CIA Visits Campus

MONDAY - Agents from the Central Intelligence Agency made a surprise visit to the campus of LSSU. While the agents wouldn't provide details, presumably on the grounds of such information being classified, The Compass has learned that the agents' visit was part of a routine checkup on the backgrounds of college students' web-surfing habits.

We are interested in what students are doing online, said a CIA representative who wished to be identified only as Smith, especially in high-risk areas like the Soo. Smith commented that websites like Google and AIM are often used by foreign nationals to gather information and communicate plans that could pose a threat to national security.

Agents gathered all the access logs for the past two years, including web pages visited by students, and the content of emails and instant messages.

The IT department is required by law to keep these records indefinitely in case they are ever needed for a court case or other law enforcement investigation, explained a worker at IT who did not wish to be identified, but later asked The Compass (presumably while intoxicated) to refer to him as Queen James Donovan III.

Smith said that students and faculty who made frequent use of such sites would be flagged for review by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. Websites like Facebook, which is already under close surveillance by the CIA, are also used for recruiting terrorists, said Smith.

The investigation isn't that big a deal, said Donovan. Any student who works at IT can already read your email. It's a fact of life  get used to it.

We have a great time reading peoples' instant message logs, added Smith.

The Compass suggests that all students immediately stop using these websites and similar services, like search engines, instant messengers, email, and social networking sites.

For more information about the CIA's use of Facebook, visit http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/news/2007/01/72545.
