Mastering the Internet - an architectural note

[Peter Fairbrother]

If the black box is connected like this:

a)

|  network--><---[blackbox]---><--network
|                    |
|                 [GCHQ]

then content is obviously available to the box, and that's interception.


If, as is more likely, the box is connected like this:

b)

|  network--><---[network box]---><--network
|                     |
|                 [blackbox]
|                     |
|                  [GCHQ]

where [network box] is some sort of box controlled by the network, then 
what matters is what flows down the wire between the network box and the 
black box. If it includes any content, it's interception.


In both cases it doesn't make any difference what the black box actually 
does.


As usual with interceptions, it's illegal unless there's a warrant, or 
perhaps a s.12 order.


-- Peter Fairbrother