Another day, another U.S. ally feeling betrayed by United States surveillance. This article, published by Brazil’s O Globo yesterday, outlines the scale of the espionage highlighted by the latest documents released by Edward Snowden, and what the Brazilian authorities intend to do about it.
Here is part of O Globo’s, 1,200 word report:
BRASÍLIA and PARATY: On Sunday, Brazil’s government demanded explanations from the United States regarding spying on Brazilian citizens and companies over the last decade by the U.S. National Security Agency [NSA], which is outlined in documents collected by former technician Edward Snowden, and which were made available to O Globo. The Foreign Ministry sought clarification from U.S. Ambassador Thomas Shannon, and has already asked its embassy in Washington to do the same directly to the American government. Itamaraty will also table a motion at the United Nations asking for improvements in cyber security to prevent this type of abuse be one country against another. Internally, the Federal Police and Anatel will investigate whether companies headquartered in Brazil allowed the NSA to have access to local communications networks.
“It is more than likely that the monitoring is done by way underwater cables and satellites. When it comes to international transmissions and phone calls, the majority of cables pass through the United States,” said Communications Minister Paulo Bernardo.
“We are very concerned by this news, especially given the possible relationship with Brazilian companies. If this really did happen, it is a crime against Brazilian law and the Constitution. Our Constitution guarantees the right to intimacy and privacy. If a Brazilian company is working in cahoots with foreign companies to break the confidentiality of telephone communications and data, it is nonsense,” said Bernardo.
The Planalto Palace [president’s office] will use this revelation of monitoring by the U.S. to try and force a vote in the Chamber of Deputies regarding landmark legislation on civilian use of the Internet. One of the most controversial articles in the proposed legislation involves the privacy of user data connection records, which many consider an issue of insecurity and a risk to Internet users.
The president of the Order of Attorneys of Brazil, Marcus Vinicius Furtado, argued that a complaint of espionage should be tabled to the United Nations. He compared the espionage by the United States with the nightmare of Big Brother from the book Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell, in which all citizens were watched all the time.
“This claim is serious and should be discussed within the United Nations on order to determine liability. This revives the worst nightmares about George Orwell’s Big Brother, but with stronger ingredients, if we consider the technological development of spy agencies in the world’s most powerful nations. We are all, literally, vulnerable, exposed, not knowing where to turn, and with a sense of unbearable impunity,” said the OAB president.
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