
    To: declanat_private
    Subject: the Urbaneye Project: CCTV in Europe
    
    Declan,
    
    maybe Politech readers are interested in the CCTV developments and
    debates in Europe. This is good point of contact.
    
    Ralf
    
    
    http://www.urbaneye.net/index.html
    
    the Urbaneye Project
    On the Threshold to Urban Panopticon?
    
    Since more than four decades we witness the proliferation of video
    surveillance (closed circuit television - CCTV) in Europe. During the
    1990s its presence exploded in public accessible space in many European
    countries. It is this common trend which the URBANEYE project addresses.
    
    It is a comparative research project analysing the employment of CCTV in
    public accessible space in Europe which shall assess its social effects
    and political impacts in order to finally outline strategies for its
    regulation.
    
    The URBANEYE project is realised by a multidisciplinary team assembling
    criminologists, philosophers, political scientists, sociologists and
    urban geographers from seven countries. It is co-ordinated by the Centre
    of Technology and Society at the Technical University of Berlin. Its
    overall duration is 30 months and the final report shall be presented in
    spring 2004.
    
    The research is supported by the European Commission as part of the Key
    Action "Improving the Socio-Economic Knowledge Base" within the Fifth
    Framework Programme. However, the content of this website does not
    necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission regarding these
    issues.
    
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    From: "Peter Hollings" <phollingsat_private>
    To: "Declan McCullagh" <declanat_private>
    Subject: New Surveillance Technology
    Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 08:50:26 -0500
    
    Declan  --
    
    I thought Politechnicals might be interested in this Israeli
    surveillance technology.  The text below is excerpted from a recent
    report from the technology analyst firm Gartner.
    The fuller report can be found at
    http://www.gartner.com/DisplayDocument?id=351518 .
    
    Peter Hollings
    
    
    "Israel-based Xacct Technologies has won numerous awards during the last
    three years for its intelligent business infrastructure platform and
    data gathering technologies. For example, Red Herring has named it one
    of the "Top 50 Companies Most Likely to Change the World."
    
    A closer look at Xacct's technology reveals some startling implications
    and opportunities for abuse. Promoted as a comprehensive, real-time data
    collection, correlation, aggregation and account provisioning solution,
    Xacct's technology uses "smart agents" to record information and
    transmit data to a central event manager, storing the usage data in a
    commercial database. Direct access to servers is not required, and Xacct
    claims that more data often can be gathered by interrogating traffic
    near the device than what the device itself provides.
    
    Data is captured from all seven layers (physical to applications) of the
    Open Systems Interconnect Protocol stack. The type of data that can be
    recorded goes well beyond that collected by other systems, such as the
    FBI's Carnivore e-mail monitoring technology, to the point where
    virtually every type of communication can be recorded. Xacct uses its
    proprietary Net-Stream Recognition Technology, which supports the
    monitoring of more than 750 protocols and 3,000 attribute combinations.
    Protocols such as HTTP, FTP, NNTP, H.323 (network conferencing standard
    for voice and video), SMTP and others are monitored from devices such as
    switches, routers, Web servers, voice over IP gateways, application
    servers and even wireless networks such as general packet radio service
    (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access, WAP and the Universal Mobile
    Telecommunications System (UMTS) to obtain traffic and application data.
    
    Xacct's carrier-class technology is deployed as a business
    infrastructure solution that provides multisource, multilayer data
    collection, as a convergent software platform that captures and
    transforms raw network data, such as that from GPRS, UMTS and IP
    networks, into actionable business and intelligence information. Because
    protocols such as GPRS are always on, it's possible for a carrier to
    offer information back to a user based on his or her location and
    previous behavior. Going a step farther, Xacct can collect and process
    this data in real time, combining behavioral events with positional
    events. With the upcoming penetration of third-generation wireless
    standards, this presents some interesting legal perspectives as to how
    the information should or should not be used."
    
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    From: "Xeni Jardin" <xeniat_private>
    To: "Declan McCullagh" <declanat_private>
    Subject: Travelocity poll says 76% like idea of biometric "trusted 
    traveler" ID.
    Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 17:44:00 -0800
    
    <snip>
    <<Travelers Support Voluntary Travel ID Card.
    
    Consistent with earlier Travelocity.com surveys, 76 percent of those
    frequent travelers polled strongly support or somewhat support the
    implementation of a voluntary ``Trusted Traveler'' identification card --
    which would contain encrypted information, including a photograph,
    fingerprints, flight history and/or facial/retinal (eye) characteristics.
    The card would enable passengers wishing to move more quickly through
    security to do so. About 4 out of 5 frequent travelers said that if such a
    card were available, they would likely participate and use it. In a
    similar Travelocity.com survey released in October 2001, 71 percent of
    frequent travelers said they would likely take advantage of a National
    Travel ID Card.
    
    Travelers Support Federal Access To Travel Information.
    
    Seventy percent of frequent travelers surveyed strongly support or
    somewhat support granting federal law enforcement agencies (such as the
    FBI) access to all travel reservations such as airlines and hotels booked
    through travel agencies and suppliers. However, because of privacy issues,
    26 percent of frequent travelers somewhat oppose or strongly oppose
    allowing federal agencies access to personally identifiable travel
    information.>>
    </snip>
    
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    <http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020227/daw017_1.html>
    
    Wednesday February 27, 8:32 am Eastern Time
    
    Press Release
    
    SOURCE: Travelocity.com Inc.
    
