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Frosty relations between UK and German spy agencies

By on December 18, 2016 in BND, Free Information, GCHQ, Germany, Intelligence, NSA, Snowden, surveillance, UK, US, Wikileaks

The Snowden revelations on US NSA spying in Germany still poison relations between UK (and US) intelligence community and their German counterparts.

The Daily Mail:

Relations between British and German spy chiefs have hit rock bottom because London says its counterparts in Berlin cannot be trusted to keep secrets. (…)

The source said: ‘It has now reached the point where there is virtual radio silence between the two biggest and most important intelligence services of the western world and the BND of Germany.

‘Germany is worried because it needs the umbrella protection of these agencies. It is virtually blind without it.’

This also concerns German requests for information demanded by the German Bundestag’s (parliaments) committee on mass surveillance:

Both the UK and America refused to send any of the requested files to Germany. Included among them was a demand for information about a 2013 operation handled by both countries – and in co-operation with the BND – which was, and remains, top secret but was known to involve a massive surveillance programme on suspected Islamic terrorists across Europe.

Britain fears a ‘big debate’ in the German parliament which would lay open secret sources and intelligence gathering techniques.

To complicate matters even more, the German Bundestag is searching for a »Wikileaks mole« – said to leak information from the said NSA investigative committee.

The Daily Mail » German spies ‘can’t be trusted’: Relations between the UK and Berlin intelligence chiefs hit after comments by London »

Berliner Morgenpost » Bundestagspolizei sucht Wikileaks-Maulwurf im Parlament »

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Wikileaks: German BND-NSA Inquiry Exhibits

By on December 2, 2016 in affairs, BND, Germany, NSA, Snowden, US

The inquiry was established in 2014 in the wake of the Snowden revelations, which showed that not only was the NSA spying on the whole world, but it had also partnered with the intelligence services of particular states to spy on their citizens and those of the surrounding regions. One of these countries is Germany, which has had a close relationship with the US in military and intelligence matters since its occupation by US forces in WWII. The US has been shown to use its bases in Germany and its relationship with German intelligence to spy on German citizens as well as European Union institutions. (…)

Last week, on 21 November 2016, Germany’s Federal Court of Justice upheld the complaint and ruled that the committee was obliged to hear Edward Snowden in person. However, at the next inquiry hearing three days after the ruling, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Union bloc and the Social Democrats removed Snowden’s invitation from the agenda of the inquiry and are contesting the Court’s decision.

Wikileaks: German BND-NSA Inquiry Exhibits »

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FBI going global

By on December 1, 2016 in Big Brother, FBI, surveillance, US

Today, the FBI becomes a global adversary and enemy to every security-conscious computer user and to every IT security professional, similar to how the mass surveillance agencies are treated. The FBI has requested, and been granted, the lawful power (in the US) to intrude into any computer in the entire world.

Falkvinge: Today, the FBI becomes the enemy of every computer user and every security professional worldwide »

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Trump and mass surveillance: You were warned

By on November 10, 2016 in Big Brother, Human rights, Privacy, Rule of law, surveillance, US

Suddenly, after the US presidential election, people seems to realize that mass surveillance is a problem.

Time Magazine: President Obama Should Shut Down the NSA’s Mass Spying Before It’s Too Late »

Well, yes. But…

Isn’t mass surveillance a problem, regardless of who is in power?

Isn’t it naive to assume that others will not and do not misuse the surveillance apparatus?

Time writes:

During the Obama administration, warrantless spying programs have vastly expanded, giving the government more power than ever before to constantly monitor all of us by collecting our emails, texts, phone records, chats, real-time locations, purchases, and other private information en masse. This indiscriminate spying isn’t just happening in some National Security Agency bunker. It has reportedly spread throughout dozens of agencies, from local police departments to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, and more.

Trump has repeatedly called for more government surveillance. And he has made it very clear exactly how he would use such powers: to target Muslims, immigrant families, marginalized communities, political dissidents, and journalists.

This describes pretty well what the problem is and who is responsible.

The danger of all of this one day falling into the »wrong« hands ought to have been obvious from the very beginning.

It’s naive to claim that Big Brotherism is a problem in just some cases, used by some political forces, with some specific justifications. Mass surveillance is a problem by its very nature and to its core – regardless who is in power. Always.

Naturally, the mass surveillance apparatus in the hands of Donald Trump is a deeply disturbing notion.

But you should have considered such a risk from the very beginning. You were warned. Repeatedly.

/ HAX

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Trump won – now what?

By on November 9, 2016 in Big Brother, Civil liberties, Democracy, IT security, surveillance, US

In some sort of a reaction against the political elite, a corrupt system, and political correctness – the US has elected Donald Trump as president.

On the one hand, it is more or less impossible to foresee the president elects politics on IT, mass surveillance, and civil rights. (OK, he has opened up for torture of suspected terrorists – but I’m not sure that he himself will remember or stand by that.)

On the other hand, he might quickly become a prisoner of the system. When it comes to day-to-day politics elected politicians have surprisingly limited powers. It is also possible that president Trump will leave everything but big, symbolic issues to governments civil servants.

And with two houses of Congress and the Supreme Court – the US has a reasonably well-founded and stable system when it comes to separation of powers. The system ought to be able to handle one branch going a bit la-di-da.

However, Donald Trump has very little understanding of the Internet, IT-related issues and the principles of human and civil rights. Caution is recommended.

And, by the way – what will happen to Julian Assange?

Here are some other voices on the president-elect:
• What The Election Means For Stuff Techdirt Cares About? »
• A madman has been given the keys to the surveillance state »
• Donald Trump elected US president: What it means for tech and science »

/ HAX

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EU-US Privacy Shield sent to court

By on October 31, 2016 in Big Data, Data Protection, EU, EU-US Privacy Shield, Privacy, US

The EU was warned not to hasten when replacing the fallen “Safe Harbour” agreement with the US with a new agreement to protect European personal data. But the EU Commission did. And it did a poor work.

The new agreement – the EU-US Privacy Shield – suffers much the same problems as its predecessor. Immediately here were warnings that if it is to be sent to court, it will meet the same fate as the previous agreement: Invalidation.

And here we go…

Privacy Shield legal spat puts EU-US data flows at risk again »

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