ECHELON

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ECHELON is the catch-all name used to refer to the signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection and analysis network operated on behalf of the five signatory states to the UK–USA Security Agreement (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, known as AUSCANZUKUS).

The system has been researched and reported on in a number of public sources. Its capabilities and political implications were investigated by a committee of the European Parliament during 2000 and 2001 with a report published in 2001,[1] and by author James Bamford in his books on the National Security Agency of the United States.[2]

In its report, the European Parliament states that the term 'ECHELON' is used in a number of contexts, but that the evidence presented indicates that it was the name for a signals intelligence collection system. The report concludes that, on the basis of information presented, ECHELON was capable of interception and content inspection of telephone calls, fax, e-mail and other data traffic globally through the interception of communication bearers including satellite transmission, public switched telephone networks and microwave links.

See Also

References

  1. File:EU-echelon.pdf - European Parliament Report
  2. Book - Body of Secrets - James Bamford

External Links


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