Well-Known Telecom Providers Give Data to GCHQ: Fresh Leaked Documents
Local Editor
Fresh documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden and published by the British The Guardian daily, some of the world's leading telecoms firms, including BT and Vodafone, are secretly collaborating with Britain's spy agency GCHQ in giving out details of their customers' personal data.
BT, Vodafone Cable, and the American firm Verizon Business as well as four other smaller providers have given GCHQ secret unlimited access to their network.
Moreover, the leaked document named which telecoms companies are working with GCHQ and are given secret codenames; BT ("Remedy"), Verizon Business ("Dacron"), and Vodafone Cable ("Gerontic").
The other firms include Global Crossing ("Pinnage"), Level 3 ("Little"), Viatel ("Vitreous") and Interoute ("Streetcar").
The companies noted they were obliged to comply with UK and EU law.
"Vodafone does not disclose any customer data in any jurisdiction unless legally required to do so," a spokesman said.
For her part, a spokeswoman for Verizon said, "Verizon continually takes steps to safeguard our customers' privacy. Verizon also complies with the law in every country in which we operate."
"Though the Tempora program itself was classified as top secret, the identities of the cable companies was even more secret, referred to as exceptionally controlled information," the Guardian reported.
One document warns that if the names were revealed, it could cause "high-level political fallout".
Telecoms providers can be compelled to co-operate with requests from the government under the 1984 Telecommunications Act, however critics expressed worries that the said firms are co-operating to a degree beyond the law.
"We urgently need clarity on how close the relationship is between companies assisting with intelligence gathering and government," The Guardian cited Eric King, head of research for Privacy International, as saying.
Source: The Guardian UK, edited by website team
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