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Vol 7 No 1 - Roger Williams University School of Law

Vol 7 No 1 - Roger Williams University School of Law

Vol 7 No 1 - Roger Williams University School of Law

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and the legal limits <strong>of</strong> government surveillance.13 Many computerexperts believe that the scope <strong>of</strong> the study was too narrow, andthat serious technical questions remain about the ability <strong>of</strong>Carnivore to satisfy Constitutional and statutory thresholds foronline security and safety.14 This note explores some importantlegal issues raised by the operation <strong>of</strong> Carnivore, including a briefdiscussion <strong>of</strong> the adequacy and conclusiveness <strong>of</strong> the IITRIanalysis as it pertains to each issue.Part I <strong>of</strong> this comment provides a basic assessment <strong>of</strong> theoperational aspects <strong>of</strong> the Carnivore system. Part II explores thefundamental legality <strong>of</strong> the Carnivore device from aConstitutional perspective. Part III examines Carnivore’s likelycompliance with current federal statutory wiretap laws as theyhave been interpreted and applied by the judiciary. Finally, theconclusion <strong>of</strong>fers comments and proposals for how to strike abalance between privacy interests and government objectives.I. OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW OF CARNIVOREAs an initial matter, to understand the legal implications <strong>of</strong>utilizing a surveillance system like Carnivore, one mustunderstand its basic operational capabilities. Although a fullydetailed description <strong>of</strong> how Carnivore works has not been madeavailable to the public, the general premise <strong>of</strong> the system is asfollows:Carnivore is a Windows NT based s<strong>of</strong>tware program thatoperates upon connection to a network access point provided by aparticipating Internet Service Provider (ISP).15 To install thedevice, the FBI must present a valid court order to interceptelectronic communications <strong>of</strong> a target suspect.16 The court ordermay authorize capture <strong>of</strong> an entire communication, or it can belimited to addressing or routing information.17The FBI and the ISP install Carnivore at a point on the ISP’s13. John Schwartz, Computer Security Experts Question Internet Wiretaps, N. Y.Times, Dec. 5, 2000, at A16.14. See id.15. See The Carnivore Controversy: Hearings on Electronic Surveillance andPrivacy in the Digital Age Before the Senate Comm on the Judiciary, 106th Cong. (2000)[hereinafter Hearings 1] (statement <strong>of</strong> Sen. Patrick Leahy).16. See Big Sister – Janet Reno; An Orwellian Carnivore, Cincinnati Enquirer,Sept. 13, 2000, at A10.17. See Hearings 1, supra note 15 (statement <strong>of</strong> Sen. Patrick Leahy).

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