Hi, I would like to suggest that you reconfigure your editor so it actualy puts in LF/CR's so that it doesn't show up as one long line... Any editing errors are mine. Forwarded message:

Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 17:46:02 -0800 From: Steve Schear <schear@lvdi.net> Subject: Re: Technolgies of Political Control

At 6:47 PM -0500 1/25/98, John Young wrote:

...

Thanks to Axel Horns and Ulf Möller we offer an excerpt of the draft European Parliament report on global surveillance cited in news reports recently:

An Appraisal of Technolgies of Political Control Scientific and Technological Options Assessment Working Document (Consultation version) PE 166 499 Luxembourg, 6 January 1998

The report makes mention of built-in surveillence feature in CCITT compliant ISDN products. ""What is not widely known is that built in to the international CCITT protocol is the ability to take phones 'off hook' and listen into conversations occurring near the phone, without the user being aware that it is happening." Seems like an awful lot of CP using ISDN gear should beware. Many ISDN devices are firmware based. Might this not spawn a number of good crack projects to remove this feature from popular products. I use an Ascend P25. The docs say its CCITT compliant. Sooo does it enable this form of surveillence? Enquiring minds want to know.

All phones can be forced to do this. Even POTS. It's a commenly known 'feature' by most folks in the telecom industry for the last 30+ years. Commen defeat is to leave the phones unplugged or place them next to a radio or television. Then if you want to have a secure conversation go to another room, or better yet take a long walk in your neighborhood at low-traffic times.