UK’s top spies approved export of surveillance technology to Iran

thebureauinvestigates.com, November 30th, 2011, by Lucy Keating

GCHQ: Britain’s eyes and ears

Top UK spies approved the sale of a software system to Iran that allows the geographic tracking of mobile phones. The system was developed by Surrey-based Creativity Software and sold to MTN Irancell.

In March 2009 the National Technical Authority for Information Assurance, a branch of the GCHQ, was given access to the system. The system was to be sold to MTN Irancell, the second largest mobile phone operator in Iran.

In an answer to a parliamentary question tabled by Lord Alton, Baroness Wilcox, under-secretary of state in the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, said:

‘The UK Government National Technical Authority for Information Assurance provides technical advice to BIS on whether information security products are subject to export controls. In this capacity, on 31 March 2009 officials from this authority had a meeting with Creativity Software to consider products that the company wishes to export.’

Mounting concerns

The news comes as tensions with Iran escalate with the closure of the Iranian Embassy in London, and mounting concerns about human rights violations. 

Lord Alton

Creativity Software said its technology is intended for commercial use only. The software allows internet and social networking services to use the location of the user, so a search for restaurants, for example, would bring up only those in the immediate area.

However, concerns have been raised about the possibility of abuse by the Iranian regime which controls 51% of MTN Irancell, as the software could potentially be used to monitor the location of an individual.

Lord Alton, who has doggedly pushed for details about the deal though a series of parliamentary questions, said: ‘I find it really extraordinary that… the government have conceded that an agency operating out of GCHQ held a meeting with Creativity Software, and that they discussed the dual application of this technology and then nothing at all was done to deter the export of technology that could be used to abuse human rights activists to arrest democracy activists.’

The deal raises questions about transparency, and about the legislation available to the state for dealing with technology that could be used for surveillance and other software that could be abused by oppressive regimes. Campaigners have branded the burgeoning surveillance sector as the new arms industry.

Much of this kind of equipment is sold to authorities and police forces that want to monitor terrorists and other threats to public order.

Some of the systems, such as those supplied by Creativity Software, are intended purely for commercial use to offer better online services.

Spying and monitoring

However, campaginers argue that in the wrong hands, the capabilities of many of these systems can give repressive regimes the ability to monitor and spy on their citizens.

There is no way of knowing whether Creativity Software’s software has been used in this way, and there is no suggestion that the company supplied the software for anything other than legitimate commercial use. 

The company said: ‘We would like to reiterate that Creativity Software has deployed commercial location based services with MTN Irancell and nothing more. Any connection implied between the provision of commercial location based services deployed by MTN Irancell in Iran and any possible human rights abuses is equally erroneous.

‘Creativity Software opposes any form of repression and strongly disapproves of the use of technology in violation of human rights.’

The company complied with all the correct legal procedures before exporting its product to Iran. Baroness Wilcox confirmed on November 21:

‘Creativity Software is under no obligation to apply for export licences unless the equipment is controlled. In those circumstances, these applications are considered on a case-by-case basis against consolidated EU and UK export criteria in the light of prevailing circumstances and paying particular attention to allegations of human rights abuses.’

The Surrey-based company added: ‘Creativity Software is proud to be a supplier of world class technology to MTN, in Iran and other countries. MTN is a company with the vision of being the leading telecommunications provider in emerging markets, with an avowed mission to speed up the progress of the emerging world by enriching the lives of the people within it.’

Lines of questioning

According to UK law, arms export controls dicate that items that fall under the categories of ‘military’ and ‘dual use’ goods require a licence for export abroad.

Hague’s links to Creativity Software

• Apparent links between Creativity Software and William Hague when he was in opposition were revealed last month. Two executives from MMC Ventures, which holds a stake in Creativity Software, donated £25,000 to William Hague’s private office between 2006-09. 
• Bruce Macfarlane and Alan Morgan both paid part of the salary of researcher Chloe Dalton, whose father served as British ambassador to Iran between 2002-06.

At present, UK export laws on technology state that only software that uses encryption technology is subject to controls.

Baroness Wilcox said: ‘We can only prevent trade in those cases where the law allows us to do so. The Government will consider carefully the case for new legislation in this area.’

