MATRIX - Connect the Dots

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Delivered-To: dfarber+ () ux13 sp cs cmu edu
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 2004 12:46:44 -0500
From: Art Wolinsky <awolinsky () oii org>
Subject: MATRIX - Connect the Dots
X-Sender: awolinsk () pop oii org
To: dave () farber net

For IP if appropriate:

Utah want's to know if MATRIX is a threat to privacy. Well, let's play 
connect the dots based on my understanding of what's happening.

1) MATRIX is privately run.
2) It was created by Siesient, Inc. of Boca Raton.  Siesient was accused of 
stealing the technology to create it.
3) It was the brain child of Siesient's founder, Hank Asher, who 
successfully pitched the idea to Florida.
4) Hank Asher was forced to resign from Siesient after it was discovered 
that he was an ex-drug smuggler who flew Cocaine from Columbia and who 
testified under immunity to prosecution.
5) The government knew of this drug background at the time the proposal was 
made but felt that it was unimportant, because he wasn't convicted of anything.
6) Tucked away in the Intelligence Act for 2004 was a new definition of 
financial institution.  It used to be just banks.  It is now BROADLY 
defined to MANY other business.  It was passed by voice vote on 
Thanksgiving and thus avoids any individual accountability for voting.
7) On the day that Saddam was captured, Bush quietly signed the bill.  It 
was a Saturday.  When asked about the unusual Saturday signing, the White 
House explanation was that he signs bills 7 days a week.  The ONLY other 
bill he signed on Saturday was a budget bill to prevent the government from 
shutting down.
8) Getting back to the definition of financial institutions and other 
interesting provisions...  The FBI can obtain financial information about 
anyone by issuing a National Security Letter.
9) No on probable cause is required for these letters.
10) No judge is required for these letters.
11) There is no limit on the number of letters they can issue.
12) There is no reporting required of what the letters are used for or how 
many are issued.
13) If a business receives a letter requesting your financial information, 
they can't tell you unless they want to face criminal charges.
14) In non-MATRIX states, the FBI would have to issue a significant number 
of National Security Letters to get information about you from each 
business.  It would seem to me that with MATRIX, a single National Security 
Letter would cover EVERY financial institution in their database. (I'm not 
clear on whether this is actually the case.)

While I'm not sure how all of these numbers actually connect and what 
picture they create, but I'm pretty sure it's not a picture of the 
government protecting my privacy!

Art


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