<nettime> Echelon exists. Now it's official!

[andrew garton <agarton@toysatellite.org>]

From: Association for Progressive Communications < http://www.apc.org >

Echelon exists. Now it's official: A report published by the European
parliament removes any lingering doubt. Echelon, a shadowy, US-led
worldwide electronic spying network, is a reality. In the cold war,
eavesdropping was aimed at military and diplomatic communications, but
today it has switched to commercial targets and private individuals.
Echelon computers can store millions of records on individuals,
intercepting faxes, phone calls, and emails. The report was prompted by
claims that the US and other nations was using Echelon to spy on European
companies on behalf of American firms. Though Members of the European
Parliament claim there is no conclusive proof of industrial espionage,
there is concern about the threat posed to privacy.

To find out more about Echelon, take a look at the APC article:

http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=01ac1b10fae13c0a61c529
2ba72d70b1

---

PRESS RELEASE

June 23, 2001

THE ASSOCIATION FOR PROGRESSIVE COMMUNICATIONS EUROPE INTERNET RIGHTS
INITIATIVE BELIEVES THE ECHELON COMMITTEE'S CONDEMNATION OF THE BRITISH
GOVERNMENT'S INTERCEPTION OF COMMUNICATIONS POLICY IS JUSTIFIED

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM -- The empty seats said it all. At yesterday's meeting
of the European Parliament's Temporary Committee on Echelon, the only UK
representative attending was Vice-Chairman Neil MacCormick from the
Scottish Nationalist Party.

When last seen at the Committee, representatives of the British Labour
Party were still trying to make the now completely discredited claim that
Echelon does not exist. The US and British governments have continually
tried to maintain this position against the overwhelming evidence to the
contrary. Their complete isolation was shown by the fact that absolutely
no one from the multitude of European political parties, left, right, and
centre, represented in the European Parliament, was prepared to support or
even accept their denial.

Of the 160 amendments tabled to the resolution to go back to the European
Parliament, not one attempts to challenge the Committee's view that
Echelon exists and is a means by which the US and the UK spy on the
private communications, including email, of European citizens. Nor do any
attempt to weaken the strong condemnation of the UK's position on
communication interception. In fact, the majority of amendments try to go
further than the original resolution in condemning Echelon and the UK
government's role.

A number attempt to extend the concern about Echelon into taking action
against all forms of interception of communication, including by the
police. Although Gerhard Schmid, Rapporteur for the Committee, was not
prepared to accept this extension. Instead, he defended "lawful"  
interception, as opposed to the "unlawful" Echelon interception. He made
clear that, in his view, lawful interception should involve parliamentary
oversight and "judicial" processes for obtaining an interception warrant,
neither of which, in fact, exist in Britain.

The Committee's final resolution will now be voted on in Strasbourg on 3rd
July. There is no question that it will be carried almost unanimously.  
It has the support of all political groupings in the European Parliament
with the only criticism from some groups being that it is not strong
enough in its opposition to communication interception.

APC believes the Committee's condemnation of the British government's
interception of communications policy is completely justified. The
Committee is making an important stand that deserves widespread support
from Internet users, Internet Service Providers and social NGOs. The
resolution is a vindication of the position that APC member in Britain,
GreenNet, has consistently taken in defence of its users' privacy against
such measures as the British Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.

ABOUT ECHELON

The Echelon system (reportedly run by the United States in cooperation
with Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) was set up at the
beginning of the Cold War for intelligence gathering and has developed
into a network of intercept stations around the world.  Its primary
purpose, according to the Draft Report of the European Parliament's
Temporary Committee on Echelon, is to intercept private and commercial
communications, not military intelligence.  The committee concludes that
"the existence of a global system for intercepting communications . . . is
no longer in doubt."

A report on ECHELON written by Chris Bailey, APC Europe Internet Rights
Project Coordinator, for the 1999 Labor Media Conference in Seoul is
available at: http://lmedia.nodong.net/1999/archive/e25.htm

Also see, 'The APC Europe Internet Rights Initiative welcomes European
Draft Report on Echelon', London, May 31, 2001:
http://www.apc.org/english/press/archive/apc_p016.htm


ABOUT APC

APC (founded 1990) was the first globally interconnected NGO network of
groups working for peace, human rights, development and protection of the
environment. APC has long been committed to campaigning for the Right to
Communicate and the right of people and organisations to have free and
affordable access to the Internet. It has provided resources and training
to support strategic use of the Internet, and helped those who do not have
ready access to traditional media to make themselves heard using the
Internet. APC has played a vital role in expanding use of the Internet in
less developed countries and its Women's Programme (APC-WNSP) has led the
way in redressing gender inequalities in the design, implementation and
use of electronic communications.

APC's Internet Rights initiative has been developed to address the needs
of important sectors of civil society on the Internet, not just to defend
the interests of Internet "users" as individuals. Our primary aim is to
provide the resources, tools and assistance needed to defend and extend
the space and opportunities for social campaigning activity on the
Internet and to ensure a favourable legal situation for free expression on
issues of public interest against the many threats to it that are
emerging.

APC Internet Rights: http://www.apc.org/english/rights/
GreenNet: http://www.gn.apc.org

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Karen Banks
APC Europe Civil Society Internet Rights Initiative Project Manager
GreenNet
4th Floor
74-77 White Lion Street
London N1 9PF
U.K.
Email: karenb@gn.apc.org
Tel: +44 207 713 1941
Fax: +44 207 837 5551



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