Internet

=== Surveillance ===
{{Main|Computer and network surveillance}}
{{See also|Signals intelligence|Mass surveillance}}
The vast majority of computer surveillance involves the monitoring of [[data mining|data]] and [[traffic analysis|traffic]] on the Internet.<ref name="sciam-internet">{{cite news|url=http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=internet-eavesdropping|title=Internet Eavesdropping: A Brave New World of Wiretapping|last=Diffie|first=Whitfield|author2=Susan Landau|date=August 2008|work=Scientific American|access-date=13 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081113212137/http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=internet-eavesdropping|archive-date=13 November 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> In the United States for example, under the [[Communications Assistance For Law Enforcement Act]], all phone calls and broadband Internet traffic (emails, web traffic, instant messaging, etc.) are required to be available for unimpeded real-time monitoring by Federal law enforcement agencies.<ref name="eff-calea-archive">{{cite web|url=http://w2.eff.org/Privacy/Surveillance/CALEA/?f=archive.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081025074518/http://w2.eff.org/Privacy/Surveillance/CALEA/?f=archive.html |archive-date=25 October 2008 |title=CALEA Archive|work=Electronic Frontier Foundation (website) |access-date=14 March 2009 }}</ref><ref name="eff-calea-summary">{{cite web|url=https://www.eff.org/issues/calea |title=CALEA: The Perils of Wiretapping the Internet |work=Electronic Frontier Foundation (website) |access-date=14 March 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090316041313/http://www.eff.org/issues/calea |archive-date=16 March 2009 }}</ref><ref name="eff-calea-faq">{{cite web|url=https://www.eff.org/pages/calea-faq |title=CALEA: Frequently Asked Questions |work=Electronic Frontier Foundation (website) |access-date=14 March 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501072553/http://www.eff.org/pages/calea-faq |archive-date=1 May 2009 |date=20 September 2007 }}</ref> [[Packet capture]] is the monitoring of data traffic on a [[computer network]]. Computers communicate over the Internet by breaking up messages (emails, images, videos, web pages, files, etc.) into small chunks called "packets", which are routed through a network of computers, until they reach their destination, where they are assembled back into a complete "message" again. [[Packet Capture Appliance]] intercepts these packets as they are traveling through the network, in order to examine their contents using other programs. A packet capture is an information ''gathering'' tool, but not an ''analysis'' tool. That is it gathers "messages" but it does not analyze them and figure out what they mean. Other programs are needed to perform [[traffic analysis]] and sift through intercepted data looking for important/useful information. Under the [[Communications Assistance For Law Enforcement Act]] all U.S. telecommunications providers are required to install packet sniffing technology to allow Federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to intercept all of their customers' [[broadband Internet]] and VoIP traffic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baller.com/pdfs/ACE.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120907032500/http://www.baller.com/pdfs/ACE.pdf|title=American Council on Education vs. FCC, Decision, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit|date=9 June 2006|access-date=8 September 2013|archive-date=7 September 2012}}</ref>

The large amount of data gathered from packet capture requires surveillance software that filters and reports relevant information, such as the use of certain words or phrases, the access to certain types of web sites, or communicating via email or chat with certain parties.<ref name="usatoday-chatroom">{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/surveillance/2004-10-11-chatroom-surv_x.htm|title=Government funds chat room surveillance research|last=Hill|first=Michael|date=11 October 2004|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=19 March 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100511220550/http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/surveillance/2004-10-11-chatroom-surv_x.htm|archive-date=11 May 2010}}</ref> Agencies, such as the [[Information Awareness Office]], [[NSA]], [[GCHQ]] and the [[FBI]], spend billions of dollars per year to develop, purchase, implement, and operate systems for interception and analysis of data.<ref name="zdnet-fbi">{{cite news|url=http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-151059.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407040227/http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-151059.html|title=FBI turns to broad new wiretap method|last=McCullagh|first=Declan|date=30 January 2007|work=ZDNet News|access-date=13 March 2009|archive-date=7 April 2010}}</ref> Similar systems are operated by [[Ministry of Intelligence and National Security of Iran|Iranian secret police]] to identify and suppress dissidents. The required hardware and software were allegedly installed by German [[Siemens AG]] and Finnish [[Nokia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.debka.com/article/3509/|title=First round in Internet war goes to Iranian intelligence|website=[[Debkafile]]|date=28 June 2009|url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221173608/http://www.debka.com/article/3509/ |archive-date=21 December 2013}}</ref>