Inside the massive (and unregulated) world of surveillance tech | Sharon Weinberger

翻译人员: dumpling king 校对人员: psjmz mz

A few years ago,

几年前，

an American defense consultant I know

我认识的一位美国国防顾问

told me about a trip he took to Uzbekistan.

为我讲述了他在 乌兹别克斯坦的一段旅行。

His role there was to help sell technology

他在那里的任务是 协助技术销售，

that the Uzbek government could use to spy on its own citizens.

通过该技术，乌兹别克斯坦政府 可以对国民进行监视。

He eventually shared with me the marketing material

他最终向我分享了

he'd presented to the Uzbek government.

他向乌兹别克斯坦政府 提交的营销材料。

One glossy brochure featured technology that could not just intercept phone calls,

这本印刷精美的小册子, 介绍了不但可以拦截电话，

but identify the caller,

而且可以识别 来电者身份的技术，

regardless of what phone number they were using,

该技术不受其所 使用的电话号码的约束，

based on their unique voiceprint,

而是基于他们独特的声纹，

and then identify their exact geographic location.

之后还能确定他们的 确切地理位置。

This is a guy who had been involved with the arms trade for years.

这是个参与军火贸易多年的人。

He wasn't some Hollywood-type gunrunner doing backroom deals.

他不是那种好莱坞式的， 在密室交易的军火走私商。

He was just a guy that worked with legitimate Western companies

他只是一个与西方合法公司合作，

to help sell their weapons abroad.

协助外销武器的人。

But he wasn't bothered by marketing this sort of technology.

但让他感到烦恼的 并不是营销之类的技术。

For him, it was just the next step in the arms trade.

对他而言，这只是 军火交易的下一步。

And it was even easier than, say, selling weapons to Iraq,

它甚至比，比如说， 卖武器给伊拉克还容易，

because it didn't require an export license

因为这不需要从美国政府 那里获得出口许可，

from the US State Department,

后者是大部分军火销售 需要经历的

the way most arms sales would.

必要流程。

事实证明，这些监视工具

It turns out that these tools of surveillance

are almost completely unregulated,

几乎完全不受监管，

because as of today, they're not defined as weapons.

因为它们迄今 仍未被定义为武器。

But they should be, and we need to regulate them that way.

但是理应如此，而且我们 需要对之加以管理。

I'm a journalist who has spent the last two decades

我是一名记者， 在过去的二十年里，

我一直在关注 军事和情报界是如何

looking at how the military and intelligence world

spurs the development of new science and technology.

促进新型科技发展的。

I've tracked the emergence of new weapons

我对新式武器的出现 进行了追踪，

and looked to see what happens

并希望弄清

when companies start to market these weapons abroad.

当公司开始向国外销售 这些武器时会发生什么。

But what is a weapon in the information age?

但是，在信息时代， 什么算是武器呢？

We know that armed drones are weapons,

我们知道武装无人机是武器，

missiles and bombs are weapons,

导弹和炸弹是武器，

but the State Department actually classifies

但是事实上，被美国国务院

broad categories of technologies as weapons.

归类为武器的技术种类很广泛。

So for example, a scientist going abroad on an oceanographic research vessel,

比如，一个科学家 乘远洋勘探船去往国外，

they want to take the latest night-vision goggles?

想要佩戴最新的夜视镜。

That, according to the State Department, is potentially a weapon.

根据国务院的说法， 这也是潜在的武器。

Why?

为什么？

Well, because though night-vision goggles are used today by scientists

因为虽然夜视镜目前被科学家

和猎人在世界范围内使用，

and hunters around the world,

it was a capability first developed for the military.

但是它的功能最初 是为军事用途开发的。

And yet, tools of surveillance

然而根据国务院目前的说法，

that an authoritarian regime could use to spy on its own citizens,

那些可以被专制政权用来 对公民、持不同政见者和记者

on dissidents, on journalists,

进行监视的工具，

that, according to the US government today, is not a weapon.

却不是武器。

And yet, these tools of surveillance

然而，这些监视工具是

are part of a growing secretive multi-billion-dollar industry.

