Text 29878, 89 rader
Skriven 2009-03-19 16:57:26 av Robert Bashe (2:2448/44)
  Kommentar till text 29847 av Ward Dossche (2:292/854)
Ärende: Reactions
=================
Ward Dossche wrote to Robert Bashe on Thursday March 19 2009 at 11:10:

RB>> The details about Deutsche Telekom are meanwhile in the news, and the
RB>> company has come under heavy fire for its breach of privacy. The
RB>> "verdachtsunabhaengige" (without suspicion of crime) monitoring of
RB>> electronic communication in Germany had just been stopped by a
RB>> Constitutional Court order pending the final hearing and decision.

WD> Are we talking about the same thing? I'm not talking about
WD> wire-tapping but the recording of which number called which number,
WD> when, for how long plus additional technical routing-info.

That's the kind of stuff the "verdachtsunabhaengige" monitoring covers.

WD> Basically this is the information needed for invoicing as well, ecept
WD> that there's more technical stuff and kept for 6 years instead of 6
WD> months.

No need for such information for invoicing here, since nearly all phone
contracts have a "flat rate" for all domestic calls. Only foreign calls are
invoiced. And there's certainly no need to keep such superfluous information
for 6 years, except to satisfy a control-hungry government.

WD> In the case of cell-phones, the cell's antenna is recorded as well.
WD> This means that in the case of travelling cell-phones the path
WD> followed can be determined via the different antennas which are
WD> passed. This data gets recorded as well for both receiving and
WD> originating calls.

That may be, but I'm sure you've heard that cell phones are stolen and SIMs can
be bought (illegally, but still) without presenting an identity card, even in
Germany. Check out www.ebay.de.

WD> SMS-texting is recorded and stored as well.

Good to know. So never transmit anything confidential by SMS.

WD> No court-order needed for it, it's all in a coordinated European
WD> anti-criminality and counter-terrorism campaign.

That's the theory. The practice is that the requirements are widened and
softened bit by bit, and in the end even overdue parking tickets will be
followed up this way. Terrorism, my bleedin' arse: just an excuse for more
control of the general population.

WD> Don't know if there are any Guidelines or Directives about this. I am
WD> in the know that many specific acts of criminality were stopped or
WD> could be prosecuted because of this. Including mister Dutroux.

Really? How so? I thought the police were at his place a couple of times before
he finally was discovered and arrested, and found nothing.

WD>>> What do you think we did during all those frequent business trips?
WD>>> Merely go to restaurants?

RB>> What do managers and politicians do otherwise? Work?

WD> You would be surprised at the hours that were put-in during such
WD> meetings.

No I wouldn't, because I've also attended such things. Lots of bla-bla to
justify the liquor, entertainment and good meals, not much in the way of
results. Nice live porno shows in Japan, incidently...

WD> You have no idea, Bob, how demanding those trips were.

I don't? Ask me about my three-week business trip to Osaka sometime, or the
5-week trip to South Africa, if you want to hear a few stories.

RB>> Meanwhile quite possible, which is why I would use a phone card
RB>> (purchased anonymously) in a phone booth for any really confidential
RB>> calls.

WD> That's an idea ... paid cash of course.

Of course. Waste of time otherwise.

WD> Then again, who would you call? There'd be some element of a trace
WD> again.

But how would anyone know who called? The destination might be clear, but not
the caller. The only way to really catch you at something like this would be to
put a trace on ALL calls to a certain phone number, and IMMEDIATELY go after
the active calls. Hell of a job, even if it were technically feasible.

Cheers, Bob

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