http://www.howstuffworks.com/carnivore.htm
I don't think there is a debate about privacy existing. It doesn't. MCI also handed over billing from the customer service department back in 2002.
This article is wrong. (about carnivore) It was adopted long before 2005, and many people knew about it, a lot of attorneys wanted to litigate, and one person I know worked on this project. As early as 1999. It was legal to do outside the United States at the time, and I suppose they are referring to the project being adopted within the United States to monitor inside the United States in 2005 then legalized by the patriot act. It's the same progrom that is probably used, even for this board. But you guys probably already knew about carnivore.