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

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

A few years ago,

幾年前，我認識的 美國防禦顧問跟我談到

an American defense consultant I know

told me about a trip he took to Uzbekistan.

他到烏茲別克斯坦的一趟行程。

His role there was to help sell technology

他到那裡的角色是要協助銷售技術，

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

讓烏茲別克斯坦政府 用來監視其公民。

He eventually shared with me the marketing material

後來他給我看了

他向烏茲別克斯坦政府 簡報用的行銷素材。

he'd presented to the Uzbek government.

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

一本亮光紙印刷的小冊子，

強調科技不只能攔截電話，

but identify the caller,

還能辨識來電者，

regardless of what phone number they were using,

不論他們用什麼電話號碼，

based on their unique voiceprint,

只要他們獨特的聲紋即可，

and then identify their exact geographic location.

接著還能找出他們明確的地理所在。

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

這個傢伙已經參與軍火貿易多年。

他不是好萊塢式的軍火走私販 在背後進行秘密交易。

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

He was just a guy that worked with legitimate Western companies

他只是和合法的西方公司合作，

to help sell their weapons abroad.

協助將它們的武器銷售到國外。

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

但行銷這類技術 並不會讓他感到困擾。

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

對他而言，那只是 軍火貿易中的下一步。

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

比銷售武器到伊拉克還更容易，

because it didn't require an export license

因為毋需美國國務院的出口許可，

from the US State Department,

the way most arms sales would.

銷售大部分的軍火都需要許可。

It turns out that these tools of surveillance

結果發現，這些監視工具 幾乎完全不受管制，

are almost completely unregulated,

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

因為，截至目前為止， 它們都不被定義為武器。

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

但我們應該要把它們 當成武器來管制才對。

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

我是記者，在過去二十年間

研究軍事和情報世界

looking at how the military and intelligence world

spurs the development of new science and technology.

如何刺激新科學和技術的發展。

I've tracked the emergence of new weapons

我曾經追蹤新武器的出現，

and looked to see what happens

並追查一旦公司開始 把這些武器賣到國外會怎樣。

when companies start to market these weapons abroad.

But what is a weapon in the information age?

但在資訊時代，什麼是武器？

We know that armed drones are weapons,

我們知道武裝無人機是武器，

missiles and bombs are weapons,

飛彈和炸彈是武器，

but the State Department actually classifies

但美國國務院其實將 許多科技類別也歸類為武器。

broad categories of technologies as weapons.

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

比如，

科學家搭乘海洋學研究船艦出國，

they want to take the latest night-vision goggles?

想要帶著最新的夜視鏡，

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

根據國務院，那有可能是武器。

Why?

為什麼？

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

因為儘管現今世界各地的 科學家和獵人使用夜視鏡，

and hunters around the world,

這種功能最早是為了軍隊而開發的。

it was a capability first developed for the military.

And yet, tools of surveillance

然而監視工具，

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

獨裁政權可以用來監視其公民、

on dissidents, on journalists,

異議份子、記者，

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

但根據現今的美國政府卻不是武器。

And yet, these tools of surveillance

然而這些監視工具

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

屬於一個偷偷摸摸的產業， 該產業價值數十億且還在成長。

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

這種監視市場的起源 可追溯到十八年前，

to a Hilton hotel in northern Virginia,

在維吉尼亞州的希爾頓飯店，

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

距離美國中情局只有幾哩的距離。

A few dozen people, mostly dark-suited men,

幾十個人，多半穿著深色西服，

gathered there in the spring of 2002

於 2002 年春天時聚集在那裡，

for a conference with the unassuming name of ISS World.

參與一場會議， 用低調名稱 ISS World。

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

乍看之下，這場會議可能就像

華盛頓特區以前舉辦的數十場活動。

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

But this event was unique.

但這個活動卻很獨特。

ISS stands for Intelligence Support Systems,

ISS 代表情報支援系統，

and the people who were there

參與者所屬的公司

were from companies that built technologies to spy

都在打造監控私人通訊的技術。

on private communications.

