Government INTERNET SURVEILLANCE Starts With Eyes Built in the WEST

[Segami]

:smoke: :smoke: :smoke:



What has long been an EFF issue is once again making headlines. In recent days, the world is seeing damning reports of authoritarian regimes spying on their citizens using American- and European-made surveillance technologies, with new evidence emerging from Bahrain, Libya, Syria, and Thailand.




Last week, Bloomberg reported on Bahrain’s use of Nokia-Siemens surveillance software to intercept messages and gather information on human rights activists, resulting in their arrest and torture. A Wall Street Journal article published this week alleges the use of products in Libya created by the French company Amesys and the South African firm VASTech SA Pty Ltd. New evidence uncovered by hacktivists suggests that American-made Bluecoat technologies have been used for deep packet inspection by Syrian authorities, and a report from Reporters Without Borders alleges that Canadian web hosting company Netfirms, Inc., which also has offices in the United States, turned over sensitive information about a US citizen of Thai origin that resulted in his arrest upon entering Thailand.




In the past, EFF has documented the sale of surveillance equipment by several companies, including Cisco and Nortel, to China. Two ongoing cases allege that surveillance technology sold to China by Cisco enabled human rights violations. What's chillingly clear is that significant portions of the worldwide Internet are under surveillance using invasive technologies produced by American and European companies, who are in large part free to export technology that could be used for censorship or surveillance. The general lack of meaningful controls means that the privacy and safety of individuals has been left to corporations, through the promotion of the "corporate social responsibility" concept, and also through the rule of law. But clearly, important questions remain about the kind of pressure that it takes for corporate social responsibility to be meaningful, as well as the validity in relying on the rule of law in countries where it is weak or non-existent.




In 2010, we applauded the stance of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in calling on American companies to take a principled stand and urging U.S. companies to take “a proactive role in challenging foreign governments’ demands for censorship and surveillance”. We also noted her endorsement of the Global Network Initiative, which brings together companies like Google, Yahoo and Microsoft and organizations like EFF, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Human Rights Watch to address issues of privacy and free expression.



cont'



https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/09/government-internet-surveillance-starts-eyes-built



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[Quantess]

1. On the positive note...we are exporting something!

That's pretty remarkable, right there.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. And getting other regimes to field test the equipment for future use here!

Verrrry clever.

[Initech]

4. We export war, torture, and surveillence.

[FarCenter]

2. Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act

To be CALEA-compliant, USA telecommunications providers must install new hardware and software, as well as modify old equipment so it doesn't interfere with any law enforcement agency's ability to perform real-time surveillance of any telephone or Internet traffic.
...
Originally CALEA only granted the ability to wiretap digital telephone networks, but in 2004, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) filed a joint petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to expand their powers to include the ability to monitor VoIP and broadband internet communications -- so that they could monitor Web traffic as well as phone calls.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_Assistance_for_Law_Enforcement_Act

Communications equipment must be designed with built-in ability to identify traffic flows and intercept the signals in order to comply with CALEA. Other governments have requirements similar to those of the United States.