If you're interested in the story behind the headlines about the US government's war on privacy, pick up a copy of The Electronic Privacy Papers by cryptography expert Bruce Schneier and privacy advocate David Banisar. But be warned: this work is for policy wonks. Weighing in at 747 pages, this is a mammoth compilation of government documents, letters, national-security directives, passed and failed legislation, press releases, newspaper articles, and hard-to-find publications. Much of the information here was previously classified and either leaked to or obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center in a series of Freedom of Information Act requests.
Although many of these documents speak for themselves, the authors provide some context through the introduction. Oftentimes, they quote public statements made by members of the Clinton administration and then cite internal documents that directly contradict those statements. It's a lot like reading the Pentagon Papers - with a running commentary. Although fascinating, it's a bit big and a tad expensive for most bookshelves.
Under US law, wiretapping is a weapon of last resort. In Congress and in the press, the FBI has said that restrictive legislation is needed simply to keep up with changing technology. But the government's own papers tell a different story: the FBI seeks a dramatically expanded role for electronic surveillance in the coming years. And it will do anything necessary to have its way.
This book also lends historical perspective to the stories of the FBI's Digital Telephony and Clipper Chip initiatives. The FBI won the former, but Clipper ultimately went down in flames. The moral of the story is that the government doesn't always get its way - provided that the public is informed and mobilized.
STREET CRED
Smooth in the Crud Speedpass Gas
Lifting the Curtain
