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Aussie Telco Telstra Agreed To Spy For America
An anonymous reader writes "Australian telecommunications giant Telstra has for a decade been storing huge volumes of electronic communications carried between Asia and America for surveillance by U.S. intelligence agencies. This includes not just the metadata, but the actual content of emails, online messages and phone calls. With the blessing of the Australian government Telstra agreed to route data through a 'U.S. point of contact through a secure storage facility on U.S. soil that was staffed exclusively by U.S. citizens.' The contract was prompted by Telstra's decision to expand its business in Asia by taking control of hundreds of kilometers of undersea telecommunications cables. The deal started under the Liberal Party and continued under Labor. The Greens have demanded an explanation."
I don't know but... isn't THAT some kind of treason or betrayal of your fellow countrymen or something?
Hang 'em high.
And for some (t)reason you missed the point, accidentally?
The synopsis says Telstra stored data about coms between "Asia and America", not Australia.
Perhaps you missed the statement "With the blessing of the Australian government".
No brain, no pain.
They can also sniff those in between cable amplifiers, optical is no problem
China has the Great Firewall, which tries to block it's citizens from seeing things from the rest of the world that the government doesn't want. The US is the opposite. It has a Great Vacuum of America that has been slurping up every speck of communication going across its borders, and apparently a lot further than that. It's one thing to collect and share intelligence and analysis between allies. It's quite another to give another country wholesale access to the entire data stream.
I suppose it's not surprising that the US would have agreements with allies to expand these sorts of systems globally, but you'd think that some countries would say "No" to it. Or if they did say "perhaps", that they would insist that a public discussion occur first, because ostensibly it is for a valid purpose (monitoring for criminal and/or terrorist activities). Maybe people would okay with that if given the chance to consider it and if it had a lot of oversight and eventual transparency (e.g., summary of approved activities 5 or 10 years later or something). Of course, there's the problem that the principle of wholesale monitoring of all communications like this is often unconstitutional in the relevant countries, and the fact that such a system could be open to flagrant abuse. But implementing it in secret? That sours just about any public consideration of what the balance should be. What were these people thinking? That it could stay secret forever? Or that people would go along with it after the fact?
For Australians, I'd imagine this news to be worse than Edward Snowden reporting that the NSA blanket-monitors the US. I mean, monitoring is one thing, but actively sending full content to another nation seems like another entirely.
That said, I think we know what will actually happen about all of this, even with whatever public outrage it incites.
Everyone Spies for Murica (or we will FREE the shit out of your government....even faster if you have oil)
NSA is building a huge database to help us to help ourselves. With the data that they have, they can easily tell me what I want for lunch today or tomorrow. Or better yet, do my job for me. I can relax at the beach all day long watching bikini babes.
I'd like to spy on some people, give me access damnit!
How long before the current administration uses this against their political foes, if they haven't been already? They send the IRS after political opponents, why would the NSA be any different?
The article is pretty vague, only stating that communications routed through undersea cables that carry information to the United States of America must pass through a US government-owned facility; Telstra itself isn't doing anything, it's all occurring on the other end of the cable on US soil. I'm a little surprised that the US government is trying to vet all communications entering their country, but I don't see what Telstra has to do with it other than owning a link to the US (and I'm not a fan of Telstra). Seems like a red herring.
You are not in control of the security of your unencrypted data once it leaves your country (or, more accurately, your home), as anyone on the route it takes could copy it.
Geez, Australia really is our bitch, ain't it?
You folks down there must be really proud.
You are welcome on my lawn.
This is no surprise. Telstra has always been led by a bunch of money hungry, sellout scumbags that have no idea about innovation. I for one would be pleased to wake tomorrow knowing that Telstra was gone forever.
But unfortunately I need to buy home phone line rental from Telstra in order to get ADSL2+ from TPG (for various reasons TPG home phone or Naked isn't an option)
Bring on the NBN I say (although that said, I have no doubt that no matter who is in government and no matter which ISP you are choosing for your NBN service, no-one is going to say no to the US spooks)
The Greens demand an explanation do they? Do they sleep through their political careers or something? It's basically common knowledge that Australia has bent over backwards for our American allies whenever the opportunities arose. We gladly and blindly followed the USA into a war about nothing, and certainly nothing that benefited Australia.