一个价值数十亿美金的， 不断增长的秘密行业。

The genesis of this spy bazaar goes back some 18 years,

这个间谍市场的起源 可以追溯到大约 18 年前，

to a Hilton hotel in northern Virginia,

北弗吉尼亚的一家希尔顿酒店里。

just a few miles away from the US Central Intelligence Agency.

这里离美国中央情报局 只有几英里远。

A few dozen people, mostly dark-suited men,

几十个人， 大多是 穿着黑色西装的男子，

gathered there in the spring of 2002

于 2002 年春天聚集在那里，

for a conference with the unassuming name of ISS World.

为了参加一个被低调命名为 “ISS 世界” 的会议。

You know, at first glance, this conference probably looked like dozens of events

乍一看，这个会议好像与几十个

that used to take place around the Washington, DC area.

在华盛顿特区周边 举行的活动很相似。

But this event was unique.

但是，这次活动很特殊。

ISS stands for Intelligence Support Systems,

ISS 代表“情报支持系统”，

and the people who were there

而参会人员

都来自研发用以监视

were from companies that built technologies to spy

on private communications.

私人通信的技术公司。

In other words, these were sort of wire-tappers for hire.

换而言之，他们都是 受雇的窃听人员。

And the reason they were there was that less than a year earlier,

他们聚集在此的原因是， 不到一年前，

the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington

发生在纽约和华盛顿的 9/11 恐怖袭击

had spurred the Congress to press through legislation

促使国会通过了

known as the Patriot Act.

《爱国者法案》的立法。

This gave the government broad new authorities

该法案给与了政府 更宽泛的权力

to monitor communications.

来监控通信。

Emails, internet activity, phone calls,

电子邮件、网上活动、电话通话、

even financial transactions.

甚至是金融交易。

This created an instant demand for data.

这就产生了对数据的即时需求。

And in the true American entrepreneurial spirit,

出于真正的美国创业精神，

an industry rose up to help collect this data.

一个帮助收集数据的产业应运而生。

But back in 2002,

但是，在 2002 年，

this was still a pretty modest affair.

这仍然只是一件 相当低调的事情。

Only about 10 percent of the world's population

世界上只有大约 10% 的人口

was even online using the internet.

在使用互联网。

So most of what was being collected were simple emails and phone calls

所以收集到的大部分数据 只是简单的电子邮件

over landlines and cell phones.

和通过座机或手机 进行的电话通话。

But over the next few years,

但是在接下来的几年里，

the way that we communicate began to change rapidly.

我们的交流方式 发生了急速变化。

There was the introduction of Skype, Facebook

出现了 Skype、Facebook，

and then, crucially, the iPhone,

之后是至关重要的 iPhone。

and within a few years,

在几年之间，

billions of us were walking around with little computers in our pockets

数十亿人口袋里都装着 一部小型电脑，四处走动。

that do everything from monitor our exercise habits

这些设备可以做任何事情， 从监控我们的运动习惯

to help us find romantic partners.

到帮助我们找到恋爱对象。

And suddenly, you didn't necessarily need the advanced capability

突然间，你不再需要

of the National Security Agency or big telecoms

国家安全局的先进能力 或者大型的电信业

to monitor everyone's communication.

来监控每个人的通信交流。

In some cases,

在某些情况下，

all you needed was access to that device in their pockets.

你所需要的只是接触 他们口袋里的那个设备。

And that gave birth to an entirely new type of industry.

这就诞生了一个全新的产业。

You know, not many companies can build missiles or aircraft,

要知道，不是所有的公司 都能够建造导弹或飞机，

but it doesn't take a lot of capital to create software

但不需要很多资金就可以发明

that can hack into someone's smartphone.

用来非法入侵他人 智能手机的软件。

Computer hackers have been around for years,

电脑黑客已经存在很多年了，

but now their skills could be used to build technologies

但现在他们的技能 可以被利用来打造

that were in high demand by law enforcement

对执法和情报机构

and intelligence agencies.

