Boeing-owned firm 'helped Egypt eavesdrop'

[Earth_First]

Advocacy group Free Press is alleging that a Californian company has been helping the Egyptian government inspect the contents of email, Twitter and Facebook messages.

IP network traffic intelligence company Narus - owned by Boeing - counts Telecom Egypt amongst its customers. And Free Press claims that it's been using Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) to help the government eavesdrop on communications and even track cellphone users via GPS coordinates and SMS messaging.

"What we are seeing in Egypt is a frightening example of how the power of technology can be abused," says Free Press campaign director Timothy Karr.

"Commercial operators trafficking in Deep Packet Inspection technology to violate internet users' privacy is bad enough; in government hands, that same invasion of privacy can quickly lead to stark human rights violations."

Narus' NarusInsight system is used by the US National Security Agency for surveillance of internet communications. And Free Press is calling for the US Congress to establish transparent standards for the use of DPI technology in order to preserve human rights.

http://www.tgdaily.com/business-and-law-features/53971-boeing-owned-firm-helped-egypt-eavesdrop

Egypt’s Cyber-Crackdown Aided By US Company (VIDEO)

http://english.aljazeera.net/video/americas/2011/02/20112625021400967.html

on edit: direct Al Jazeera link

[seafan]

1. Amy Goodman has a report on this as well.

U.S./ U.K. Companies Help Egyptian Regime Shut Down Telecoms and Identify Dissident Voices, February 1, 2011


It needs much more attention.

Thanks for this thread, Earth_First.

[Earth_First]

3. Make no mistake, these will be the same telecoms designing the U.S. version of the 'kill switch' n/t

[gratuitous]

2. If there's a buck to be made . . .

"Hey, I was just the engineer on that train to Treblinka. What happened to the passengers after they got there was none of my concern!" Isn't capitalism just the bestest thing ever? You can do anything you want, and as long as you get paid, that's prima facie evidence that you were legally and morally justified.

[MadHound]

4. Well Boeing does have to protect one its top customers. n/t

[Earth_First]

5. kick! n/t