Room 641A

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/room-641a

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the facility operator?AT&T
2. What is the year of public disclosure?2006
3. Why did Room 641A start in 2003?It began after the 9/11 attacks to help the government keep people safe by watching communications.
4. How does Room 641A copy data?It uses special hardware called a splitter that duplicates the digital traffic from AT&T's fiber lines so the NSA can see it.

Telecommunication Interception: The authorized or unauthorized monitoring or collection of electronic communications.
Mass Surveillance: The widespread monitoring of populations' communications and activities by governments or organizations.
Metadata: Data that describes other data, such as who made a call, when, and for how long.
Signals Intelligence (SIGINT): Intelligence gathered from electronic signals and systems used by foreign targets.