Echelon: The Danger of Communication in the 21ST Century

Hidden from public scrutiny, a monolithic array of technology awaits your next conversation. It is a global network of computers used to automatically intercept and sort through millions of messages. In essence, it is the true life form of what George Orwell referred to as Big Brother in his classic 1984. For years now, Echelon has been the target of many a debate. Articles, speeches, white papers and even a few books have been written on the subject and its wide spread among the 'Conspiracy Theory' Community. However what you read may not necessarily always be the truth. Through my research I have found many denials and allegations reaching back as far as three decades. One thing is fact: Echelon does exist but to what extent may never be known. In this paper I will show you how governments are using this technology to gain and collect information on not only political or military interests but that they are suspected of using this system on common citizens. I will provide historical background information the locations of suspected intercept stations and details of suspected activity. In the end I hope that you will better understand the workings of Echelon and the potential danger that it poses to communication in the 21st Century.