Issue no. 389 - 22 June 2008

• DE - Did Deutsche Telekom Spy on Journalists and Board Members? (Spiegel)
  German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom stands accused of having monitored telephone calls of business journalists, board members and shareholders. An anonymous fax may result in a criminal investigation.

• ITU - New report on Lawful Interception (ITU)
  The sixth in a series of ITU-T Technology Watch Briefing Reports covers the technology and standards behind lawful interception (LI), the lawfully authorized monitoring and interception of telecommunications. The report addresses the importance of developing international standards assuring a transparent process of interception, focusing on the sometimes conflicting goals of privacy and security. Download Technology Watch report on Lawful Interception.

• SE - Sweden approves wiretapping law (BBC)
  Sweden's parliament has approved controversial new laws allowing authorities to spy on cross-border e-mail and telephone traffic. The country's intelligence bureau will be able to scan international calls, faxes and e-mails. The measure was passed by a narrow majority after a heated debate in the Stockholm parliament. Critics say it threatens civil liberties and represents Europe's most far-reaching eavesdropping plan.

Issue no. 385 - 21 March 2008

• DE - Karlsruhe lässt kaum Raum für heimliche Online-Durchsuchungen (Heise)
  Das Bundesverfassungsgericht hat die entscheidende Klausel zur Ausforschung "informationstechnischer Systeme" im nordrhein-westfälischen Verfassungsschutzgesetz, das erstmals in Deutschland verdeckte Online-Durchsuchungen erlaubte, für verfassungswidrig erklärt. Zudem hat das höchste deutsche Gericht ein neues Grundrecht auf "Gewährleistung der Vertraulichkeit und Integrität" informationstechnischer Systeme etabliert. Es tritt zu den anderen Freiheitsrechten wie insbesondere dem Schutz des Telekommunikationsgeheimnis, dem Recht auf Unverletzlichkeit der Wohnung und dem informationellen Selbstbestimmung hinzu", erklärte Hans-Jürgen Papier, Präsident des Bundesverfassungsgerichts, bei der Verkündung des Grundsatzurteils am heutigen Mittwoch in Karlsruhe.

• Internet wiretapping: Bugging the cloud (Economist)
  Law enforcement: Governments want to extend wiretapping rules from phones to the internet, but doing so is hard.

Issue no. 379 - 2 September 2007

• DE - German spyware plans trigger row (BBC)
  German government plans to spy on terror suspects by deploying malicious e-mails have drawn sharp criticism. The e-mails would contain Trojans - software that secretly installs itself on suspects' computers, allowing agents to search the hard drives. German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble is quoted as saying the spyware would be used only in a few cases and for a limited time.

• US - Bush signs controversial surveillance bill (Guardian)
  US intelligence agencies will no longer need a warrant to eavesdrop on US citizens' international phone calls and emails after George Bush signed a temporary surveillance bill. The law, which was approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives just before Congress adjourned for the summer, had been made a priority by Mr Bush and his chief intelligence officials.

Issue no. 376 - 10 June 2007

• FR - Le Conseil d'État valide la traque automatisée des téléchargements illégaux (ZDNEt.fr)
  Le Conseil d'État a validé la mise en place de systèmes automatisés de surveillance des téléchargements sur réseaux P2P, estimant que ces dispositifs ne sont pas disproportionnés au regard de l'étendue du phénomène du piratage en France. La Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (Cnil) avait rejeté la demande de quatre sociétés d'auteurs et de producteurs de musique pour renforcer la lutte contre le piratage par internet.

Issue no. 372 - 25 February 2007

• DE - BKA-Chef hält Online-Durchsuchungen für dringend erforderlich (Heise)
  Der Präsident des Bundeskriminalamts (BKA)hat nach dem vom Bundesgerichtshof (BGH) verhängten Verbot heimlicher Online-Durchsuchungen von Computern eine schnelle Rechtsgrundlage gefordert. Die Polizeipraxis benötige zur Bekämpfung des internationalen Terrorismus und der organisierten Kriminalität auch die Online-Durchsuchung.

Issue no. 370 - 3 December 2006

• DE - E-Mail-Konto nur noch gegen Personalausweis? (Heise)
  Der Referentenentwurf zur Neuregelung der Telekommunikationsüberwachung aus dem Bundesjustizministerium fordert eine Identifizierungspflicht von E-Mail-Nutzern und eine Vorratsspeicherung von Verbindungsdaten bei Anonymisierungsservern. Und die Anbieter von E-Mail-Konten müssen nach dem Entwurf Kundendaten erheben und ihre Nutzer so eindeutig identifizieren. Die rasche Eröffnung eines Accounts ohne Vorlage eines Personalausweises bei einem deutschen Webmail-Dienst dürfte damit passé sein.

Issue no. 368 - 15 October 2006

• IT - Italy blocks phone tapping leaks (BBC)
  Italy has passed a decree banning the use of illegally tapped telephone conversations in the media and as evidence in court. Leaked phone taps sparked a series of scandals in Italy, including one that rocked the country's football league. The former security chief at Telecom Italia was recently arrested as part of the investigation. The new legislation makes it illegal to possess or publish the contents of unauthorised phone taps. Newspapers face a fine of 50 euro cents for every single copy published containing such information. The fine can rise to as much as one million euros for major broadcasters and publishers.

Issue no. 367 - 23 September 2006

• UK - Attorney General for admissibility of phone-tap evidence (BBC)
  The Attorney General Lord Goldsmith says he now favours allowing intercept evidence to be used in court. He told the BBC he thought it would increase the chances of jailing crime bosses and terrorists. He had been persuaded of the benefits by seeing how the US had used intercept evidence to jail five top Mafia bosses. see also DPP backs attorney's call to admit phone-tap evidence in court (Guardian) and Analysis: phone tap U-turn would end 'illogical' law (Times).

Issue no. 366 - 3 September 2006

• US - Federal judge rules wiretaps illegal (BBC)
  A US programme to tap some phones without warrants is unconstitutional, and must be halted at once, a federal judge in Detroit has ruled. The scheme, approved by President George W Bush in 2001, involves tapping conversations between some callers in the US and people in other countries. Civil liberties campaigners brought the case against the programme, which was uncovered by the US media. Mr Bush authorised the Terrorist Surveillance Programme, as the secret interception scheme is known, after the 11 September 2001 attacks on Washington and New York and insists that it is a vital tool in the US war on terror.

Issue no. 357 - 26 March 2006

• GR - More on Greek Wiretapping (Schneier on Security)
  Earlier this month I blogged about a wiretapping scandal in Greece. More details are emerging. It turns out that the 'malicious code' was actually code designed into the system. It's eavesdropping code put into the system for the police.

Issue no. 355 - 5 February 2006

• GR - Olympics phone tapping revealed (Guardian)
  The mobile phones of Greek prime minister Costas Caramanlis and top government and security officials were tapped by unknown individuals during the Athens 2004 Olympics and for nearly a year after.

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