Revealed: UK govt intercepted Google, Facebook and Twitter comms
Source: rt.com
British spy agencies hacked messages exchanged over Google, Facebook and Twitter by changing the definition of comms on the platforms, a Privacy International report reveals.The report is based on a UK government document obtained through a pro-privacy lawsuit. It reveals that UK authorities consider any contact between people in the UK via foreign social media or search engines as “external communication” and thus interceptable.
“Internal” UK communication is better protected than “external” and can be intercepted only in cases where authorities suspect illegal activity.Classifying communications as “external” allows Britain’s digital snoops to search, read, listen and look through them. The only restriction is using keyword searches such as a British person or residence.
Privacy International claim that “by defining the use of ‘platforms’ such as Facebook, Twitter and Google as ‘external communications’, British residents are being deprived of the essential safeguards that would otherwise be applied to their communications - simply because they are using services that are based outside the UK.”
The UK’s digital spy hub, GCHQ, responsible for providing signals intelligence and information assurance to the British government and armed forces, defended its practices.
“…All of GCHQ.’s work is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework which ensures that our activities are authorized, necessary and proportionate,” the agency said in a statement, “GCHQ has a longstanding policy that we do not comment on intelligence matters.”
Neither Facebook nor Twitter commented but Google responded “We provide user data to governments only in accordance with the law. Our legal team reviews each and every request, and frequently pushes back when requests are overly broad or don’t follow the correct process.”
Eric King, Deputy Director of Privacy International pointed to GCHQ’s slight of hand, “Intelligence agencies cannot be considered accountable to Parliament and to the public they serve when their actions are obfuscated through secret interpretations of byzantine laws.”
“The suggestion that violations of the right to privacy are meaningless if the violator subsequently forgets about it not only offends the fundamental, inalienable nature of human rights, but patronises the British people, who will not accept such a meagre excuse for the loss of their civil liberties.”
[...]
Read the full article at: rt.com
Tune into Red Ice Radio:
Jon Rappoport - Hour 1 - Snowden, Self-Censorship & Friendly Fascism
Radio 3Fourteen - Gregory Smith & Jon Rappoport - American Addict
Radio 3Fourteen - Jon Rappoport - The Individual vs. The Planned State
Jon Rappoport - Hour 1 - The Surveillance State & War on the Individual
Radio 3Fourteen - Jon Rappoport - The Artist Against the System