都有很高需求的技术。

And soon, dozens and even hundreds of companies

很快，几十个甚至上百个公司

were getting into this wire-tappers' market.

纷纷开始进入窃听装置市场。

And that little conference in Virginia,

而那个在弗吉尼亚 召开的小型会议

it grew and soon became known as the Wiretappers' Ball.

很快发展成了众所周知的 “窃听者舞会”。

Well, not much was known about the Wiretappers' Ball

当然在早期， 人们对窃听者舞会

in those early years,

知之甚少，

because the conferences were closed to everyone

因为会议并不对公司

except the companies and their government customers.

和政府客户之外的人开放。

But journalists did begin to see and hear reports

但是记者们的确 开始注意到关于

of companies getting into this private spy market.

这些公司进入了 私人间谍市场，

Spooky entrepreneurs going around the world,

“幽灵企业家们”在世界各地

doing deals,

与专制政权

often with authoritarian regimes.

进行交易的报道。

And it was, from the start, a really loosely regulated market.

从一开始，这就是 一个监管松散的市场。

Some countries do require permission to sell these technologies abroad,

一些国家向国外出售 这些技术确实需要许可。

but rarely with the type of scrutiny that is given to traditional arms.

但是，很少对其采取 用于传统武器的审查规格。

So for example, the Italian-based company Hacking Team

比如，据报道，总部位于 意大利的“黑客团队”

reportedly sold its technology to authoritarian regimes

将其技术卖给了位于 埃及和哈萨克斯坦的

in Egypt and Kazakhstan.

独裁政权。

The Israeli-based company NSO Group has reportedly sold its technology

报道称驻以色列的 NSO 集团把技术卖给了

to the regime in Saudi Arabia,

沙特阿拉伯政权。

which has been accused of harassing,

该政权被指控骚扰，

and even, in one case, killing one of its political opponents.

甚至在一起事件中 杀害了它的政治对手。

And we do think of weapons as things that kill people.

我们视武器为杀人之物。

But in the information age,

但是在信息时代，

some of the most powerful weapons are things that can track and identify us.

其中一些最强有力的武器就是那些可以 对我们进行追踪和身份识别的东西。

This is something that the Pentagon and CIA have recognized for years,

五角大楼和中央情报局在多年前 就对此有了充分的了解，

and they've tried to build technologies

并且已经在打造可以 在全球范围内对人、

that can track people, suspected terrorists, around the globe.

对恐怖嫌疑分子进行追踪的技术。

The Pentagon has invested in something called smart dust,

五角大楼投资了某个 被称为“智能微尘”的东西，

little microsensors the size of specs of dust

这是一种很小的微传感器， 大小规格如同尘土，

that you could scatter on people without them knowing it,

可以被抛撒在人身上 而不被发现，

and then use it to track their location.

并在此后用来追踪 他们的所在位置。

The Pentagon, through its venture capital firm,

通过它的风险投资公司， 五角大楼

has invested in a beauty products company once featured in "Oprah Magazine"

对一家曾被奥普拉杂志报道过的 美容产品公司经行了投资。

to build a device that could surreptitiously collect DNA

这家公司制造了一种装置，

just by swiping across the skin.

仅仅通过滑过皮肤， 就可以偷偷地收集 DNA。

But something remarkable has happened over the past decade.

但是在过去的几十年来， 发生了一些引人注目的事情。

In many cases, what the private marketplace has been able to do

在许多情况下，私人市场 所能够做的事情

has far outstripped what the Pentagon or CIA even thought was possible.

已经远远超过了五角大楼或 中央情报局对可能性的认知。

Back in 2008,

回到 2008 年，

the Pentagon had a secretive database of DNA from terrorists.

五角大楼有一个秘密的 恐怖分子的 DNA 数据库。

It had about 80,000 samples.

它拥有约 8 万个样本。

Well, the private company AncestryDNA

而私人企业 AncestryDNA

today has samples from over 15 million people.

如今拥有超过 1500 万人的样本。

23andMe, the second-largest genealogical database,

23andMe 是第二大谱系数据库，

has samples from over 10 million people.

