The Office of Enforcement Operations (OEO) delayed wiretap orders related to the Anom case, preventing US monitoring of the platform.
This delay highlights the existing checks and balances within the US justice system, potentially preventing overreach.
However, the San Diego FBI and prosecutors believed they had legal grounds for the wiretaps and were prepared to execute them.
This tension raises important questions about the balance between legitimate law enforcement needs and the potential for mass surveillance.
00:00
Transcript
Episode notes
Paris Marx is joined by Joseph Cox to discuss how the FBI created an encrypted phone company called Anom to read criminals’ messages and eventually carry out the largest international sting operation by law enforcement.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.