New e-mail tapping device planned by law enforcement in Japan
Toshimaru Ogura
NaST
[EMAIL PROTECTED] Nov 13, 2000 On Nov 10, Japan's Diet member Mizuho Fukushima
(a member of the House of Council, Social Democratic Party) placed a hearing
on e-mail tapping operations by calling Japan's National Police Department
(NPD) at Fukushima's office. In the hearing, NPD official explained that NPD
will ask for the budget in next fiscal year (beginning on April 2001) for
development of so-called ''Temporary Mail Box'' device which will be used to
eavesdrop e-mail communications. NPD had never explained the details of this
device until this time of hearing. With NPD's explanation in the hearing, it
seemed like this ''Temporary Mail Box'' device will have very similar
function to Carnivore in the US or backdoor software by RIP in the UK.
Following is brief summary of the hearing. --------------- During the
hearing, NPD's explanation had some indication of that NPD's e-mail tapping
is already underway by using ISP's mail spool area on POP server. Possible
current procedure of the tapping operation assumed from NPD's explanation are
:
(1) Law enforcement officer shows a court order to the ISP which is
considered as the target suspect is using. (2) The ISP operates routing
of mail reception in order to intercept e-mails for the target. (3) Law
enforcement gets e-mails to the target suspect at mail spool. This does not
mean the mails are duplicated at the mail box or mail spool of the target
suspect then forwarded to the law enforcement. Mails to the target suspect
will be set two destinations for the target and the law enforcement. But
NPD refused to explain details of the operation at the hearing.
(4) Most of above operation may be done by technical staff of the ISP.
NPD said that the current method has two problems:
- (A) Operation on ISP's servers creates disturbance for the ISP
- (B) There are possible chances that the target suspect might find tapping
operation.
According to NPD and its explanation, ''Temporary Mail Box'' has following
characteristics and procedures:
(1) ''Temporary Mail Box'' is an electronic device for e-mail
eavesdropping provided by NPD with all the programming and settings
completed.
(2) NPD lends the device to the ISP which is considered as the target
suspect is using.
(3) The ISP connects the device to ISP's network physically.
(4) Law enforcement officer operates the device.
(5) The device filters out the mails of incoming (and outgoing) for the
target suspect from all mail traffic of the ISP.
(6) Law enforcement takes back the device from the ISP after the end of
tapping term by court order.
Total budget for the ''Temporary Mail Box'' for fiscal year 2001 is 140
million Yen (1.4 million dollars) and one device costs 8.75 million Yen.
Tokyo Metropolitan Police plans to deploy 2 devices and other 15 district
police headquarters will have one each. The budget includes the cost for
development. After the approval of budget, NPD will have to make the
information on ''Temporary Mail Box'' public and will propose basic
architecture. However, for the present time, NPD said nothing more except
above.
At the end of hearing, Fukushima requested NPD to disclose more details of
the device such as source code of the software, devices for input and output
and itemized details of 8.75 million Yen budget per device, as soon as they
can.
Action related to ''Temporary Mail Box'' device and Japan's wiretapping law.
NaST and People's Coalition Against Wiretapping Law sent a letter to
opposition party members who belong to Justice Committee of the Diet
convincing to consider that the dangerous characteristics of the ''Temporary
Mail Box'' and necessity to take more keen action in the Diet discussions.
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World-Information Forum
24 11 2000 Technisches Museum Wien
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