Australian Cops and Anti-Corruption Agencies Keen On Hacking Team Malware

Bismillah writes: Although they've denied it in the past, Australia's federal and state police are very interested in Hacking Team's law enforcement spyware. There has also been recent interest from the Victoria state anti-corruption agency IBAC, leaked HT emails show. ITNews reports: "Emails leaked by attackers who infiltrated the systems of spyware provider Hacking Team this week reveal the Australian Federal Police was not the only local agency interested in the firm's suite of surveillance tools. Analysis of the leaked emails by iTnews reveals a number of agencies - including ASIO, IBAC and two local police forces - were also interested in the company's spyware."

Comments

If thou gaze long into an abyss ..

[nickweller]

"He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee."

Re:If thou gaze long into an abyss ..

[firewrought]

I note that the NSW Police was a user of Finn Fisher - but in that case also I've seen no evidence they misused it.

Of course you haven't... until the Hacking Team breach, you didn't know they were using it at all, am I right? With no transparency comes no accountability.

Human nature is predictable. If you want to give me primae facia evidence that they aren't abusing it, then show me the warrants they've obtained for the use of the product. Show me the disclosure reports. Show me the convictions for those individuals who inevitably misused it (in exchange for a bribe or to spy on their girlfriend, for instance). Saying that nobody misused it whatsoever is like Russia claiming they don't have any handicap or gay people... just simply ridiculous.

Western governments--those very countries which first embraced and first reaped the benefits of following sound democratic principles (limited government, human rights, due process, separation of powers, etc.)--are sliding into totalitarianism. I don't know how to fix it, but one thing we can all do is not be naive about human nature.