A super-fast scanning system nicknamed 'Carnivore' is being used by the FBI to covertly search through email messages, says the Wall Street Journal

America's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is using a super-fast email scanning system dubbed "Carnivore" to covertly trawl through email messages in order to capture suspected criminals, reports the Wall Street Journal Tuesday.

The revelations have caused a furore among privacy and security advocates, because it requires a direct connection to a commercial ISP's network, giving the authorities, in theory, access to all Internet communications.

Carnivore is reportedly nothing more than a personal computer fitted with special software capable of scanning millions of emails in a second.

According to the WSJ's report Carnivore, which was launched last year, has been used to gather evidence in fewer than 100 criminal cases.

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