The NSA is the lead agency in an Anglo-alliance that consists of US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The EU, not part of the Anglo-alliance, intends through its K4 group, to establish a worldwide telephone tapping network. Known as Enfopol 98, the EU plans to establish a Europe wide monitoring network to tap into telephones, mobile phones, fax, e-mail, net access, interactive television. Providers of electronic services will be expected to establish ports for real time access. Mobile phones will be tracked to locate their user.
National scrutiny is to be avoided by keeping much of the agreement secret.
The use of hard encryption, such as PGP , will be made illegal. The plans came to light when they were leaked to Telepolis . The problem of snooping and citizen control is not restricted to the net, the intelligence services or the West. Virtually every town of any size in the UK has CCTV monitoring the public. Little is known as to who is watching or to what purpose.