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

換言之，這裡是在做竊聽交易的。

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

他們會到那裡的原因， 是因為一年之前，

the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington

紐約及華盛頓遭受九一一恐怖攻擊，

had spurred the Congress to press through legislation

促使國會施壓通過了

愛國者法案的立法。

known as the Patriot Act.

This gave the government broad new authorities

這個法案讓政府有更廣泛的 新權限，來監控通訊。

to monitor communications.

Emails, internet activity, phone calls,

電子郵件、網路活動、電話，

even financial transactions.

甚至財務交易。

This created an instant demand for data.

這馬上造成了對資料的需求。

And in the true American entrepreneurial spirit,

本著真正的美國企業家精神，

an industry rose up to help collect this data.

有一個產業興起， 來協助收集這些資料。

But back in 2002,

但，在 2002 年時，這還算是小事。

this was still a pretty modest affair.

Only about 10 percent of the world's population

全世界只有 10% 的人

was even online using the internet.

會使用網路。

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

所以，被收集的資料多半只是

電子郵件和有線電話及手機的通話。

over landlines and cell phones.

But over the next few years,

但，接下來幾年， 我們通訊的方式開始快速改變。

the way that we communicate began to change rapidly.

There was the introduction of Skype, Facebook

Skype 和臉書問世，

and then, crucially, the iPhone,

接著，很重要的，iPhone 出現了，

and within a few years,

短短幾年內，數十億人

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

出門時口袋中都帶著小小的電腦，

that do everything from monitor our exercise habits

做什麼都要透過它， 從監控運動習慣，

to help us find romantic partners.

到協助我們找另一半。

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

突然間，不需要國家安全局

或大型電信公司的先進能力

of the National Security Agency or big telecoms

to monitor everyone's communication.

就可以監控每個人的通訊了。

In some cases,

在某些情況中，你只需要

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

取得他們口袋中的那台裝置即可。

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

那就造成了一種全新產業的誕生。

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

要知道，沒有幾家公司 能建造飛彈或飛機，

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

但不需要太多資本就可以開發出軟體

that can hack into someone's smartphone.

來駭入某人的智慧手機。

Computer hackers have been around for years,

電腦駭客已經存在多年，

but now their skills could be used to build technologies

但現在，他們的技能能被用來建造

執法單位和情報單位 極度需求的技術。

that were in high demand by law enforcement

and intelligence agencies.

And soon, dozens and even hundreds of companies

很快的，數十甚至數百間公司

were getting into this wire-tappers' market.

開始投入這個竊聽市場。

And that little conference in Virginia,

維吉尼亞的小型會議

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

很快就成長成為「竊聽者的舞會」。

Well, not much was known about the Wiretappers' Ball

在早年，大家對於 竊聽者的舞會知道的不多，

in those early years,

because the conferences were closed to everyone

因為該會議是不開放的，

只限那些公司和其政府客戶。

except the companies and their government customers.

But journalists did begin to see and hear reports

但，記者確實開始 看見聽見一些傳聞，

of companies getting into this private spy market.

說有公司進入這個私人的監視市場。

Spooky entrepreneurs going around the world,

幽靈企業家到世界各地，

doing deals,

進行交易，對象通常是獨裁政權。

often with authoritarian regimes.

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

打從一開始，這個市場 就沒有受到嚴謹的管制。

Some countries do require permission to sell these technologies abroad,

在某些國家，確實需要取得許可 才能將這些技術銷售到國外，

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

但監督的程度 很少像對傳統軍火那麼嚴謹。

So for example, the Italian-based company Hacking Team

比如，據說，位在義大利的公司

Hacking Team 就將其技術

reportedly sold its technology to authoritarian regimes

銷售給埃及和哈薩克的獨裁政權。

in Egypt and Kazakhstan.

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

據說以色列公司 NSO Group

將其技術銷售給沙烏地阿拉伯政權，

to the regime in Saudi Arabia,

which has been accused of harassing,

該政權被指控騷擾，

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

甚至，有個案例， 是被指控殺害其政治對手。

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

我們確實認為武器是能殺人的東西。

But in the information age,

但，在資訊時代，

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

有些最強大的武器 是能夠追蹤和辨識我們身分的東西。

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

五角大廈和中情局 早在數年前就知道這一點，

且他們都在嘗試開發技術，

and they've tried to build technologies

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

來追蹤全世界可疑的恐怖分子。

The Pentagon has invested in something called smart dust,

五角大廈已經在投資 所謂的智慧微塵，

little microsensors the size of specs of dust

即尺寸只有灰塵大小的微型感測器，

that you could scatter on people without them knowing it,

可以撒在人的身上也不會被察覺，

and then use it to track their location.

