PRISM: Europe reacts to U.S. surveillance revelations with anger

[xchrom]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/08/prism-europe-reacts-to-u-s-surveillance-revelations-with-anger/



VIENNA/BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Europeans reacted angrily on Friday to revelations that U.S. authorities had tapped the servers of internet companies for personal data, saying they confirmed their worst fears about American Web giants and showed tighter regulations were needed.

The Washington Post and the Guardian aroused outrage with reports that the National Security Agency (NSA) and FBI had accessed central servers of Google, Facebook and others and gathered millions of phone users’ data.

Europe, which lacks internet giants of its own, has long yearned to contain the power of the U.S. titans that dominate the Web, and privacy-focused Germany was quick to condemn their co-operation with the U.S. security services.

“The U.S. government must provide clarity regarding these monstrous allegations of total monitoring of various telecommunications and Internet services,” said Peter Schaar, German data protection and freedom of information commissioner.

[kentuck]

1. When first you practice to deceive...

eventually, it will bite you on the ass.

[Savannahmann]

2. Wow, that's an angle I hadn't even considered.

That we were following the Bush plan on how to win friends and influence people, a plan that worked like a charm.

[dipsydoodle]

5. As far as I'm aware

in the US you have no equivalent of our all embracing Data Protection Act as we have in the UK aside from the EU one.

Maybe that's what you need.

If for example Google were found to be at fault here then the penalty the EU could impose would be based on / computer user x the number of computers in use in Europe i.e multi billions.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. 'All embracing' is a bit optimistic

It has a 'national security' get-out clause: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/section/28

which I imagine will feature in the upcoming excuses.

[dipsydoodle]

13. Our national security yes

but I doubt that applies to others and as ours was brought it to comply with Europe's 1995 directive I'd assume that in the case of Europe it means security within Europe - not outside interlopers. For example : EU threatens 'substantial toll' for Google data breaches http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/2013/04/04/43644/eu-threatens-substantial-toll-for-google-data-breaches.html and Google’s Neck On The Line: EU Threatens “Repressive Action” http://siliconangle.com/blog/2013/02/18/googles-neck-on-the-line-eu-threatens-repressive-action/ The fact that Google for example may have been mined involantarily don't mean they should've collected it in the first place.

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. I expect an "our ally's security is our security" line

But I'd missed this little snippet from the first link:

The company has also been fined in the past for privacy breaches. It was penalised in 2010 after its Street View cars copied emails and passwords from private wi-fi networks.

Wow - that's not just hanging on to data you shouldn't be keeping, or combining it with other honestly-obtained data. It's pure hacking.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10364073

I can see you might claim that connecting to a wi-fi network that's unprotected isn't malicious; but how the hell did they claim they'd recorded data from it 'accidentally'?

It turns out they were as guilty as sin:

But the FCC found that Google “intended to collect, store and review” the data “to be analyzed offline for use in other initiatives.” And Germany dropped the criminal case, while France levied a record fine and Norway and others investigated and fined Google too.

http://www.cjr.org/the_audit/misleading_coverage_of_street.php?page=all

Much more at that last link. It turns out Google repeatedly lied about things being 'accidental', when it was by design. They sent out cars to snoop on all of our data if it has been left unprotected. Talk about 'doing evil'.

[marmar]

3. k/r

[idwiyo]

4. K&R

[Nuclear Unicorn]

6. If the Euro-Control Freaks say you have a problem, you have a problem. nt

[treestar]

7. Oh baloney, they are probably in on it, too!

They are as worried about terrorists as we are. Look what just happened in the UK. You really think the UK is anything but a total partner in all this?

There are Muslims living in all of these countries. Atta was meeting up with people in Spain, Germany, Czech Republic. Are you kidding? There was a terrorist attack in Spain. There were attacks in friggin' Moscow. Wasn't it the Russians who warned us about Tamerlan? They are probably way worse. They don't even have a First or Fourth Amendment.

This is Anti-America Derangement Syndrome in full bloom.

[marmar]

8. 'This is Anti-America Derangement Syndrome in full bloom'

So now being opposed to this surveillance is 'anti-America derangement' ? Dios mio.

[treestar]

9. How is it THAT BAD?

Exaggeration is in full bloom too, as usual.

Metadata from phone companies and your rights are all in peril?

Try Russia and see your rights being in peril.

As for Euros being angry, that's ridiculous for the reasons I put forth.

[marmar]

10. The ever-evolving spin to justify this is fascinating to watch.

[treestar]

11. Not as much fun as the total exaggeration.

Of every fact into a total disaster of magnified proportions.

What about video cameras in convenience stores? All that spying on you every day! And if one is robbed, they might give the tape to the cops!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!! THEY KNOW what kind of coffee you drink!

The government wants to know what you had for breakfast! They are spying on you!!!

The Russians already know what you eat for breakfast.

[PSPS]

14. Fascinating but still a bit depressing

It was pretty much routine on DU to make fun of right-wing sites because they reliably contained a continuous stream of posts supporting even the most heinous behavior of the bush junta. But now that a democrat is president, it seems that the same flawed logic has become a sad part of DU. I suppose obama, like bush, has his own cult of personality going too, so at least some of this is to be expected. Nevertheless, it is depressing to see such behavior -- devotion to a man instead of the country -- even when confronted with the most damning of facts.

[LovingA2andMI]

17. Or like China?

And that means President Obama better shut up, shutting up about China tracking its' internet resources of its' citizenry when his freaking NSA does the same thing.

Pot calling kettle black -- President Obama -- but since you're a Democrat, the Far-Far Left will back you up, even if they sound like the Hippocrates they are, after they attacked Bush for similar things...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

21. If it's merely harmless data why is it a secret to collect it?

And, why is the person who told us we are being spied on for harmless data being pursued?

[GoneFishin]

16. LOL ..... Oh. You are serious. You still think this is 100% about terrorism.

[Rise Rebel Resist]

18. rec

I wonder if any assets can be ceased and fine the crap out of them would be a good start. then we can look into any spying charges for spying for the US gov I wonder what jail time comes with that?

[MisterP]

19. "Europe is a Teabag dupe! and so's Gore! only real Dems support GOP plans on steroids!"

[Quantess]

20. I have not noticed a single spark of anger from Europe, myself.

The headline is hype.