Surveillance firms exposed by WikiLeaks
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4 THE BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH · XMAS SPECIAL NEWS Surveillance firms exposed by Wikileaks Secretive spy technology manufactured by companies across England has been exposed by whistleblower organisation WikiLeaks. High-level snooping methods used by governments and police to intercept text messages, phone calls and emails are meticulously detailed in a large cache of previously unpublished documents. 17 firms, several based in the north, were among 160 around the world said to sell equipment that can be used for “mass surveillance” of entire populations. According to Cambridge University computer security researcher Steven Murdoch, the files present an alarming picture of “wholesale monitoring” that poses a threat to democracy and human rights. ‘Potential abuse’ “How surveillance is presented to the public is ‘targeted monitoring of individuals’ where there is strong suspicion of wrongdoing and some sort of judicial oversight to prevent abuses,” he said. “But what these files show is that surveillance is increasingly wholesale monitoring of entire populations where there is no suspicion of wrongdoing. Everyone’s communications are being harvested and stored in the hope that they might some other time be useful. The intelligence agencies and owned by arms manufacturer BAE Systems, Detica was behind a controversial government “interception modernisation programme”, launched in 2008 to collect and store masses of UK citizens’ communications. Dorset-based firm Telesoft Technologies provides “massive intercept” technology that can record an entire network of phone users simultaneously, the documents reveal. A Telesoft brochure shows the company boasting it can offer “targeted or mass capture of tens of thousands of simultaneous conversations from fixed or cellular networks”. Strictly governed Other companies exposed include Nottinghamshire-based Hidden Technology Systems, which makes covert tracking technology sold to 27 countries including Saudi Arabia, and Gamma International, an Andover-based company that offered computer hacking software to Hosni Mubarak’s Egyptian security forces in 2010. The use of such technology is strictly governed in the UK by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), which states that to intercept communications a warrant must be authorised by the home secretary and be both necessary and proportionate. The terms of potential abuse of this technology is huge.” WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said the release showed how an “international corporatised mass surveillance industry” had grown up in the years following the 9/11 attacks. Leeds company “It sounds like something out of Hollywood but, as of today, mass interception systems, built by Western intelligence contractors, including for ’political opponents’, are a reality,” WikiLeaks said in a statement. “Intelligence agencies, military forces and police authorities are able to silently, and on mass [sic], and secretly intercept calls and take over computers without the help or knowledge of the telecommunication providers.” Among the companies listed by WikiLeaks is Leeds-based Datong, which manufactures technology used to gather information about millions of mobile phones by emitting a secret signal that can be operated out of a backpack. Datong is known to have supplied its technology to nearly 40 countries around the world, and has also sold to London’s Metropolitan Police. Another firm with a northern base is Detica, which recently relocated from Manchester to Leeds. Favoured by Britain’s RIPA allow phone calls and SMS messages to be intercepted in the interests of national security, to prevent and detect serious crime, or to safeguard the UK’s economic wellbeing. But legislation in other nations – particularly in the Middle East and North Africa – is virtually non-existent, and technology provided by western firms has been used to target pro-democracy activists and political dissidents during the Arab Spring, as The Big Issue in the North reported in September (issue 893). Last month Baroness Wilcox, under-secretary for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, admitted surveillance exports from the UK were scantly regulated. Export rules “Surveillance technology is not intrinsically controlled under the UK export control regime as there are a number of legitimate commercial applications for which it can be used,” she said. “The government keep the export control regime under review on this and other issues, with regard to whether the law should be changed to require permission to be sought in future.” Earlier this year a group of MEPs called for a change in export rules to prevent surveillance equipment being sold to countries where they may be used to commit human rights abuses, though no reforms have yet been made. Eric King, human rights and technology adviser at campaign group Privacy International, said: “The fact that these documents are now publicly available and that the surveillance industry has finally been exposed to general scrutiny is to be welcomed – but this is only the beginning. “The next task is to ensure that surveillance technology companies are prevented from selling their dangerous wares to countries like Syria, Iran and Bahrain, and that the development and use of this technology is properly regulated.” RYAN GALLAGHER Technology allows mass surveillance of phone networks BITN 906_04,05 (News) 8/12/11 18:02 Page 4
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Secretive spy technology manufactured by companies across England has been exposed by whistleblower
Transcript of Surveillance firms exposed by WikiLeaks
4 THE BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH · XMAS SPECIAL
N E W S
Surveillance firmsexposed by WikileaksSecretive spy technologymanufactured by companiesacross England has beenexposed by whistleblowerorganisation WikiLeaks.
