NSA sent more technologically advanced satellites capable of broader surveillance methods into orbit around the earth during the 1980's and l990's. Echelon has always used buzzwords from an ever-evolving glossary comprised of keywords, phrases, people, places, or items of special interest based on the current political climate. Today's technology is far more advanced. It allows the monitoring stations across the globe to sift through enormous volumes of communications much more thoroughly than in earlier years. Anyone who uses a communications device, including Internet users, mobile PC users and users of cell phones who engage in questionable conversations, can pretty much count on being subjected to scrutiny.
Associated data includes communications made before and after a questionable conversation.
Despite what we have seen on movies, even connections that are not completed are recorded for evaluation. We all know that our employers can read our email and record our telephone conversations. And we know that our Internet Service Providers can read our email and keep all records for a period of time. We also know that our government can read our mail and listen, too, in a continuing effort to fight crime and to protect national security. Echelon has been in place for decades.