拥有超过 1000 万人的样本。

So now, maybe you don't need these James Bond-worthy techniques

所以现在，你也许不需要 詹姆斯·邦德才有权使用的技术

of collecting DNA

来收集 DNA，

if we're willingly handing it over to private companies

前提是你愿意 把它交付给私人公司，

and even paying for the honor of doing it.

并且为此事付出 荣誉的代价。

Well, what could you do with a sample of someone's DNA?

那么，你能用人类的 DNA 样品做些什么呢？

In the United States and China,

在美国和中国，

researchers are working on using DNA samples

研究人员正在开展利用 DNA 样本

to build images of people's faces.

来构建人脸图像的研究。

So if you pair DNA with facial recognition technology,

如果你将 DNA 与 人脸识别技术相比对的话，

you have the basis of a really powerful surveillance system

你就为一个非常强大的 监控系统奠定了基础。

that could be used to track individuals or entire ethnic groups.

它可以被用来追踪 个人或整个种族。

And if you think that sounds a little bit paranoid,

如果你认为这个听起来 有些偏执的话，

keep in mind that the Pentagon last year sent out a memo

那么要记住，去年五角大楼 将一份备忘录发给了

to all of its service members,

所有的在役人员，

warning them precisely not to use those commercial DNA kits

正是在警告他们不要使用 那些商业 DNA 试剂盒，

over concerns that information could be used to track them

因为担心信息会被用来对他们

or their family members.

或他们的家人进行追踪。

And yet, even with the Pentagon raising concerns about this technology,

但是，即使五角大楼 提高了对这一技术的担忧，

almost nothing has been done to reign in this market.

却几乎没有采取任何行动 来管理这一市场。

One American company, Clearview AI,

一家叫 Clearview AI 的美国公司

has been collecting billions of images of people's faces

已经从互联网上收集了

from across the internet,

数十亿的人脸图像，

like those pictures you post on Instagram of you and your friends and family,

比如那些发到 Instagram 上的 你和朋友与家人的照片。

and then selling its facial recognition services

此后，他们的 人脸识别服务会被卖给

to US government and law-enforcement agencies.

美国政府或者执法机关。

And even if you think

即使你认为

that's a perfectly acceptable application of this technology,

这类对该技术的应用方式 是完全可以接受的，

there's nothing to stop them from selling to private individuals,

但是没有什么可以阻止 他们把它出售给个人、

corporations or even foreign governments.

公司，甚至是外国政府。

And that's exactly what some companies are doing.

而这正是一些公司 正在从事的事情。

That Wiretappers' Ball that started in northern Virginia?

那个在弗吉尼亚发起的 “窃听者舞会”后来怎样了呢？

Today, it's held in multiple cities around the globe.

如今，它在全球范围内 多个城市中举行，

Thousands of people now attend the ISS trainings and conferences.

有数千人参加 ISS 的培训和会议。

And more of the companies showing up are coming from the Middle East and China.

其中大多的公司 来自中东和中国。

The spy bazaar has gone global.

间谍市场已走向全球。

And at arms shows now around the world,

在全球各地的军展上，

you'll see companies displaying facial recognition technology

你都可以见到展示人脸识别技术

and phone hacking software,

和电话窃听软件的公司，

displaying right next to traditional arms manufacturers

就在展示传统的坦克

with tanks and missiles.

和导弹的武器制造商旁边。

And walking around these arms shows,

在这些军展中闲逛，

it's pretty easy to go down dystopian rabbit holes,

人们很容易进入 反乌托邦的兔子洞，

thinking about future surveillance technology

想象未来的监控技术

that will track our every move.

会监视我们的一举一动。

And I remember one Pentagon adviser telling me

我记得一位五角大楼顾问 曾告诉过我，

that what the military really needed were space-based satellites

军方真正需要的是天基卫星。

that could track people anywhere on earth based just on their DNA.

这种卫星可以仅根据 DNA 就能跟踪地球上任何地方的人。

It's enough to make you invest in tinfoil hats.