Ross Anderson, professor of security engineering at Cambridge University, said that laws are available: ‘It is disgraceful that western governments have not used the powers they already possess, such as the Export Control Act in the UK, to crack down on this [kind of] trade. Ministers have said they lack they power to do so; I suggest they read the military list ML11.c  (p177) which includes monitoring equipment for military intelligence or security purposes.’

Campaigning for greater transparency

The laws on software exports have not been updated for 10 years. Only directives passed down from Europe ensure that the UK is kept up to date.

MEP Marietje Schaake is concerned that there is a ‘serious lack of knowledge’ about surveillance software and the extent of its capabilities. She argues that the issue needs to be made more mainstream to make sure the internet is covered by human rights policy.

‘Harmonised and smarter legislation needs to be brought in to improve the monitoring of ICT exports and to allow for restrictions in cases of  serious human rights concerns. For that, we also need more transparency on the side of companies, especially about their subsidiaries or spin-offs which export freely without a reputation to lose,’ Ms Schaake told the Bureau.

A debate has been scheduled for December 2011.

Creativity Software announced last November that it had made four sales in six months in the Middle East for law enforcement purposes. It did not identify its clients.

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Internet poses increasing danger to Kremlin's authority

Deutsche Welle, 10 Dec 2011  

Some expect Moscow will tighten
 control of web media

The Internet has proven instrumental in challenging the Kremlin and mobilizing demonstrators to rally in protest of voting irregularities and accusing the government of election fraud.

With estimated tens of thousands taking to Moscow's streets in protest, the Internet has played a vital role in helping create a Russian protest movement since December 4 parliamentary elections that were marked by fraud.

"Without the Internet, there would have been no protests at all," said Russian blogger Alexander Plushev.

"These days it's enough to upload a video you've taken with your mobile phone to YouTube and to sends friends a link. They send it on to others, it reaches bloggers and a mass audience," the Echo of Moscow radio journalist said.

That's precisely what took place during Russia's parliamentary elections. According to official results, the ruling United Russia party won an absolute majority of votes. Yet independent observers noted numerous irregularities, and inflated results for United Russia. 

Plushev doesn't expect Moscow to
block Interent sites

"For the first time in the history of elections in Russia, there weren't just reports of offenses, but the offenses were documented and made readily accessible," said Johann Birr of Reporters Without Borders, referring to the independent Russian election observation organization Golos, which provided a website where citizens could post reports of abuse quickly and anonymously.

Russia's new media

Social networks serve as an instrument for mobilization. Over 30,000 Russians have announced their participation in the rally, showing that the Internet is no longer a marginal phenomenon in Russia.

According to a survey conducted by the polling center FOM, 48 percent of Russians are online. Of Russians 12 to 24 years in ago, some 90 percent said they regularly surfed the Net.

"Most traditional media in Russia are under state control, so that real political debates have shifted to the Internet," said Bihr.

In contrast to state-controlled media, he added that the Internet remains a "relatively free information space" in Russia, where "it's easy to find critical content."

A thorn in the Kremlin's side

Whether the Internet will remain so free in Russia remains to be seen. The Web has long been a thorn in the side of the Kremlin and Russian security authorities, and current protests against voting fraud in parliamentary elections could even strengthen the arguments for stricter state-imposed control. 

The Russian blogosphere still enjoys
freedoms traditional media do not
have

"I would say that the Internet currently poses a big danger to the political elite in the Kremlin," said Florian Töpfl, a scholar at Munich's Ludwig Maximilian University.

According to Töpfl, who studies the Internet's role in Russia, there are signs that Russian leaders have already recognized the danger. One high-ranking police authority suggested this week "reducing the anonymity of the Internet."

The suggestion stoked fears that Russian police want all Internet users registered - and prompted critique from human rights activists. Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev responded to assuage fears, saying they were silly and that "no one plans on doing that."

Moscow is no Beijing

Yet there are discussions in Russia as to how long the Kremlin and the security authorities will continue to tolerate free Internet.

"Of course they will try to tighten the screws on," said Alexei Sochnev, editor of news website Besttoday.ru. "But it won't be so easy."

Sochnev said he does not think Moscow will gain the kind of control over Internet access that Beijing has.

