August 23, 2000

Bad guys not so far behind on technology

Although many people like to believe the Internet somehow has brought about a utopia where there are no crooks and schnooks, in the real world criminals use technology, too. That's why the FBI has developed an automated system to sift and read e-mail.

Called "Carnivore," the software is a remarkable feat. E-mail travels in small packets of data, so Carnivore has to find and piece together the target e-mail amid millions of pieces of other data floating around the Internet at any given time. And it operates off an ordinary desktop computer.

Carnivore has civil libertarians and privacy fetishists up in arms, but for the wrong reason. They worry that the FBI will abuse the technology, which has been used in about 50 cases to date.

But the FBI merely is keeping up with technological developments. Like any other form of wiretapping, use of Carnivore against a particular suspect requires the permission of a court.

The bigger worry ought to be the fact that it soon will be possible for bad guys to snoop on e-mail, too. Carnivore requires installation of a device at a suspect's Internet service provider. It is not hard to imagine next-generation technology that does not require the cooperation of an ISP, or that unsavory types engaged in credit card fraud, corporate espionage and whatnot would have an interest in developing such technology.

The Internet is, on balance, a wonderful thing. It has opened up vast new avenues of communication and information, and it is bringing new efficiencies to the economy. Yet like all other human endeavors, it has flaws. The FBI's Carnivore serves as a reminder of that hard truth.