▁ ▁Computer ▁ ▁The ▁vast ▁majority ▁of ▁computer ▁surve ill ance ▁involves ▁the ▁monitoring ▁of ▁data ▁and ▁traffic ▁on ▁the ▁Internet . ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁for ▁example , ▁under ▁the ▁Communic ations ▁Ass istance ▁For ▁Law ▁En for cement ▁Act , ▁all ▁phone ▁calls ▁and ▁broad band ▁Internet ▁traffic ▁( em ails , ▁web ▁traffic , ▁instant ▁mess aging , ▁etc .) ▁are ▁required ▁to ▁be ▁available ▁for ▁un imp eded ▁real - time ▁monitoring ▁by ▁federal ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁ag encies . ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁far ▁too ▁much ▁data ▁on ▁the ▁Internet ▁for ▁human ▁investig ators ▁to ▁manually ▁search ▁through ▁all ▁of ▁it . ▁Therefore , ▁autom ated ▁Internet ▁surve ill ance ▁computers ▁s ift ▁through ▁the ▁vast ▁amount ▁of ▁intercept ed ▁Internet ▁traffic ▁to ▁identify ▁and ▁report ▁to ▁human ▁investig ators ▁the ▁traffic ▁that ▁is ▁considered ▁interesting ▁or ▁susp icious . ▁This ▁process ▁is ▁reg ulated ▁by ▁target ing ▁certain ▁" trigger " ▁words ▁or ▁phr ases , ▁visit ing ▁certain ▁types ▁of ▁web ▁sites , ▁or ▁communic ating ▁via ▁email ▁or ▁online ▁chat ▁with ▁susp icious ▁individuals ▁or ▁groups . ▁Bill ions ▁of ▁dollars ▁per ▁year ▁are ▁spent ▁by ▁ag encies , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁NS A , ▁the ▁F BI ▁and ▁the ▁now - def unct ▁Information ▁A war eness ▁Office , ▁to ▁develop , ▁purchase , ▁implement , ▁and ▁operate ▁systems ▁such ▁as ▁Car n iv ore , ▁Nar us In s ight , ▁and ▁E CH EL ON ▁to ▁intercept ▁and ▁analyze ▁all ▁of ▁this ▁data