Plushev of Echo of Moscow radio agreed.

"I think that many people in the Kremlin quite understand that that's a boundary that must not be crossed – as is the case in China," he said. Internet blocks would challenge Russia's G8 membership as well as its relationship with Western powers. 

Hundreds have been arrested
since protests began

Töpfl meanwhile said he sees Russian authorities taking a different path. Instead of blocking websites reports critical of the Kremlin could be stopped by simpler means as many Russian websites belong to state-owned firms or Kremlin-loyal business people.

All it would take is for the Kremlin "to give the reigns a light tug," he said.

Even in the digital age there is still an analog method to put a stop to protests: Since the beginning of the protests, hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested in Moscow alone, many of them bloggers and Internet activists.

Author: Roman Goncharenko / dl

Editor: Sean Sinico

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Six million Dutch euros for web freedom

RNW, 9 December 2011, By Willemien Groot      

Hillary Clinton at Freedom Online (Photo: RNW/Willemien Groot)

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• Clinton and Rosenthal should practice what they preach

Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal has pledged six million euros towards internet freedom projects. Speaking in The Hague at the international Freedom Online conference, Rosenthal said on Thursday that it was unacceptable that countries are increasingly blocking websites, obstructing and manipulating the publishing of online information, and prosecuting and imprisoning bloggers.

' Great initiative'

• Syrian blogger 'Khaled', who withholds his name for fear of his family's safety, praised the Dutch support for bloggers in dictatorially governed countries. But, he said, it must be clear how the money is being used, and by whom.
  
• 'I think it's a great initiative. Especially as we saw the impact of social media today. Because social media turned every citizen into a journalist, I think it is a great initiative if the funds were allocated in a correct way. For me it would be creating a dedicated platform for human rights and for the protection of citizens who are bloggers, media citizens or journalists. A platform especially designed for bloggers and serving human rights.'

Foreign Minister Rosenthal said,

"For that matter the Dutch government is allocating one million euro to support projects providing backup internet solutions and mesh networks and rapid response mechanisms to bloggers and others in repressive environments. Over the next four years five million euros from our Human Rights Fund will go towards projects promoting internet freedom. Targeted countries include for instance Zimbabwe, Syria and Iran."

At the conference Rosenthal pleaded for an international Coalitioin of Countries, a forum to gather and discuss information about breaches of internet freedom. This should involve social organisations, technology companies and individual citizens.

Business

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at the conference that she is worried about the growth of dictatorial regimes' grip on the internet, and about the blockades they impose. Ms Clinton said that a partitioning of cyberspace into separate government-controlled national internet systems would be disastrous for internet freedom.

Secretary Clinton said she supported a ban on sales of "internet bugging devices" to dictatorial regimes, and would impose sanctions to enforce the ban. But businesses have a duty in this too: they should consider whether their technology could be used for the wrong ends. Ms Clinton said,

"Sometimes companies say to us at the State Department : tell us what to do and we’ll do it. The fact is, you can’t wait for instructions. In the 21 century smart companies have to react before they find themselves in the cross-hairs of controversy."

Uri Rosenthal at Freedom Online (Photo: RNW/Willemien Groot)

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Southeast Asian Bloggers Explore the Boundaries of What’s Acceptable Online

Jakarta Globe, Ismira Lutfia | December 08, 2011

With press freedom under pressure all over Southeast Asia, citizens
are increasingly using the Internet to voice critical views. (EPA Photo) 

      

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With bloggers and social media activists increasingly coming under the same kind of state scrutiny given to traditional journalists, calls are increasing for a new approach to citizen journalism that does not court censorship.

Zheng “William” Wei, a prominent blogger from Singapore, said that with Web censorship not an option, it was up to bloggers to be more judicious about what they posted.

“What’s important now is how to get people to behave more responsibly on the Internet,” he said at a recent gathering in Jakarta of bloggers and social media activists from across Southeast Asia.

Zheng added that governments also had a role to play, arguing that by engaging more with citizens through their online presence, no government should have to resort to censorship.

“If a government is confident about addressing domestic issues through the Internet, it will have better communication with its citizens in cyberspace and no longer have to censor,” he said.

