International Telecom

摘要

Telecom companies that give access to the U.K.'s spy agency face legal action for unlawful massnsurveillance, said Privacy International on Thursday. Previous reports said Britain's spy system, Tempora,ntapped directly into undersea fiber cables to collect Internet traffic. The identity of the companies involvednwasn't known until a German newspaper Aug. 2 published the names, PI said. The telcos are BT,nVerizon Business, Vodafone Cable, Level 3, Level 3's Global Crossing, Viatel and Interoute, it said. Thenprivacy group sent a “pre-action” letter to the cable providers seeking information on their relationshipnwith the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). Details PI wants include: (1) Companynpolicies for assessing the lawfulness of government surveillance requests. (2) Any interception requests they have received from authorities. (3) Any steps taken to oppose or resist such orders. (4) Any moneynthey’ve received for cooperating with governments. Tempora wouldn't have been possible without thencomplicity of the undersea cable providers, said PI Head of Research Eric King. They are “the last line ofndefence for customers against the government's intrusion into our private lives,” he said in a news release.nTelecom providers have an obligation under the European Convention on Human Rights to take reasonablensteps to safeguard customers' privacy, PI said. It filed a claim in July in the U.K. Investigatory PowersnTribunal challenging Tempora and GCHQ's access to the U.S. surveillance program called Prism.nUnless the companies come up with a satisfactory response, PI will add them to its claim, it said.n“Questions relating to national security are for governments, not telecommunications providers,” a BTnspokeswoman said. “Having said that, we can reassure customers that we comply with the law wherevernwe operate and do not disclose customer data in any jurisdiction unless legally required to do so."