[IP] MATRIX - Connect the Dots
Delivered-To: dfarber+@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 2004 12:46:44 -0500
From: Art Wolinsky <awolinsky@xxxxxxx>
Subject: MATRIX - Connect the Dots
X-Sender: awolinsk@xxxxxxxxxxx
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
For IP if appropriate:
Utah want's to know if MATRIX is a threat to privacy. Well, let's play
connect the dots based on my understanding of what's happening.
1) MATRIX is privately run.
2) It was created by Siesient, Inc. of Boca Raton. Siesient was accused of
stealing the technology to create it.
3) It was the brain child of Siesient's founder, Hank Asher, who
successfully pitched the idea to Florida.
4) Hank Asher was forced to resign from Siesient after it was discovered
that he was an ex-drug smuggler who flew Cocaine from Columbia and who
testified under immunity to prosecution.
5) The government knew of this drug background at the time the proposal was
made but felt that it was unimportant, because he wasn't convicted of anything.
6) Tucked away in the Intelligence Act for 2004 was a new definition of
financial institution. It used to be just banks. It is now BROADLY
defined to MANY other business. It was passed by voice vote on
Thanksgiving and thus avoids any individual accountability for voting.
7) On the day that Saddam was captured, Bush quietly signed the bill. It
was a Saturday. When asked about the unusual Saturday signing, the White
House explanation was that he signs bills 7 days a week. The ONLY other
bill he signed on Saturday was a budget bill to prevent the government from
shutting down.
8) Getting back to the definition of financial institutions and other
interesting provisions... The FBI can obtain financial information about
anyone by issuing a National Security Letter.
9) No on probable cause is required for these letters.
10) No judge is required for these letters.
11) There is no limit on the number of letters they can issue.
12) There is no reporting required of what the letters are used for or how
many are issued.
13) If a business receives a letter requesting your financial information,
they can't tell you unless they want to face criminal charges.
14) In non-MATRIX states, the FBI would have to issue a significant number
of National Security Letters to get information about you from each
business. It would seem to me that with MATRIX, a single National Security
Letter would cover EVERY financial institution in their database. (I'm not
clear on whether this is actually the case.)
While I'm not sure how all of these numbers actually connect and what
picture they create, but I'm pretty sure it's not a picture of the
government protecting my privacy!
Art
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