He also said that in order to reduce the incidence of bloggers posting libelous content, there was a growing movement within Web communities for people to use their real identities in their blogs and other social media accounts.

“By having to use one’s real name, Internet users will become more responsible and careful about what they say on the Internet,” Zheng said.

Flow Galindez, a blogger from the Philippines who also spoke at the discussion hosted at @america, the American cultural center, said that responsible blogging habits were key to keeping government censors at bay.

“The concept that needs to be publicized now is for bloggers to ‘think before you click,’ ” he said, This, he added, applies to blog content critical of the government as well as post attacking individuals, groups or companies.

Marcus van Geyzel, a Malaysian-based blogger and lawyer, said that bloggers in the country were not subject to censorship, but were liable to lawsuits.

“The main issue that bloggers have to face in Malaysia is the risk of being sued for slander,” he said.

Van Geyzel attributed the booming blogging community in Malaysia to the relative lack of press freedom for the mainstream media in the country, and across much of Southeast Asia, as indicated in the 2010 Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders.

“What’s being reported in the mainstream media isn’t a lie, but it’s only half the truth,” van Geyzel said. “That’s why people are starting to lose trust in the mainstream media.”

With blogging only starting to take off in the country, he said, the Malaysian government is not censoring blogs, but rather engaging with bloggers.

“They’re choosing to use the Internet instead of blocking it,” he said. He attributed this to a concession by the administration of Prime Minister Najib Razak to “appear friendly to bloggers.”

However, he cautioned that over the long term, the Malaysian authorities were unlikely to encourage an unfettered increase in the number of bloggers.

“The government won’t support that idea and will be very careful about accommodating more bloggers, because what the latter might write could hurt the [government’s] credibility,” van Geyzel said.

While other governments in the region have maintained a hands-off approach to free speech on the Internet, the Thai government has come under widespread criticism for its lese- majeste law that allows the prosecution of those posting any content deemed insulting to the country’s revered monarchy.

Arthit Suriyawongkul, coordinator of the Thai Netizen Network, told the discussion that the overriding concern among the online community there was that “for expressing oneself on the Internet, one can be jailed.”

He also disagreed with Zheng, the blogger from Singapore, about the need to require bloggers to use their real identities. He said anonymity was still the best protection state persecution.

“Anonymity is still necessary to protect people who have expressed opinions that go against what those in power believe,” he said.

Blogger brings the Arab Spring to Moscow

RNW, 8 December 2011, by Geert Groot Koerkamp      

 (Photo: Belkus)

       

Moscow’s biggest opposition demonstration in recent years, Russia’s most popular blogger, Alexei Navalny, is showing that it’s not just via the web that he can work a crowd.

“One for all!” he shouts at the people protesting against the 4 December election results. “All for one!” comes their response for the umpteenth time. “You can see it doesn’t just work for the Russian March,” he proudly says.

Another Moscow protest

• The Russian opposition plans to mount a major rally on Saturday to protest against the results of Sunday’s election. 
• Opposition leader and former minister Boris Nemtsov says the demonstration will go ahead no matter what. 
• “The authorities are trying to intimidate their own people and are doing everything possible to prevent the rally from going ahead. "

He put his finger on a sore spot. The Russian March is organised by nationalist and extreme right wing groups every year. In 2007, he was expelled from the opposition Yabloko party ostensibly because of his dalliance with Russia’s nationalist movement.

But he says his expulsion was really the result of his criticism of the party leadership. Nevertheless, last month, he made a point of taking part in the Russian March.

He finds fault with Russia’s liberal opposition for sweeping issues such as immigration and integration under the carpet. He is only too pleased to point to Angela Merkel’s words about the failure of the multicultural experiment in Germany.

Corruption

The 35-year-old blogger earns his living from a lawyer’s practice. On his blog, he attacks major companies such as Russia’s Rosneft oil transport concern. He is a Rosneft shareholder and as such has insight into the financial wheeling and dealing of the company which, he says, has done the Russian state out of billions of euros.

Mr Navalny accuses the authorities of involvement in large-scale fraud and has launched a website where people can publish information about fraud and corruption.

