The Snowden files do not only expose serious breaches of peoples right to privacy. They also prove that information will always be leaked.
“The agency collected and stored intimate chats, photos, and emails belonging to innocent Americans—and secured them so poorly that reporters can now browse them at will.”
This is not unique for the NSA. It goes for intelligence organisations and law enforcement agencies all over the world.
In my fight against the Swedish NSA-associate FRA, I found myself in possession of nonsensical surveillance information about more than a hundred Swedes. This made it clear that the FRA gathers information about people who are no threat to national security whatsoever. They are not suspected of any wrongdoing at all. But still, the information is collected. And leaked.
Over and over again we hear about people in law enforcement using their databases and information from surveillance to check up on ex-girlfriends, neighbours and personal enemies. Sometimes they slip information to criminal networks. Information is power and will always be used.
Information about our air travel is frequently shared between transport industry and government authorities. I have been assured by Swedish government officials that such data, on an EU level, is used in a responsible way–by the Swedes. That might be, or not. But how is such data handled in other EU countries, with high levels of corruption and murky legal systems?
There are many other cases when data and surveillance information is being misused. The only way to tackle this problem is to reduce the amount of personal details being collected and stored.
There should be no surveillance without a reasonable suspicion of serious wrongdoing. This is not only an important principle. It is also essential to protect ordinary people from having their personal data ending up in the wrong hands.
/HAX
Whoever stores data has generally no self-interest of keeping it absolutely secure.
This is my great worry about the growing number of goverment databases. In Sweden these range from everything from where I live, with whom, to my psychiatrist’s journal and my financial data.
The goverment has neither the competence or incentive to keep it secure. Only to keep it, and share it. (Did you know that both police and social services gets copies of medical journals!? They do.)
The Ship of State is the only ship that leaks from the top.
— Sir Humphrey Appleby