Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar says the state-owned Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), as well as the Irish-owned Digicel, were “commanded” to open their facilities so that the Security Intelligence Agency (SIA) could engage in the illegal wiretapping of citizens.
“Do you remember there was a time in Trinidad when people used to say use a Digicel phone, don’t use a TSTT phone… they were right,” she told reporters. (more)
UPDATE – The country’s top telecommunications companies have both distanced themselves from any involvement in the illegal wiretapping of their customers’ phones.
State-controlled Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) would not comment in detail about the wiretapping of phones belonging to Members of Parliament, private citizens and President George Maxwell Richards by the Strategic Intelligence Agency (SIA) but the company is willing to co-operate in any investigation into the matter. (more)
Sell the app antidote!
Google may have “Don’t be evil” as its motto, but DLP Mobile seems to be embracing the dark side in charging £1.86 for an app to remove its own spyware.
Companies that sell software for spying on partners are already on highly-dubious moral ground, but selling an application to remove your
own spyware would be a step too far for most. But not DLP Mobile, who will sell you a copy of Reveal, an application designed to remove their own spying application… despite the fact that the former isn’t available any more. (
more)
Dominican Republic –
The Santiago City Council dismantled an espionage system of several high tech miniature microphones which had been secretly installed in the office of mayor Gilberto Serrulle and other areas. The Mayor confirmed the finding, but downplayed the case, affirming that he has nothing to hide or fear. (
more)
ELECTRONIC EAVESDROPPING AND WIRETAPPING:
How 20th Century Technology Can Cause 21st Century Headaches for You and Your Client
by John H. Case, Gilbert B. Feibleman and Mark Gruber
“In a day and age where everyone can go to Radio Shack and purchase their own miniaturized microphone, recording device and spy camera it has become abundantly clear that every spouse is a potential James Bond. It is not uncommon to be asked by your client: “Can I record secretly conversations with my spouse?” Unfortunately it is more common that the family law practitioner is merely told about recordings long after they have been made or even after they have been republished. As a result, learning the answer to the question is only part of the lawyer’s job. Learning how to advise your clients and how to extricate your client from a potentially criminal quagmire is equally important – the answer is not as simple as the question.” (more)
Old — but recently released —
document discussing the bugging of the Russian embassy in 1940. The document also mentions bugging the embassies of France, Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Also…
A long list of declassified NSA documents. These items are not online; they’re at the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, MD. You can either ask for copies by mail under FOIA (at a 75 cents per page) or come in person. There, you can read and scan them for free, or photocopy them for about 20 cents a page.
