From: Nizkor English Service <nzkspain@teleline.es> Reply-To: nzkspain@derechos.org Nizkor Int. Human Rights Team Derechos Human Rights Serpaj Europe Information [ii) messages] 03mar00 MICROSOFT DEVELOPS SOFTWARE THAT ATTEMPTS AGAINST RIGHT TO PRIVACY SAYS FRENCH INTELLIGENCE. PARIS, Feb 18 - A French intelligence report today accused US secret agents of working with computer giant Microsoft to develop software allowing Washington to spy on communications around the world. The report, drawn up by the Strategic Affairs Delegation (DAS), the intelligence arm of the French Defence Ministry, was quoted in today's edition of the news-letter Le Monde du Renseignement (Intelligence World). Written by a senior officer at the DAS, the report claims agents from the National Security Agency (NSA) helped install secret programmes on Microsoft software, currently in use in 90 per cent of computers. According to the report there was a 'strong suspicion' of a lack of security fed by insistent rumours about the existence of spy programs on Microsoft, and by the presence of NSA personnel in Bill Gates' development teams. The NSA protects communications for the US government, and also intercepts electronic messages for the Defence Department and other US intelligence agencies, the newsletter said. According to the report, 'it would seem that the creation of Microsoft was largely supported, not least financially, by the NSA, and that IBM was made to accept the (Microsoft) MS-DOS operating system by the same administration.' The report claimed the Pentagon was Microsoft's biggest client in the world. [Source: AFP - Saturday, February 19, 7:44 AM] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ii) ECHELON INQUIRY CALL THREATENS NEW ZEALAND SURVEILLANCE NETWORK. NEW Zealand is concerned a satellite base station forming part of a multinational electronic surveillance system could be exposed as part of a European inquiry. European parliamentarians have demanded a committee of inquiry be set up to probe allegations that the United States is using the so-called Echelon electronic surveillance system for industrial espionage in Europe. The Echelon network is said to include the Waihopai satellite station near Blenheim, New Zealand. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark told Parliament yesterday that she was concerned it was under investigation. Waihopai intercepts and passes on phone, fax and e-mail communications from the Pacific region as part of an intelligence alliance that includes Australia, the United States, Britain, and Canada. Clark, who is Security Intelligence Service Minister, said she had been assured information collected by the Marlborough base was not being used for commercial purposes. "We have received assurance from intelligence partners that they don't either,'' she said. Echelon is the codename believed to have been given to a secret US Government project which would allow its National Security Agency to intercept and monitor all forms of electronic communication. [Equipo Nizkor Documentary Note: Source: AAP 11:40 Thursday 24 February 2000. By way of Dr Michael Baker, Electronic Frontiers Australia] ------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------ USEFUL LINKS: - Equipo Nizkor and Privacy http://www.derechos.org/nizkor/espana - Global Internet Liberty Campaign - GILC (Main issues: free speech, privacy, cryptography, access) http://www.gilc.org/ - Global Internet Liberty Campaign Member Statement on "Human Rights and the Internet" (Prepared for a one day briefing session for Members of the European Parliament, 27th January 1998, in Brussels.) http://www.ozemail.com.au/~mbaker/europ-hr.html - Echelon Watch http://www.aclu.org/echelonwatch/index.html - "85 recommandations pour un Internet democratique en l'an 2000" Contribution d'IRIS a la consultation gouvernementale "Cadre legislatif de la societe de l'information" Rapport IRIS - Novembre 1999. http://www.iris.sgdg.org/documents/rapport-lsi/ - Report on International Status of Privacy: "Privacy and Human Rights 1999". Electronic Privacy Information Center Washington, DC, USA. Privacy International London, UK http://www.privacyinternational.org/survey/ - "Cryptography and Liberty 1999: An international Survey of Encryption Policy". Electronic Privacy Information Center Washington, DC http://www2.epic.org/reports/crypto1999.html#_Toc450793110 - "An Appraisal of Technologies of Political Control". Scientific and Technological Options Assessment - STOA. 06jan98. http://cryptome.org/stoa-atpc.htm -- ---------------------------------- Send mail for the 'huridocs-tech' list to 'huridocs-tech@hrea.org'. Mail administrative requests to 'majordomo@hrea.org'. For additional assistance, send mail to: 'owner-huridocs-tech@hrea.org'. Archives of previous messages posted to the list can be found at: http://www.hrea.org/lists/huridocs-tech/markup/maillist.html
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