这足以让你决定投资锡纸帽子 (保护自己不受政府和外星人监视）。

But the truth is,

事实上，

we don't know what sort of technology the future will bring.

我们并不知道未来 会出现什么样的技术。

But we know that today, in the absence of regulation,

但是我们知道现如今， 在没有法规监管的情况下，

this marketplace is already exploding.

这个市场已经呈爆炸式增长。

And in fact, one of those companies accused of selling surveillance technology

事实上，其中一家公司 已经被指控出售监控技术

to authoritarian regimes,

给专制政权。

today, it's offering to help track those infected with COVID-19.

今天，它可以帮助追踪 那些感染了 COVID-19 的人。

And of course, technology does offer the tantalizing promise

当然，技术确实提供了 通过追踪接触者

of helping control a pandemic through contact tracing.

来控制流行性疾病的诱人的前景。

But it also opens up another door, to privatized mass surveillance.

但它也打开了另一扇通向 大规模私人监控的大门。

So what do we do about this private spy bazaar?

那我们该如何处理 这个私人监控市场呢？

We can hide, go offline,

我们可以躲起来、避免上网、

get off social media, ditch our smartphones,

退出社交媒体、丢掉智能手机，

go live in a cave,

当个原始人，

but the truth is, we're not trained to be professional spies,

但事实是，我们并没有 受训成专业的间谍，

we can't live under false identities or with no identities.

我们无法在用虚假身份 或没有身份的情况下生活。

And even real spies are having a hard time staying below the radar, these days.

如今，即使真正的间谍 也很难不被发现。

It doesn't matter how many passports Jason Bourne has

如果杰森·伯恩（电影《谍影重重》男主角）的 脸或 DNA在某人的数据库中。

if his face or DNA is in someone's database.

那么他有多少本护照 就无关紧要了。

But if even governments have lost control of the tools of spying,

但如果连政府都失去了 对间谍工具的控制，

is there anything we can do about it?

我们还能做什么呢？

One argument I've heard

我听过的一个说法是

is that even if the US were to restrict companies

即使美国限制企业

from selling this sort of technology abroad,

向海外销售这类技术，

companies based in China might simply step in.

总部设在中国的公司 仍可能会直接介入。

But we regulate the arms trade today,

但是，即使我们的措施不完善，

even if we do it imperfectly.

我们今天仍在规范武器贸易。

And in fact, there was a multilateral proposal several years ago

事实上，几年前 就有一个多边提议，

to do just that,

要求取得

to require export licenses for surveillance software.

监视软件的出口许可证。

The United States was among those countries

而美国是同意这些

that agreed to these voluntary regulations,

自愿规定的国家之一。

but back in Washington, this proposal has simply languished.

但在华盛顿，这一提议遭到了冷遇。

We have an administration that would rather sell more weapons abroad

我们的政府宁愿在 限制更少的情况下

with fewer restrictions,

向海外出售更多武器，

including to some of those countries

包括那些被指控滥用

accused of abusing surveillance technology.

监控技术的国家。

I think to move forward, we would need to revive that proposal,

我认为，为了向前推进， 我们需要重新提出这一建议,

but even go one step further.

甚至更进一步。

We need to fundamentally change how we think of surveillance technology

我们需要从根本上改变 我们对监控技术的看法

and define these tools as weapons.

并将这些工具定义为武器。

This would allow government

这将允许政府

to regulate and control their sale and export

用控制传统武器，

the way that they control traditional arms,

即飞机和导弹的方式

去管制它们的销售和出口。

advanced aircraft and missiles.

But that means recognizing that technology that tracks who we are,

但这意味着要认识到， 这种可以跟踪我们是谁、

what we do, what we say,

我们做了什么、我们说了什么，

and even in some cases, what we think,

甚至在某些情况下， 我们在想什么的技术，

is a form of advanced weaponry.

实际上是一种先进的武器。

And these weapons are growing too powerful,

这些武器过于强大，

available to the highest bidder,

而且出价最高者就可获得，

and according to the whims of the spy bazaar.

全凭间谍市场的奇思妙想。

Thank you.

谢谢。