Echelon Surveillance, America’s New “Eye in the Sky” Program.

The Echelon Surveillance Program is part of the booming spy industry. This technology makes it possible to monitor anyone, anywhere. 

It is protected by barriers of secrecy and fortified by billions of dollars worth of extremely high technology 

This secret Anglo-American global surveillance system is capable of listening to most of us, most of the time.

There are constant million-dollar expansion plans which will enable agencies to monitor and analyse civilian communications just about anywhere. 

A chain of new satellites have been launched so that the US National Security Agency (NSA) and its British counterpart can keep abreast of the vast international telecommunications traffic. 

The largest station in the network is the US satellite and communications base which taps into Britain’s main national and international communications networks. 

According to US experts this technology has been turned inwards on US domestic activity.

Global Electronic Spy System

This station has been accused of gross corruption, especially with regard to domestic monitoring procedures. 

Computers automatically analyse every data signal and can identify calls to a target telephone number, no matter from which country they originate. 

A secret listening agreement assigns parts of the globe to each participating agency. 

There are verified reports, and it has been publicly acknowledged, that the US Intelligence program funding is concealed inside the costs of other defense projects. 

The Echelon Surveillance computer network is also code -named Silkworth, Moonpenny, Runway and Steeplebush. 

According to reports, information is also received from Big Bird, a low-orbiting photographic reconnaissance satellite. 

Many other satellites disguised as weather satellites, also carry listening equipment. 

Billions of dollars have been earmarked for expansions to the network. 

Special teams have received training in Silicon Valley on the special computer systems that carry out both domestic and international interception.

Technological Global Intelligence Complaints

A high profile former employee filed corruption reports on the use of Echelon Surveillance computers to participate in football pools, stock exchange activity, and selling merchandise from the offices. 

The reports also contained information on the deliberate and massive overcharging of supplies and wastage. 

US sources have confirmed that more than two-thirds of the staff at the network are Americans. 

Other complaints of misuse included the fact that junior intelligence staff are able to feed names into the system without any check on their authority. 

Witnesses at hearings have supplied evidence that confirmed the fact that test engineers from manufacturing companies are able to listen in on private communications and gain access to various forms of data communications.

Global Electronic Interception of Data: Is It Justified? 

What surveillance power should a government have? Even a law-abiding citizen is entitled to some privacy and a certain amount of free speech. 

Everyone at some time or another makes a tongue-in-cheek remark about something. 

Centuries ago the German Statesman Konrad Adenauer made this statement:

“We all live under the same sky, but we don’t all have the same horizon.”

As responsible citizens of our country and of the earth, we all need to learn what questions to ask and know how to apply the answers to our lives.

Does the Echelon Surveillance Program really justify the cost and probing into our private lives?