接著就可以用來追蹤人的所在。

The Pentagon, through its venture capital firm,

五角大廈透過它的創投公司

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

投資了一間曾被《O：歐普拉雜誌》 特別報導過的美容產品公司，

to build a device that could surreptitiously collect DNA

目的是要開發一種只要擦過皮膚

just by swiping across the skin.

就可暗中收集 DNA 的裝置。

But something remarkable has happened over the past decade.

但，在過去十年發生了 很不可思議的事。

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

在許多情況下， 私人市場所能做到的事

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

已經遠超過五角大廈 或中情局認為可能做到的事。

Back in 2008,

在 2008 年，

the Pentagon had a secretive database of DNA from terrorists.

五角大廈有一個秘密的 恐怖分子 DNA 資料庫，

It had about 80,000 samples.

內有約八萬個樣本。

Well, the private company AncestryDNA

私人公司 AncestryDNA

today has samples from over 15 million people.

現今有超過一千五百萬人的樣本。

23andMe, the second-largest genealogical database,

23andMe，第二大的系譜資料庫，

has samples from over 10 million people.

有超過一千萬人的樣本。

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

所以，也許你並不需要 那些詹姆士龐德技能

of collecting DNA

來收集 DNA，

if we're willingly handing it over to private companies

因為人們願意將之交給私人公司，

and even paying for the honor of doing it.

甚至樂於付款來做。

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

拿到別人的 DNA 樣本能做什麼？

In the United States and China,

在美國和中國，研究者在研究

researchers are working on using DNA samples

如何使用 DNA 樣本 來建造出人的臉孔。

to build images of people's faces.

So if you pair DNA with facial recognition technology,

所以，如果結合 DNA 和面部辨識技術，

you have the basis of a really powerful surveillance system

就有了開發強大監視系統的基礎，

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

用來追蹤個人或整個人種族群。

And if you think that sounds a little bit paranoid,

如果你覺得那聽起來太妄想了，

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

別忘了，五角大廈去年 發出一份備忘錄給它的所有人員，

to all of its service members,

warning them precisely not to use those commercial DNA kits

明確警告他們不要使用 那些商業 DNA 產品組，

over concerns that information could be used to track them

因為擔心資訊會被用來追蹤他們

or their family members.

或他們的家庭成員。

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

但就算五角大廈 提出對這項技術的顧慮，

almost nothing has been done to reign in this market.

幾乎沒有人做什麼來駕馭這個市場。

One American company, Clearview AI,

美國公司 Clearview AI

has been collecting billions of images of people's faces

已經從網路上收集了 數十億張人類臉孔的影像，

from across the internet,

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

比如你刊在 IG 上的照片， 上面有你、你的朋友和家人。

and then selling its facial recognition services

接著，該公司把其面孔辨識服務

to US government and law-enforcement agencies.

銷售給美國政府和執法單位。

And even if you think

就算你認為把這項技術 應用在此是合情合理的，

that's a perfectly acceptable application of this technology,

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

卻沒有什麼能阻止他們 將之銷售給私人個體戶、

corporations or even foreign governments.

企業，或甚至外國政府。

And that's exactly what some companies are doing.

有些公司就在這麼做。

That Wiretappers' Ball that started in northern Virginia?

至於那個在北維吉尼亞 創始的竊聽者舞會，

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

現今全球多個城市 都會舉辦該舞會。

Thousands of people now attend the ISS trainings and conferences.

數千人會參加 ISS 訓練和會議。

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

且出席的公司中越來越多 是來自中東和中國。

The spy bazaar has gone global.

