FISAA legalizes surveillance of EU citizens and their cloud data, claims study

FISAA legalizes surveillance of EU citizens and their cloud data, claims study

www.net-security.org

When the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Amendments Act (FISAA) was extended for another 5 years thanks to a majority vote in the U.S. Senate late last year, there weren't many Europeans who took notice and were worried about the fact.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.slate.com
www.europarl.europa.eu

Setting aside the also poorly-known fact that the U.S. Patriot Act effectively allows U.S. authorities to access cloud data belonging to Europeans and stored in European Union datacenters, it's bad news that the newly renewed FISAA can also be used in a similar way.

Under the Act in question, all the data stored in U.S. cloud services - including, of course, that of giants such as Google, Amazon and Microsoft - by non-American could be accessed by U.S. agencies if the companies in question have a presence in the EU - and most, if not all, do.

To do this, the U.S. authorities need only get a secret court to issue a secret surveillance order, and hand it over to the companies. Bound by U.S. law, the companies are and will be forced to comply.

FYI - The FISA Amendments Act introduced in 2008, retroactively legalized (patently unconstitutionally) a “warrant-less wiretapping” program initiated following 9/11. Last month, it was renewed through 2017.

At the risk of upsetting our EU members, I fear your 'political' leaders are either unmoved, unconcerned, or ignorant of the vulnerability they seem to have 'overlooked.'

The ownership and rights of those who are the pertinent subject of data is something I used to admire European legal frameworks for recognizing.....

Since the establishment of the EU... not so much.

One of the main problems with FISAA is that it allows surveillance of real-time communications and cloud data of individuals and organizations that are not suspected of any crime - just political activity. According to Caspar Bowden, one of the study's co-authors, that might result in the monitoring of European politicians, activists, and even journalist involved in political issues important to the U.S.

While the U.S. was quick to assure that such things will never be able to happen, many European politicians are still skeptical.

Skeptical? I think that may be an understatement.



www.net-security.org
(visit the link for the full news article)

Yeah well, can't have global domination without global surveillance

Its obvious that any American company will have to obey American law so the only way to secure cloud data from American eyes is not to use a host that has any presence in the USA so at least they have to go to the relevant country and persuade their courts to hand over the data. But generally anyone doing anything more than hosting a few websites to advertise their cause will have worked out the basics of preventing data interception etc and will probably work on the fact that every intelligence agency in the world is listening in on their data transmission

reply to post by Maxatoria


Considering how pervasive Google and other mega-corporate enterprises are; I wonder if they can be escaped?

Eventually, when EU politicians and officials are 'subjected' to the disclosure of their information, perhaps they will force the issue into the light. Not many (especially here in the US) realize how much freedom their 'governing' authorities have over the details of their affairs - online or otherwise.

I can believe it.

There was an article in the Guardian which mentioned that within the bill were provisions to carry on Bush-era surveillance until something like at least 2018.

That's why those ******* built that huge NSA data facility in whichever state it was. Nobody is off limits.

None of these threads are surprising anymore. Though S&F for you op, the more people see what goes on, hopefully the more will wake up, and take their countries back.

every single cloud storage method was compromised way before this "law" was passed.

People almost never take the time to read the EULA when they sign up for cloud systems, Google, Microsoft, Apple et al have nice little disclaimers about what can happen to "your" data.

In the majority of cases, no court orders are needed or requested to intercept data from any individual or group deemed a risk.

No point crying about it now, that little battle was lost many years ago, and before any smart arses shout "encryption" as a method of security - forget it, that‘s a dead end too.

Isnt it a well known fact that the US, Israel, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada have been spying on all telecomunications for years. The program was called ECHELON. This is not even in the conspiracy realms anymore. What difference does the above make?
Isnt sending data from one computer to the next a form of telecommunication? What about a wirelss keyboard?

Breech of the human rights act...

www.un.org...

Article 12.

• No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks