FC: More on Australia's wiretap-crazed spooks

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

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http://www.politechbot.com/p-04003.html

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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 17:31:52 +1100
From: Nathan Cochrane <ncochrane () theage fairfax com au>
Organization: The Age newspaper
To: declan () well com
Subject: Re: FC: Australia: Tap-crazed spooks; court orders website deleted

Hi Declan

The rate of phone taps on mobiles and landlines is likely much higher than 
this figure from one of our reporters would suggest. Telstra (national 
half-owned telecom incumbent) has the ability to tap phones at will for 
purposes of maintaining network integrity. It has long been suspected that 
thousands of phone taps a year are initiated at the request of security 
agencies and police simply by asking a friendly Telstra techie to do a 
maintenance check on its lines.

FYI the article below from the Guardian in 2000 suggested the FBI even back 
then wanted to quadruple the number of wiretaps it did. The writer, Duncan 
Campbell, wrote another piece in 1999 where he says the Australian 
government was instrumental in pushing for interception, doubtless at the 
behest of the US administration.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,293985,00.html


Big Brother is back
Duncan Campbell

Governments all over the world have suddenly become embroiled in 
controversy about electronic surveillance of the Internet.

 In the United States, a political storm has arisen over a new FBI 
Internet-tapping system codenamed Carnivore. In Britain, the Regulation of 
Investigatory Powers (RIP) Act has just extended telephone-tapping powers 
to cover Internet service providers (ISPs), and allows the Government to 
arrange indiscriminate tapping or email interception for foreign police 
forces and security agencies.

In the Netherlands, the Dutch security service BVD admitted two weeks ago 
that it has been collecting emails sent abroad by companies. In the Hague, 
legislation is being prepared to allow the Justice Ministry to tap into 
email and subscriber records, scan messages and mobile phone calls, and 
track users' movements.

The Australian Government has passed laws allowing security agents to 
attack and modify computers secretly in order to obtain information. Many 
other governments have similar schemes in the pipeline.

These developments are no coincidence, but are the direct result of secret 
planning over seven years by an international co-ordinating group set up by 
the FBI, after the US Congress twice refused to extend its telephone 
tapping powers for digital networks.

 Under the innocuous title of the International Law Enforcement 
Telecommunications Seminar (ILETS), the group has met annually to plan for 
and lobby to make telecommunications systems ``interception-friendly''.

ILETS excluded lawyers and industry specialists who might have advised on 
the arrangements to protect privacy and human rights, or on the feasibility 
and cost of the intelligence officers' wish list of interception 
requirements. As a result, the laws based on their recommendations have 
often caused controversy.
MORE:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Print/0,3858,4049750,00.html


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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 17:36:34 +1100
From: Nathan Cochrane <ncochrane () theage fairfax com au>
Reply-To: ncochrane () theage fairfax com au
To: declan () well com

From March 1993.

ASIO LINK IN DELAY TO 'UNTAPPABLE' MOBILE CALLS

Byline: By LYN DUNLEVY Source:The Age

    MELBOURNE: A new mobile phone system - billed as untappable - is being 
delayed because ASIO and law enforcement agencies have insisted that they 
be able to listen in on conversations carried on the network.

   The new network, GSM (or Global System for Mobile), was due to be 
introduced by Telecom and Optus tomorrow.
--

Nathan Cochrane
Deputy IT Editor
:Next:
The Age and Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.next.theage.com.au

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Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 17:38:07 +1100
From: Nathan Cochrane <ncochrane () theage fairfax com au>
Reply-To: ncochrane () theage fairfax com au
To: declan () well com

From April 1993

Telecom launches its new (tappable) mobile phone

Lyn Dunlevy

Telecom will launch its version of the controversial digital GSM 
mobile-phone system this morning after convincing the Federal Government 
that calls made on the system will be able to be tapped by law-enforcement 
agencies.
Telecom will launch its version of the controversial digital GSM 
mobile-phone system this morning after convincing the Federal Government 
that calls made on the system will be able to be tapped by law-enforcement 
agencies.
--

Nathan Cochrane
Deputy IT Editor
:Next:
The Age and Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.next.theage.com.au




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