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THE US NATIONAL Security Agency is able to crack protective measures on iPhones, BlackBerry and Android devices, giving it access to users’ data on all major smartphones, according to a report yesterday in German news weekly Der Spiegel.
The magazine cited internal documents from the NSA and its British counterpart GCHQ in which the agencies describe setting up dedicated teams for each type of phone as part of their effort to gather intelligence on potential threats such as terrorists.
Contacts and call lists
The data obtained this way includes contacts, call lists, SMS traffic, notes and location information, Der Spiegel reported.
The documents don’t indicate that the NSA is conducting mass surveillance of phone users but rather that these techniques are used to eavesdrop on specific individuals, the magazine said.
The article doesn’t explain how the magazine obtained the documents, which are described as “secret.”
But one of its authors is Laura Poitras, an American filmmaker with close contacts to NSA leaker Edward Snowden who has published several articles about the NSA in Der Spiegel in recent weeks.
The documents outline how, starting in May 2009, intelligence agents were unable to access some information on BlackBerry phones for about a year after the Canadian manufacturer began using a new method to compress the data.
After GCHQ cracked that problem, too, analysts celebrated their achievement with the word “Champagne,” Der Spiegel reported.
The magazine printed several slides alleged to have come from an NSA presentation referencing the film “1984,” based on George Orwell’s book set in a totalitarian surveillance state.
The slides – which show stills from the film, former Apple Inc chairman Steve Jobs holding an iPhone, and iPhone buyers celebrating their purchase – are captioned: “Who knew in 1984…that this would be big brother… and the zombies would be paying customers?”
Snowden
Snowden’s revelations have sparked a heated debate in Germany about the country’s cooperation with the United States in intelligence matters.
On Saturday, thousands of people in Berlin protested the NSA’s alleged mass surveillance of Internet users.
Many held placards with slogans such as “Stop watching us.”
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The Sikh’s delivering aid….great people.
This is a glimpse of what’s to come after Britain voted to leave the EU. They wanted boarders & separation… then they got to deal with the consequences! Be careful what you vote for, you might get it!
God Damn British Immigrants
…UK better get used to this: the days of fast passage are over..
There’s a lot more ports on the south/south-east coasts – and the Tunnel.
karma is a bitch…
Karma is a kameleon…
What do they expect! This is a glimpse of what’s to come after Britain voted to leave the EU. They wanted boarders & separation… then they got to deal with the consequences! Be careful what you vote for, you might get it!
Many think this French slowdown is because of the UK’s decision to leave the EU – payback…
The French are being childish and petulant about the British making a decision they don’t agree with?
Stevie Wonder saw that one coming.
That’s just superstition
Writing on the wall
Blame, blame, blame…..but not a word about the lack of police and border staff in France and in England being due to cuts in staffing due to the neoliberal policies pursued by both governments in recent years. The beneficiaries are of course the city of London financial services parasites who have their private jets….no worries there then. How long before police and customs people are on zero hours contracts??
This is not caused by cuts – but by the French reaction to Brexit. Thejournal showed the negative feelings here, also.
@mmz
Is that you Wally?
Went from UK to France a few weeks ago and noone checked my boot.
Get used to it Britain. This is what you voted for, you 52%
Shocking levels of incompetence on both sides in the failure to have adequate staffing levels after brexit Nightmare scenario for poor families with kids especially and people with medical issues
Opening gambit of brexit negotiations by EU.
“People were very, very frustrated and pulling their hair out.’
It would the average Sikh about 50 years to pull his hair out.
Now can they tell us if they found anything at all. France are always holding us to ransom
The terrorist are winning
Again, once the tourists get caught up in a queue there is uproar, freight traffic goes through this every week, the ports of Dover and Calais are not fit for use, hasn’t been for a long time, the delays we have to endure are crazy but no one gives a damn
have your say