Who Is Listening To Your Conversations? Probably The Government!

Survival Joe | News • Surveillance

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Vodafone Reveals Secret Wires that Allow State Surveillance

Ever since Edward Snowden first revealed the U.S. government’s pervasive surveillance programs, people around the world have realized governments are not as benevolent as they may seem.

Yet details about specific surveillance tactics have been somewhat sparse.

We do know that the NSA has a Tailored Access Operations (TAO) division thatintercepts computers in transit to install spyware and malware before they are delivered to their final destinations.

We also know that the NSA has a massive data center in Utah for monitoring Internet activity and phone conversations.

And thanks to Vodafone’s recent disclosures, we now know that the U.S. is not alone in its widespread surveillance of phone conversations.

On Friday, June 6, The Guardian revealed:

Vodafone, one of the world’s largest mobile phone groups, has revealed the existence of secret wires that allow government agencies to listen to all conversations on its networks, saying they are widely used in some of the 29 countries in which it operates in Europe and beyond.

The company said wires had been connected directly to its network and those of other telecoms groups, allowing agencies to listen to or record live conversations and, in certain cases, track the whereabouts of a customer. Privacy campaigners said the revelations were a “nightmare scenario” that confirmed their worst fears on the extent of snooping.

Direct-access systems do not require warrants, and companies have no information about the identity or the number of customers targeted. Mass surveillance can happen on any telecoms network without agencies having to justify their intrusion to the companies involved.

In other words, governments have “direct access” wires that allow them to listen to any phone conversation happening on Vodafone’s networks. And they can do this with the flip of a switch.

While Vodafone would not say which 29 countries are using these secret “direct access” wires to spy on its citizens, it’s safe to assume that most of them are in Europe and nearby areas.

Will these new revelations cause any kind of public outcry? Will people change their behavior to avoid the prying eyes and ears of government snoops?

It’s hard to say.

Just the other day, I was having a conversation with a friend of mine via cell phone and I actually refrained from saying something just in case I was being listened to.

Remember, it’s not paranoia if they’re really out to get you.

Don’t be scared. Be prepared.
-Survival Joe