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1998-04-22 - Re: Position escrow (triangulation, cell “remailers”)

Header Data

From: Phil Karn <karn@qualcomm.com>
To: vermont@gate.net
Message Hash: b01f26252e86a4da26be58054ff7695ea79af7319f0c1b71d36683eaa5e1f7e0
Message ID: <199804221733.KAA25507@servo.qualcomm.com>
Reply To: <Pine.LNX.3.96.980422021922.136K-100000@oto.gate.net>
UTC Datetime: 1998-04-22 17:33:48 UTC
Raw Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 10:33:48 -0700 (PDT)

Raw message

From: Phil Karn <karn@qualcomm.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 10:33:48 -0700 (PDT)
To: vermont@gate.net
Subject: Re: Position escrow (triangulation, cell "remailers")
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.3.96.980422021922.136K-100000@oto.gate.net>
Message-ID: <199804221733.KAA25507@servo.qualcomm.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


>On cell "remailers": Why resend the cell signal?  Why not instead set up a
>generic phone call resender, which could be used by cell users and
>non-users alike?  As long as you use the call resender for all of your
>important calls, the feds (and others) will find it very difficult to
>figure out what cell phone ID to triangulate or home phone number to tap

Exactly. And I think this brings the remailing concept full
circle. Wasn't the basic idea invented for telephones way back in
(alcohol) Prohibition days? As I recall, a device called a "cheesebox"
connected two phone lines. When a call came in on one line, it went
back out on the other. You'd place a cheesebox in some third party's
back room, e.g., a restaurant owner who was paid for the privilege and
to keep his mouth shut. If the cops traced a call, it would lead them
to the restaurant owner, who would tip off the bootleggers.

Does anyone have any historical references for these things? I think it
would be fun to see how an earlier age made use of anonymous remailers
based on a much simpler technology.

Phil

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