FBI Surveillance Activity Data

On January 14, 1997, the FBI issued a notice setting forth projected increases in law enforcement wiretapping and other electronic surveillance activity in coming years. Under legislation adopted in 1994, the federal government can require telephone companies to install additional equipment ("capacity"), at government expense, to accommodate these projected increases in electronic surveillance activity.

The narrative portion of the notice was printed in the Federal Register. However, the very detailed appendices, which embody the government's proposed requirements, were made available only in hard copy to reporters in New York and at the FBI "reading room" in Washington, DC.

Wireline Data

CDT has obtained the files in electronic form and we have loaded the entire 81 page appendix for wireline services. The appendix has three components:

1. A baseline showing the one-day peak in electronic surveillance activity for each county in the nation during the period 1/1/93 to 3/1/95 -- that is, for each county, the total number of intercepts that were conducted simultaneously by federal, state and local authorities on the busiest surveillance day in the study period. On the accompanying charts, this one day peak is the third column of numbers.
   
2. A projection, based on past growth, of anticipated one-day peaks of surveillance activity for each county in 1998. On the accompanying charts, this is the first column of numbers.
   
3. A projection, based on past growth, of anticipated one-day peaks of surveillance activity for each county in the year 2004. On the accompanying charts, this is the middle column of numbers.
   

We have established a separate file for each state.

Cellular Data

The data for cellular services covers 306 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). [We did not include the 428 Rural Statistical Areas (RSAs).] As with the wireline data, the cellular appendix has three components:

1. A baseline showing the one-day peak in electronic surveillance activity for each MSA in the nation during the period 1/1/93 to 3/1/95 -- that is, for each MSA, the total number of intercepts that were conducted simultaneously by federal, state and local authorities on the busiest surveillance day in the study period. On the accompanying charts, this one day peak is the third column of numbers.
   
2. A projection, based on past growth, of anticipated one-day peaks of surveillance activity for each MSA in 1998. On the accompanying charts, this is the first column of numbers.
   
3. A projection, based on past growth, of anticipated one-day peaks of surveillance activity for each MSA in the year 2004. On the accompanying charts, this is the middle column of numbers.
   

PCS Data

The PCS data covers 51 Metropolitan Trading Areas (MTAs) and 493 Basic Trading Areas (BTAs). The appendix also has three components:

1. A baseline showing the one-day peak in electronic surveillance activity for each MTA/BTA in the nation during the period 1/1/93 to 3/1/95 -- that is, for each MTA/BTA, the total number of intercepts that were conducted simultaneously by federal, state and local authorities on the busiest surveillance day in the study period. On the accompanying charts, this one day peak is the third column of numbers.
   
2. A projection, based on past growth, of anticipated one-day peaks of surveillance activity for each MTA/BTA in 1998. On the accompanying charts, this is the first column of numbers.
   
3. A projection, based on past growth, of anticipated one-day peaks of surveillance activity for each MTA/BTA in the year 2004. On the accompanying charts, this is the middle column of numbers.
   

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Posted on February 13, 1997 || Updated on February 19, 1997