High-level snooping methodsused by governments and policeto intercept text messages,phone calls and emails aremeticulously detailed in a largecache of previouslyunpublished documents.
17 firms, several based in thenorth, were among 160 aroundthe world said to sell equipmentthat can be used for “masssurveillance” of entirepopulations. According toCambridge University computersecurity researcher StevenMurdoch, the files present analarming picture of “wholesalemonitoring” that poses a threatto democracy and human rights.
‘Potential abuse’“How surveillance is presentedto the public is ‘targetedmonitoring of individuals’where there is strong suspicionof wrongdoing and some sort ofjudicial oversight to preventabuses,” he said. “But whatthese files show is thatsurveillance is increasinglywholesale monitoring of entirepopulations where there is nosuspicion of wrongdoing.Everyone’s communications arebeing harvested and stored inthe hope that they might someother time be useful. The
intelligence agencies and ownedby arms manufacturer BAESystems, Detica was behind acontroversial government“interception modernisationprogramme”, launched in 2008to collect and store masses ofUK citizens’ communications.
Dorset-based firm TelesoftTechnologies provides “massiveintercept” technology that canrecord an entire network ofphone users simultaneously, thedocuments reveal. A Telesoftbrochure shows the companyboasting it can offer “targeted ormass capture of tens ofthousands of simultaneousconversations from fixed orcellular networks”.
Strictly governedOther companies exposedinclude Nottinghamshire-basedHidden Technology Systems,which makes covert trackingtechnology sold to 27 countriesincluding Saudi Arabia, andGamma International, anAndover-based company thatoffered computer hackingsoftware to Hosni Mubarak’sEgyptian security forces in 2010.
The use of such technology isstrictly governed in the UK bythe Regulation of InvestigatoryPowers Act (RIPA), which statesthat to interceptcommunications a warrant mustbe authorised by the homesecretary and be both necessaryand proportionate. The terms of
potential abuse of thistechnology is huge.”
WikiLeaks founder JulianAssange said the release showedhow an “internationalcorporatised mass surveillanceindustry” had grown up in theyears following the 9/11 attacks.
Leeds company“It sounds like something out ofHollywood but, as of today,mass interception systems, builtby Western intelligencecontractors, including for’political opponents’, are areality,” WikiLeaks said in astatement. “Intelligenceagencies, military forces andpolice authorities are able tosilently, and on mass [sic], andsecretly intercept calls and takeover computers without thehelp or knowledge of thetelecommunication providers.”
Among the companies listedby WikiLeaks is Leeds-basedDatong, which manufacturestechnology used to gatherinformation about millions ofmobile phones by emitting asecret signal that can beoperated out of a backpack.Datong is known to havesupplied its technology tonearly 40 countries around theworld, and has also sold toLondon’s Metropolitan Police.
Another firm with a northernbase is Detica, which recentlyrelocated from Manchester toLeeds. Favoured by Britain’s
RIPA allow phone calls andSMS messages to be interceptedin the interests of nationalsecurity, to prevent and detectserious crime, or to safeguardthe UK’s economic wellbeing.
But legislation in othernations – particularly in theMiddle East and North Africa –is virtually non-existent, andtechnology provided by westernfirms has been used to targetpro-democracy activists andpolitical dissidents during theArab Spring, as The Big Issue inthe North reported in September(issue 893).
Last month Baroness Wilcox,under-secretary for theDepartment of Business,Innovation and Skills, admittedsurveillance exports from theUK were scantly regulated.
Export rules“Surveillance technology is notintrinsically controlled underthe UK export control regime asthere are a number of legitimatecommercial applications forwhich it can be used,” she said.“The government keep theexport control regime underreview on this and other issues,with regard to whether the lawshould be changed to requirepermission to be sought infuture.”
Earlier this year a group ofMEPs called for a change inexport rules to preventsurveillance equipment beingsold to countries where theymay be used to commit humanrights abuses, though no reformshave yet been made.
Eric King, human rights andtechnology adviser at campaigngroup Privacy International,said: “The fact that thesedocuments are now publiclyavailable and that thesurveillance industry has finallybeen exposed to generalscrutiny is to be welcomed – butthis is only the beginning.
“The next task is to ensurethat surveillance technologycompanies are prevented fromselling their dangerous wares tocountries like Syria, Iran andBahrain, and that thedevelopment and use of thistechnology is properlyregulated.”
RYAN GALLAGHER
Technology allows masssurveillance of phone networks
BITN 906_04,05 (News) 8/12/11 18:02 Page 4