He brought up the corruption issue when he met Prime Minister Mark Rutte during the Dutch leader's visit to Moscow in October. He called on the Netherlands to do everything possible to combat Russian corruption and money laundering.

Political career?

His blogging and other activities are making Mr Navalny increasingly popular. He does not hide the fact that he would be very willing to swap his virtual popularity for a job in real-life politics, but, he says, only if the time is right. At the moment, he doesn’t believe truly democratic elections are possible in Russia.

He prefers setting up a movement that isn’t governed by electoral regulations and official approval. This makes him a formidable opponent - and one that the Kremlin can’t get to grips with. He’s young, eloquent, highly educated (partly in the United States) and is idolised by tens of thousands of internet users. In an interview last year, he said:

“I may be just a little mosquito, but my bites hurt. The system finds it difficult to put up with them. It’s my job to encourage hundreds, thousands of people like me to join in the fight. Then we’ll break down all the walls. We’re definitely going to do that.”

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Clinton and Rosenthal should practice what they preach

RNW, 8 December 2011, by RNW News Desk 

  (Photo: RNW/123people.nl)

       

Almost a year ago, Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire, sparking the revolution in Tunisia. The transitions in the Arab world are a wake-up call to many, and have made us rethink the balance between interests and values. It was also a wake-up call to see the transformative powers of new technologies, which were put on the political agenda and are there to stay.

By Marietje Schaake

The United States has put the potential of an open internet and the free flow of information in closed societies at the core of its foreign policy. On 21 January, 2010, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched her Internet Freedom Strategy and said: "We stand for a single internet where all of humanity has equal access to knowledge and ideas. And we recognize that the world's information infrastructure will become what we and others make of it." I couldn't agree more. 

Cablegate

Then, on 18 February 2010, the first of 251,287 classified diplomatic cables were published, sparking a global debate on access to information and transparency of government documents.

The U.S. government responded by taking away Wikileaks' domain and by banning companies from transferring donations to the whistleblowers. Furthermore, the detention of Bradley Manning - the young soldier who stands accused of releasing the classified information - caused human rights concerns from people across the world. #Cablegate and its fallout have put the US in a less credible position to lead on transparency and internet freedom.

Extrajudicial measures

And there are more worrying developments that seriously threaten precisely that open internet that Secretary Clinton wishes to see. Two American legislative proposals are currently under consideration in Congress. These acts (SOPA and PIPA) focus on enforcing intellectual property rights through the blocking of websites based on US court orders.

Elements of the proposals would target the heart of the internet's global infrastructure. Such extraterritorial and extrajudicial measures affect people all over the world. Basically, European internet service providers would become subjected to US court orders or law enforcement. This undermines European laws and challenges the primary responsibilities and duties of European governments.

An open internet and the free flow of information are essential if we want the internet to be a true driver of economic growth and to improve fundamental rights and freedoms. Besides impact on our own societies, any blocking, censoring or filtering of the internet in the US or the EU makes us less credible when we speak to countries like Iran, Syria or China and undermines our efforts to lead in global internet freedom.

Europe urgently needs to work out its own internet freedom strategy and should seek global leadership.

Life and death

At the same time, there is the issue of dictatorial regimes who seem ever more ambitious in their use of technology. The technologies that can help people in fostering freedom of expression, access to information, or the sharing of documented human rights abuses are also effective as weapons.

In the hands of dictatorial regimes or their secret services, using email, Facebook or a cell phone can become a matter of life and death.

The Ben Ali regime was very skilled in tracking and tracing people's locations, communications and information flows, and the regime of President al-Assad in Syria actually performed a cyber attack on citizens before the protests began in the streets.

Digital arms trade

Western companies play an essential role by providing the technologies that are used for repression. Most of this trade happens below the radar. This digital arms trade must stop. If Europe and the US want to lead on internet freedom, they urgently need to regain credibility by holding companies accountable.

Some steps in the right direction have been taken. Last week my proposal was adopted to establish a European Internet Freedom Fund. The fund will help to train and educate online journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders to circumvent censorship and evade cyber attacks (by their own governments).

I also pushed for an unconditional ban on the export of dangerous ICTs to repressive regimes. Last week the EU announced just such an export ban regarding Syria. We have a lot more to do.