監視市場已經擴展向全球。

And at arms shows now around the world,

在世界各地的軍火展上，

you'll see companies displaying facial recognition technology

會看到有些公司展示面部辨識技術

and phone hacking software,

和駭入電話用的軟體，

displaying right next to traditional arms manufacturers

就在坦克和飛彈的 傳統軍火製造商旁邊展示。

with tanks and missiles.

And walking around these arms shows,

到這些軍火展走走，

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

很容易就會掉進反烏托邦的無底洞，

thinking about future surveillance technology

想著能夠追蹤我們 每一步的未來監視技術。

that will track our every move.

And I remember one Pentagon adviser telling me

我記得有位五角大廈顧問告訴我

that what the military really needed were space-based satellites

軍隊真正需要的是太空衛星，

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

能夠根據 DNA 追蹤 地球任何一個角落的人。

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

這已經足夠讓你想去 買頂鍻箔帽子了。

But the truth is,

但事實上我們不知道 未來會帶來什麼樣的技術。

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

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

但知道現今在沒有管制的情況下，

this marketplace is already exploding.

這個市場已迅速擴大。

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

事實上，被指控銷售監視技術

to authoritarian regimes,

給獨裁政權的公司之一，

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

現今也在提供協助追蹤 被新型冠狀病毒感染的人。

And of course, technology does offer the tantalizing promise

當然科技能保證透過聯絡追蹤

of helping control a pandemic through contact tracing.

來協助控制疫情，這點十分誘人。

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

但另一扇門也同時被開啟： 大規模監控民營化。

So what do we do about this private spy bazaar?

對於這個私人監視市場， 我們該怎麼做？

We can hide, go offline,

我們可以躲起來，別上網，

get off social media, ditch our smartphones,

脫離社群媒體，丟掉智慧手機，

go live in a cave,

生活在洞穴中，

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

但事實是我們沒受過專業間諜訓練，

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

無法用假身分或不用身分過日子。

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

現今，就連真正的間諜 也很難不被偵測到。

It doesn't matter how many passports Jason Bourne has

不論傑森包恩有多少本護照，

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

如果某人的資料庫中有他的臉孔 或 DNA，他就沒輒了。

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

但如果連政府 都無法管控監視的工具，

is there anything we can do about it?

我們還能做什麼？

One argument I've heard

我聽過一種論點：

is that even if the US were to restrict companies

就算美國要限制公司 將這類技術賣到國外去，

from selling this sort of technology abroad,

companies based in China might simply step in.

在中國的公司很可能就會接手。

But we regulate the arms trade today,

然而現今我們管制軍火貿易，

even if we do it imperfectly.

即使沒做得完美。

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

事實上，幾年前有一項多國提案，

to do just that,

就是提議監視軟體的出口 必須要獲得許可。

to require export licenses for surveillance software.

The United States was among those countries

美國是其中一個同意

that agreed to these voluntary regulations,

這些自願性管制的國家，

but back in Washington, this proposal has simply languished.

但回到華盛頓，這項提案就停滯了。

We have an administration that would rather sell more weapons abroad

我們的政府寧可少點管制， 對國外銷售更多武器，

with fewer restrictions,

including to some of those countries

包括銷售到被指控 濫用監視技術的國家。

accused of abusing surveillance technology.

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

我認為，若要向前走， 就得讓這個提案復活，

but even go one step further.

甚至還要再做更多。

We need to fundamentally change how we think of surveillance technology

我們得要從根本上改變 我們對監視技術的看法，

and define these tools as weapons.

並將那些工具定義為武器。

This would allow government

這樣就能讓政府

to regulate and control their sale and export

能管制和控制它們的銷售與出口，

the way that they control traditional arms,

套用控制傳統軍火、 先進飛機與飛彈的方式。

advanced aircraft and missiles.

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

但，那就表示要承認， 用來追蹤我們做什麼、說什麼，

what we do, what we say,

甚至在某些情況還能追蹤 我們想什麼的這種技術，

and even in some cases, what we think,

is a form of advanced weaponry.

是一種先進武器的形式。

And these weapons are growing too powerful,

這些武器變得太強大，

available to the highest bidder,

出價最高的人就能取得，

and according to the whims of the spy bazaar.

且會配合監視市場異想天開的需求。

Thank you.

謝謝。