Vodafone Reveals Warrantless Wiretapping 73
Charliemopps writes "According to Vodafone, multiple governments have installed equipment that collects data on its customers without a warrant. This includes metadata, location data, and voice. They say, "In a small number of countries, agencies and authorities have direct access to communications data stored within an operator’s network. In those countries, Vodafone will not receive any form of demand for communications data access as the relevant agencies and authorities already have permanent access to customer communications via their own direct link." It's a rather long, and very interesting report. Vodafone also criticized the transparency process: "In our view, it is governments – not communications operators – who hold the primary duty to provide greater transparency on the number of agency and authority demands issued to operators. We believe this for two reasons."'
Re:A number of countries?? Say it ain't so! (Score:3, Insightful)
Exactly. The Western world is becoming more and more like Moa's China and the USSR. These western governments are perpetrating all the same crimes that we condemn all the banana republics for:
1) Extrajudicial killings
2) Massive surveillance
3) Widespread censorship
The list goes on. The West has no moral high ground anymore.
Re:A number of countries?? Say it ain't so! (Score:4, Insightful)
Nah, the 4th amendment very clearly makes it blatantly illegal. They just redefined the meaning of "search" to mean something completely different. It now means when they attempt to use the data against you rather than when they actually gather it.
You know, it's kind of like when you lose your keys. You don't "search" for them around the house. That would be silly. You're simply "acquiring" them. When you insert the key you already have into your door and turn it... THAT is searching! Or, how about a better example: when a policeman runs up to you, begins frisking you and stealing your possessions, without warrant or probable cause, again that's just "acquiring" your stuff. It's only after he's already conducted his sear--I mean, acquiring, that he can then get a warrant to search you.
Re:A number of countries?? Say it ain't so! (Score:5, Insightful)
From all the noise here, it seemed pretty clear that ONLY the NSA did this kind of stuff and not any other government in the world. Isn't that why we're all supposed to toe the "NSA is evil" line?
The government is like a child.
I tell my 6yr old that throwing sticks at people is wrong.
He says "Look! Philip, Lacey and Clancy are throwing sticks!"
I tell him "I'm not their parent. I can't tell them what to do. I can only teach you what's right or wrong. It's not acceptable for my child to throw sticks. I'll talk to the other parents about their kids."
I'm an US citizen. I can't vote the UK's government out of office. I'm in charge of my own government and it's NOT acceptable for them to do this.
This story is about other countries. It's good to let the other parents know what their governments are up to so they can discipline them.
It's not that hard of a concept. Perhaps you should read this? [images-amazon.com]
It helped my kid.
Re:A number of countries?? Say it ain't so! (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm an US citizen....I'm in charge of my own government
That's funny that you actually believe that voters get any say in these types of programs. The US government does whatever it wants without repercussions, regardless of which party is in power - and it's been that way for a long time. They only bother with elections to provide the illusion that you're in control in order to keep the populace pacified.
Re:A number of countries?? Say it ain't so! (Score:3, Insightful)
That's a wonderful call to inaction you've got there. It would be a shame if you had to live with it.
No, people need to get off their asses and actually do something. The government and politicians will listen eventually, and all it takes is a lot of letter-writing and actual voting. But if you sit back on your apathetic butt and complain that the system is rigged and do nothing but whine about it, yeah, it will continue to be ruled by the people who do vote and do communicate with their representatives.