Vodafone has exposed how the government has been tapping telecom companies’ cables to listen in on people’s conversations while making it look legal.
The company said that every telecom company has to allow the government spies to have secret cables to watch what is happening on the network. Vodafone published a report on government surveillance activities which clearly outlines the system being used by government spies in some of the states it operates.
Vodafone has also said that it is mandatory in six countries to let the government let direct access cables into its network which the government can use to track anybody or listen to any conversation on the network.
Vodafone’s Stephen Deadman said, “These pipes exist, the direct-access model exists. We are making a call to end direct access as a means of government agencies obtaining people’s communication data.”
“Without an official warrant, there is no external visibility. If we receive a demand we can push back against the agency.”
He also added that federal agencies are required to obtain a warrant in order to request for such information from telecommunication service providers in the UK and hence such systems are considered illegal in the UK.
The company has asked the government to disconnect the direct access cables so that agencies which require such data could obtain a warrant beforehand. Vodafone has also said that it would not prefer winding up operations in a country by refusing to comply with the legal requirements.
“We need to debate how we are balancing the needs of law enforcement with the fundamental rights and freedoms of the citizens,” he said.
Several officials of human rights organizations have expressed contempt.
While some countries like the UK and Italy have published the number of requests they made, Egypt, India, Qatar, Romania, South Africa and Turkey refused to provide such details.
