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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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network where data from a suspect named in the court order islocated.18 As a technical matter, the FBI has conceded that theISP cannot provide an access point that can limit the Internettraffic flowing through the Carnivore device to only that <strong>of</strong> thenamed suspect.19 Because the Internet operates by breakingelectronic transmissions down into “packets” <strong>of</strong> data that arereassembled at a destination point, Carnivore must necessarilyseparate or filter the target suspect’s electronic transmissionsfrom other Internet traffic as it flows through the device.20Once the named suspect’s data is separated from other traffic,Carnivore routes the information to a second filter.21 As the datatravels through the second filter, the system makes a copy <strong>of</strong> all <strong>of</strong>the information and sends the original data to its desireddestination.22 On the basis <strong>of</strong> authorized search parameters,Carnivore segregates relevant and irrelevant data.23 Copied datathat is not relevant to the FBI investigation is purged.24 Trafficthat is relevant to the investigation and defined under the courtorder is sent to an archive system for permanent storage at anFBI facility.25With these functional characteristics in mind, thefundamental legality <strong>of</strong> the Carnivore device can be examinedfrom both a constitutional and federal statutory perspective.Because this comment focuses only on the inherent legitimacy <strong>of</strong>the system, assuming proper use, these analyses will be madeignoring any possibilities for misuse <strong>of</strong> the system on the part <strong>of</strong>the FBI.18. See id.19. See James X. Dempsey, Does Carnivore Go Too Far?, Network World, Oct. 30,2000, at 73; see also Dan Eggen & David A. Vise, More Questions Surface about FBIS<strong>of</strong>tware; Wiretap Program Can Archive All Internet Communications, <strong>No</strong>v. 18, 2000,at AO3.20. See Hearings 1, supra note 15.21. Id.22. 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 2] (statement <strong>of</strong> Donald Kerr, Asst. Director, FederalBureau <strong>of</strong> Investigation).23. Id.24. Id.25. See Hearings 1, supra note 15.

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