Side with the people

No doubt there will be good speeches and interesting discussions at the Freedom Online conference in The Hague. But Foreign Ministers Clinton and Rosenthal need to practice what they preach. This means addressing companies, stopping digital arms trade, and taking responsibility.

The transitions in North Africa and the Middle East have proven that we need to stand with the populations, not with their suppressors. Let EU- and US-based technology companies choose to side with the people as well. 

Freedom Online

• On 8 and 9 December 2011 the city of The Hague hosts the Freedom Online conference. Governments will be reminded of their responsibility for a free exchange of views via the internet. One of the speakers is US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 
• Both Clinton and the Netherlands should not just lecture others, but practice what they preach, according to MEP Marietje Schaake. 
• In Brussels, Ms Schaake champions the case of press and internet freedom.

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of Radio Netherlands Worldwide

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Dutch Foreign minister calls for online freedom

RNW, 7 December 2011

(Photo: ifreedom2011)

Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Uri Rosenthal has called on the world to support bloggers and cyber-dissidents. The appeal comes on the eve of the 2011 Online Freedom conference, which will be opened by US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

On the Facebook page ifreedom2011, the minister wrote that internet access is an integral part of freedom of expression. The ifreedom2011 page urges users to sign an online petition calling for the release and protection of six bloggers from Egypt, Syria, Vietnam, Thailand and Cuba:

Alaa Abd El Fattah (Egypt)

Maikel Nabil (Egytp)

Razan Ghazzawi (Syria )

Nguyen Tien Trung (Vietnam)

Chiranuch Premchaiporn (Thailand)

Yoani Sanchez (Cuba)

Concern about the fate of these bloggers and others is being questioned by Dutch embassies, within the EU and among those with bilateral contacts with the countries involved. Minister Rosenthal also raised the issue during a recent visit to Egypt.

Respect

According to Mr Rosenthal, internet freedom is under pressure in a growing number of countries. “Online espionage activities, blockades and propaganda, as well as intimidation and persecution in ordinary life are a threat to internet freedom.”

The 2011 Online Freedom Conference is the starting point for an international coalition of countries, business and social organisations to fight for internet freedom. However, that does not mean that anything goes. “Respect for human rights must go hand in hand with respect for the interests of citizens, governments and society.”

Duplicity

The conference’s goal is not undisputed. Opponents point out that the involvement of US Secretary of State Clinton exposes the duplicity of the initiative. In the US, there are numerous measures in place that restrict internet freedoms. For example, the activities of whistleblower website WikiLeaks are considered “subversive.”

Still, freedom of expression on the internet is gaining international attention. Last week, European Parliament approved a fund of 125 million euros to promote internet freedom outside the European Union. With this money, internet journalists, bloggers and activists can be trained on how to deal with censorship and online assaults.

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The Internet - The first Worldwide Tool of Unification ("The End of History")

" ... Now I give you something that few think about: What do you think the Internet is all about, historically? Citizens of all the countries on Earth can talk to one another without electronic borders. The young people of those nations can all see each other, talk to each other, and express opinions. No matter what the country does to suppress it, they're doing it anyway. They are putting together a network of consciousness, of oneness, a multicultural consciousness. It's here to stay. It's part of the new energy. The young people know it and are leading the way.... "

" ... I gave you a prophecy more than 10 years ago. I told you there would come a day when everyone could talk to everyone and, therefore, there could be no conspiracy. For conspiracy depends on separation and secrecy - something hiding in the dark that only a few know about. Seen the news lately? What is happening? Could it be that there is a new paradigm happening that seems to go against history?... " Read More …. "The End of History"- Nov 20, 2010 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll)

EU fund against internet censorship

RNW, 1 December 2011

The European Parliament has created a fund to protect internet freedom outside the European Union.

The money will be used to teach foreign bloggers, online journalists and human rights activists how to defend themselves against censorship and cyber attacks.

The initiative for the fund was taken by Dutch MEP Marietje Schaake (representing the D66 democrats), who says that the internet and mobile phones have become effective weapons in the hands of dictatorial regimes. She points out that citizens who fall victim to torture can now be confronted with the full text of text messages, phone conversations and e-mails.

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