Lebanese Internal Security Force Requests Facebook Passwords, Text Messages Of All Citizens In The Country
from the only-Zuckerberg-himself-has-more-data dept
Here at Techdirt, we're used to seeing national security agencies make overly broad requests for personal data, often under the premise that the crime (or crimes) committed justifies these fishing expeditions that are as "targeted" as dropping a nuke into the ocean and keeping everything that floats to the surface. Vague assurances are usually given that any data not considered "relevant" will be discarded or ignored and, as such, couldn't possibly be considered a violation of privacy.The Lebanese Internal Security Force looks like it might take the prize for Most Overreaching Data Request. The ISF is still looking for those responsible for the assassination of intelligence chief Wissam al-Hassan in 2010 and figures that getting access to a little data might be helpful. All it's asking for is... everything.
[Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui] also revealed that his ministry received a request to hand over the contents of “text messages and passwords of Facebook and other internet accounts of all Lebanese across the country.”There's nothing like an investigation whose list of suspects includes EVERY CITIZEN IN THE COUNTRY. The requested data doesn't include "political leaders and dignitaries," so at least there will be someone to pick the suspect out of the cross-Lebanon lineup.
Fortunately, this request was recommended for rejection, but at this point still remains in the "OPEN" file. The ISF has also issued two scaled down requests -- one for just everyone's SMS data -- and finally, one for just the SMS data from two provinces, covering only the two months prior to the attack of October 2010.
Even more fortunately, these slightly less inclusive requests also seem to be on their way to being rejected. The issue of the legality of these requests is still being debated, but early statements from the Interior Minister seem to indicate that nothing but the latest, most targeted request will even be considered, and even that may be deemed too broad. The Interior Minister did, however, make a brief argument for the final SMS data request, which features the sort of "promise" no citizen in their right mind should trust.
The interior minister said that providing the SMS data to the security forces did not necessarily entail that all their contents will be revealed “and that the privacy of the Lebanese people will be violated.”This would be a lot more convincing if the ISF hadn't already cast the entirety of Lebanon under suspicion with its first request. Handing over a bunch of private data to a national security force and trusting them to "just look at the bad guys' stuff" is just paving the infamous slippery slope for faster downhill travel.
He added that it only the content of messages sent and received by those who came under the security forces’ suspicion will be accessed.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: lebanon, privacy, social media
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
These people are obviously innocent of the assinatio, it couldn�t possibly have been part of a faction fight./s
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I'm not sure if that's a typo or not, but it's a statement I can believe from any politician.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
IRS Agent #1: Our books aren't adding up, someone didn't pay their taxes this year.
IRS Agent #2: Any idea who it is?
IRS Agent #1: Nope, you know what that means.
IRS Agent #2: Yep, we got to search the email and text messages sent and received by every American, for evidence of illegally hiding money.
IRS Agent #1: Don't forget, we also have to seize the balance sheets of all businesses operating in the US, for evidence of illegally not reporting their cash revenue.
IRS Agent #2: Yep, seems like a perfectly reasonable request for information for a judge to sign a warrant on to me.
IRS Agent #1: Yep, and seems like a perfectly reasonable assumption the two of us and the rest of the agency can go through a whole years worth of text messages and emails and balance sheets in a timely manner to find the tax cheat.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
If not, they can always outsource it to some offshore company.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Patriot Act
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Patriot Act
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Patriot Act
He's not as think as you high he is...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Well, the Lebanese ISF has to ASK: the NSA already has YOURS!
So, check "Foreign Intelligence Scare" off today's list...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Well, the Lebanese ISF has to ASK: the NSA already has YOURS!
I'm sure the people of Lebanon would appreciate you considering them nothing more than a spec on the map.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Well, the Lebanese ISF has to ASK: the NSA already has YOURS!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Well, the Lebanese ISF has to ASK: the NSA already has YOURS!
ootb is the quintessential drive-by troll.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Well, the Lebanese ISF has to ASK: the NSA already has YOURS!
Why the fuck do you not put any effort into what I shall kindly call your "criticisms"? Not once have you ever written a sentence on this site that doesn't pass the laugh test, or is not refuted easily within seconds.
Please, if you are in opposition to us, put some fucking effort into it. Don't be the idiotic troll you are. Try for once.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Sure it's only "criminals" personal data and IP addresses etc....
Those cunt's are fighting the "good fight" against the people...no...criminals.... whateva !
Shit like this makes me dislike Anti-Pirates even more.
I know, it sounds like a tin-foil hat connection but it's not.
Anti-Pirates, governments, private security, marketeers etc..... ALL profit from spying on us. They are all on the same team concerning this battle of "the people versus the powerful".
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Seems exactly backwards
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Uhh. . .
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Uhh. . .
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
1. Do something stupid
2. Watch it backfire
3. Issue 20 press releases of why it's the opposing side's fault. Hilarity ensues.
4. 40 press releases issued by the opposing side saying why they're wrong.
5. Blame Israel, Syria or Iran for some reason.
6. Bring the country to the brink of civil war.
7. Calm the hell down.
8. Repeat.
Compared to LIRA http://lira.ontornet.org/ this is pretty standard stupid.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Lebanon is a very strange place
Freedom there means the ability to walk across the road, walk down the road, ride in a buss, car, or truck, go to market for necessities including food, and talk to your neighbor with out being blown up, shot, or killed in an even more odious fashion.
Freedom also means the ability to buy enough to eat (if you can not go to market you starve), having electricity for heat and cooling, having water, sewage, garbage removal, and open roads.
An even higher level of freedom there is reached when one can obtain and keep a job that after kick backs and bribes allows one the ability to began to support one family.
Freedom does not mean that one has the right or privilege to engage in political discussions, debates, or dialogs. There are just too many people that can and will deprive one of the right to live is one were foolish enough to say something that one group or another finds officense to their concept of thought control.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]