Top News

Google Wi-Fi audit reveals criminal intent by the company 09/06/2010
Google today published an audit on its blog of the code used to collect Wi-Fi data as part of the company's global Street View operation. The report asserts that the system had intent to identify and store all unencrypted Wi-Fi content. This analysis establishes that Google did, beyond reasonable doubt, have intent to systematically intercept and record the content of communications and thus places the company at risk of criminal prosecution in almost all the 30 jurisdictions in which the system was used.

Background Information

ENFOPOL and ILETS -- Surveillance by Design 15/10/1999
Background and news on the EU and US initiatives on ensuring that all communications infrastructures are designed with surveillance in mind.

PI Reports

Report on Freedom of Information, Secrets and Protection of Sources in OSCE (PDF) 02/05/2007
Report sponsored by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media which reviews freedom of information, state secrets and protection of journalists sources laws in the 56 OSCE participating states. The report finds that while most OSCE countries have adopted freedom of information laws, there has been an increasing abuse of state secrets laws and illegal searches and wiretapping to limit journalists' and the public's right to know crucial information about the activities of their governments. The RFOM has also released a summary of preliminary results and a 400 page compendium of responses from national governments.

News and Developments

Korean Investigation Finds Massive Illegal Taps (external) 18/12/2005
Prosecutors announced on 14 December that a five month investigation has found that the National Intelligence Surveillance conducted illegal wiretaps of 1,800 people including government officials, journalists and media companies, and unions during previous presidential administrations. The information was provided the Presidents in their daily intelligence briefings. The NIS was raided by prosecutors in August 2005 and hundreds of tapes of conversations were seized from the former head of the program. Two former NIS heads have been charged and two journalists who revealed the spying program have been arrested and charged with violating the communications privacy law.

Research on Interception of Communications released (external) 28/02/2005
A report released by the Hong Kond Legislative Council Secretariat reviews the differences in interception regimes in the UK, the U.S., and Australia.

Australia Adopts Police Wiretap and Spyware Laws 08/12/2004
The Australian Parliament approved the Surveillance Devices Bill (No. 2) 2004 and Telecommunications (Interception) Amendment (Stored Communications) Bill 2004 on 8 December 2004. The Interception law allows for easy access to email, SMSs and voicemail by police. The spyware law authorizes federal and state police to install spyware on user's computers for offenses that carry a penalty of three years prison time, less than what is required for a obtaining a wiretap.

Canadian Police wants Public to pay for surveillance 16/08/2004
According to an article in the Canadian Press, the police chiefs want to have telephone companies bill consumers for interception costs.

More on US FCC Decision on Intercepting the Internet 13/08/2004
More madness emerged from the decision of the Federal Communications Commission to require the interception capabilities by ISPs. In a Press Release, Verizon, one of the largest providers of wireless voice telephony heralded the decision.

UK Report on Interception of Communications for 2003 released 05/08/2004
In his fourth report on the use and conduct of the interceptions components of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, Sir Swinton Thomas continues to be 'impressed by the quality, dedication and enthusiasm" of those who conduct interception, regardless of continued errors.

UK Report of the Intelligence Services Commissioner for 2003 22/07/2004

Canada Releases Lawful Access Consultation Document (PDF) 29/08/2002
Intending to ratify the Council of Europe Convention and considering many G8 surveillance proposals, Canada released a consultation document regarding lawful access to electronic information including proposals to gain access to subscriber and traffic data. Privacy International has archived the consultation document.

US Surveillance Court Rules FBI Mislead Court on FISA 22/08/2002
The US Senate has released a previously (.pdf) secret decision by the the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that found that the FBI had mislead the court in 75 cases where it had requested permission to monitor communications for national security purposes. This has implications on the USA-PATRIOT Act that increased the breadth of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and weakened the warrant process.

Legal and Policy Developments

National DNA Data Bank of Canada 2004-2005 Annual Report 23/08/2005
National DNA Data Bank of Canada 2004-2005Annual Report

Canada Annual Wiretap Report 2004 23/08/2005

US FCC Moving Towards Intercepting Internet and Voice Over IP 05/08/2004
After a request filed by the Department of Justice, FBI, and Druge Enforcement Administration in March 2004, the Federal Communications Commission announces that it intends to apply interception law to broadband internet access services and Voice Over IP.

Australia Revisits Interception Act, Again 27/07/2004
After a previous failure in 2002 to remove warrant requirements for access to stored communication, and after introducing the Telecommunications (Interception) Amendment Bill 2004 that differentiated between stored communications that had been read and those who have not the Senate Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee reviewed the Telecomunications (Interception) Amendment (Stored Communications) Bill 2004.

Canada Annual Wiretap Report 2003 23/07/2004

Australian Senate Reviews Interception Bill 27/05/2004
The Australian Senate Legal and Constitutional Legislative Committee released its review of the Telecommunications (Interception) Amendment Bill 2004. The bill extends the availability fo telecommunications warrants to additional serious offences, extends the protections of the Act in relation to text based communications, and clarifies the application of the Act to 'delayed access message services (eg email and SMS).

Canada Annual Wiretap Report 2002 23/07/2003
Annual Report on the use of Electronic Surveillance 2002 by Honourable Wayne Easter, P.C., M.P., Solicitor General of Canada

Canada Annual Wiretap Report 2001 23/08/2002
Annual Report on the use of Electronic Surveillance 2001 by Honourable Wayne Easter, P.C., M.P., Solicitor General of Canada