What's a bit of wire fraud in the grand scheme of things?
The explanation is simple. The US considers themselves the world's police men, the world's legal system, and the world's judge, jury, and executioner. They do not and will not stop at anything, including breaking their own laws, to achieve domination.
Their society has degraded from one of freedom to a classic, textbook case of the nationalistic fervour, corporatism, and militarism of the fascists of yore. But as soon as you say "fascist", you're dismissed as "exagerating", despite the fact that modern US society displays all the traits of fascism right down to the surveillance and police state mentality.
You can see the nationalistic fervour in the way that US society has calmly ignored the whole whistle blowing over the surveillance led by the US government around the world. As far as US citizens seem to be concerned, their government can do no wrong.
I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
We share bases, For example this base: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Gap
This isn't really surprising that they work together to do this.
So tired of nationalistic collectivism.
Let's be clear: The a telco in Australia agreed to spy for the *government* of America. They certainly didn't do it for me. I never asked, and I doubt I ever will.
You say that as if we (Americans) are not our own government's bitches. Hello, Pot.
Telstra's spokesman's excuse was they had to agree to the monitoring to get the work, but that is no excuse to sell out your customers or fellow citizens without telling them. And a pox on the government for selling out its citizens to a foreign power.
The AG dept would rubber stamp the violation of taxpayers rights: http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/06/05/the-greatest-threat-to-our-rights-is-the-attorney-generals-department/?wpmp_switcher=mobile then steal from the taxpayer on the way out the door http://www.smh.com.au/national/highsecurity-public-servants-caught-rorting-their-overtime-20110925-1krto.html
And SO?? I mean who cares? you sheep think its ok for advertisers to spy on our every move because we get something in return. That is where the problem started. Allowing our government to make laws that allow the police to put up check stops to check for drunk drivers but also get anyone else who falls in the very large net. Its the US citizens fault for not taking more of a role by at least voting the bastards out. But as long as we get something in return well its ok to spy . Well you got what you wanted be happy
Jack of all trades,master of none
It's 2013 - why is Slashdot's icon for anything Australia-related still Crocodile Dundee's hat?
#DeleteChrome
Chomsky's book was titles "Hegemony or Survival". Note the emphasis on or.
More than anyone else, YOU (as a stockholder) can realistically vote with your wallet. Do so.
never been to australia, but i had to open up google earth and look at the globe and i think "most" ... uhm .. end of the ally, you know where all the detrious keeps accumulating : P (sorry, if i find a money making job i will go visit your fine islands)
phibers go from taiwan or japan to "north" west cost america.
for a time i was really hoping they (aussies and kiwis) would get some own phiber that didn't go thru singapore and up to direction of china or west to direction middle east, but alas it never happened.
if the internet where a ally, the aussies and kiwis are really stuck all the way at the dead-end
What do all Telstra's Asian customers think of Telstra selling them out? Asian countries will now be more guarded in their business deals with Australia. People worry about using Chinese products because of backdoors. Same must be said of Australia. It's one thing to be the 51st state but betraying your customers takes Australia's shitty reputation for poor customer service to a new level.
In the coming elections in Australia, to be held later this year, Wikileaks is fielding candidates for a senate seat in three states at least (WA, NSW and Vic).
Since privacy is starting to llok like one of the biggest issue of this century, and in line with the well know Australian rebelious attitude, I think Wikileaks is starting to look really like a good prospect. They may even garner the balance of power and that would keep the bastards honest!
Adding to the attractiveness is the parlous state of the main parties.
I wish Wikileaks luck. They are getting my vote, for sure. I have had enough of the shenanigans of both the Labour and Liberal party.
Go senator Assange.
That is odd: Edward Snowden is not cited as source. Do we have another leak somewhere else?