    Travelocity.com Poll Shows Travelers Favor Encrypted Identification Card
    Support for Law Enforcement Access to Travel Reservations Is Mixed With
    Concerns Over Privacy
    
    FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- While the Federal
    Aviation Administration has mandated various increased airport security
    measures during the past several months, a vast majority of travelers
    continue to voice support for programs such as a ``Trusted Traveler Card''
    to ensure travel safety, according to a poll released today by
    Travelocity.com Inc. (Nasdaq: TVLY - news), the most popular travel site
    on the Web.
    
    Among already implemented FAA security procedures, survey respondents
    claim bomb-sniffing dogs, manual luggage searches and limited access to
    gated areas as being the top three security procedures that make them feel
    most secure.
    
    ``From this survey of Travelocity.com customers, it is clear that
    travelers overwhelmingly support a voluntary identification program like
    Trusted Traveler that will speed them through airports,'' said Terrell B.
    Jones, president and chief executive officer of Travelocity.com. ``It's
    also significant to point out that travelers are willing to grant law
    enforcement access to travel reservation information for security reasons.
    While travelers support the Trusted Traveler concept, the survey data also
    suggests both government and industry need to remain alert to concerns
    about government use of personal information.''
    
    In a February 2002 survey, almost 3,400 Travelocity.com members who have
    traveled since Sept. 11, 2001, responded to various questions regarding
    airport security. Following are more details on what Travelocity.com
    found:
    
    Travelers Support Voluntary Travel ID Card. Consistent with earlier
    Travelocity.com surveys, 76 percent of those frequent travelers polled
    strongly support or somewhat support the implementation of a voluntary
    ``Trusted Traveler'' identification card -- which would contain encrypted
    information, including a photograph, fingerprints, flight history and/or
    facial/retinal (eye) characteristics. The card would enable passengers
    wishing to move more quickly through security to do so. About 4 out of 5
    frequent travelers said that if such a card were available, they would
    likely participate and use it. In a similar Travelocity.com survey
    released in October 2001, 71 percent of frequent travelers said they would
    likely take advantage of a National Travel ID Card.
    Travelers Support Federal Access To Travel Information. Seventy percent of
    frequent travelers surveyed strongly support or somewhat support granting
    federal law enforcement agencies (such as the FBI) access to all travel
    reservations such as airlines and hotels booked through travel agencies
    and suppliers. However, because of privacy issues, 26 percent of frequent
    travelers somewhat oppose or strongly oppose allowing federal agencies
    access to personally identifiable travel information.
    Bomb-Sniffing Dogs Make Travelers Feel Most Secure. More than half of the
    respondents (52 percent) polled said that the FAA security procedure
    requiring bomb-sniffing dogs to inspect luggage makes them feel most
    secure while traveling. Travelers also cite manually searching luggage (47
    percent) and allowing only ticketed passengers past security checkpoints
    (43 percent) as top security measures that make them feel most secure.
    About the Travelocity.com Travel Security Survey
    
    Travelocity.com requested survey participation via e-mail. Data was
    collected from Feb. 11 to Feb. 13, 2002. Almost 3,400 (exactly 3,397)
    members who started and completed round-trip air travel between Jan. 4 and
    Feb. 3, 2002 participated, and this excluded duplicated responses, which
    were omitted to ensure data quality. The findings were valid at a 95
    percent confidence level, with a margin of error of +/- five percent. Full
    details of findings can be found at www.travelocity.com/polls .
    
    About Travelocity.com
    
    Travelocity.com Inc. (Nasdaq: TVLY - news), a database-driven travel
    marketing and transaction company, provides Internet and wireless
    reservations information for more than 700 airlines, more than 50,000
    hotels and more than 50 car rental companies. In addition, Travelocity.com
    offers more than 6,500 vacation packages, tour and cruise departures and a
    vast database of destination and interest information. Travelocity.com
    employs more than 1,000 customer service professionals, has sold more than
    20 million airline tickets and has registered more than 32 million
    members.
    
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    Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 15:14:23 -0800
    From: "Stephen H. Kawamoto" <shkawamotoat_private>
    Subject: Tokyo police get surveillance cameras
    To: declanat_private
    Cc: "Stephen H. Kawamoto" <shkawamotoat_private>
    
    http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=2&id=203359
    
    Police surveillance cameras operating in Tokyo's Kabukicho
    
    Wednesday, February 27, 2002 at 17:00 JST
    
    TOKYO — The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) put 50 surveillance cameras
    into operation Wednesday in the Kabukicho entertainment district in downtown
    Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward as part of its crime-fighting efforts in the area.
    
    Controlled by monitors set up at the MPD's Shinjuku Police Station, the
    electronic cameras are intended to help the police keep an eye on the
    streets of the nation's largest adult entertainment district that has become
    the scene of a growing number of violent crimes...
    --
    With attentiveness strives this fool who knows the delusion of 'I am'.
    --
    PGP: 0x8C656D0E :: 7F49 566F DB34 DC11 5BEA  0BC3 C47A A982 8C65 6D0E
    --
    
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