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How will GDPR interact with the goals of intelligence agencies and their contractors? Is there going to be a wave of problems for intelligence contractors and t

by shiado 9y ago

How will GDPR interact with the goals of intelligence agencies and their contractors? Is there going to be a wave of problems for intelligence contractors and their possession of data or are European countries going to let it slide?

woolvalley 9y ago
Isn't what most intelligence agencies do illegal in other countries already?
- shiado 9y ago
  Probably. Although there is the Five Eyes style arrangement where you don't spy on your own citizens and instead spy on citizens of other countries and then share the data between each other so it all becomes legit. This is described here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes#Domestic_espionage_sharing_controversy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes#Domestic_espionage_s...
  - woolvalley 9y ago
    I think those agreements come from the fact that the agencies cannot 'spy' inside their home country, but can get information from other agencies that happen to have info about their country. I still think it is illegal for those other agencies to spy within the home country. Not to mention countries they don't have agreements with. The home agency does not do anything illegal itself, but the other agency does illegal stuff for them.
PeterStuer 9y ago
The GDPR has special exemptions for legal compliance such as data retention and lawful intercept.
techacolyte42 9y ago
Follow up question if anyone feels like speculating, can GDPR compliance be used as a stick when intelligence agencies and law enforcement are looking to collect information on individuals? "Now that all your user information is definitely queryable give us everything you have"? I generally feel positive about the law but I'm curious how this feels from a position of paranoia. (Very tangential followup this is just the first time I've seen intelligence agencies and GDPR mentioned at the same time).
- DanBC 9y ago
  Intelligence agencies and law enforcement don't need that stick, becuase they have others. This is a mixed blessing. Laws like RIPA (in the UK) sound draconian and scary, but they do mean that almost all law enforcement activity comes under a legal framework and that there are checks and balances on use of investigatory powers. The UK has more CCTV than any other country in the world, but now CCTV is regulated by the information commissioner. We even have a surveillance commissioner to look at what the security services are doing.

by shiado 9y ago

woolvalley 9y ago

Isn't what most intelligence agencies do illegal in other countries already?

shiado 9y ago
Probably. Although there is the Five Eyes style arrangement where you don't spy on your own citizens and instead spy on citizens of other countries and then share the data between each other so it all becomes legit. This is described here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes#Domestic_espionage_sharing_controversy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes#Domestic_espionage_s...
- woolvalley 9y ago
  I think those agreements come from the fact that the agencies cannot 'spy' inside their home country, but can get information from other agencies that happen to have info about their country. I still think it is illegal for those other agencies to spy within the home country. Not to mention countries they don't have agreements with. The home agency does not do anything illegal itself, but the other agency does illegal stuff for them.

PeterStuer 9y ago

The GDPR has special exemptions for legal compliance such as data retention and lawful intercept.

techacolyte42 9y ago

Follow up question if anyone feels like speculating, can GDPR compliance be used as a stick when intelligence agencies and law enforcement are looking to collect information on individuals? "Now that all your user information is definitely queryable give us everything you have"? I generally feel positive about the law but I'm curious how this feels from a position of paranoia. (Very tangential followup this is just the first time I've seen intelligence agencies and GDPR mentioned at the same time).

DanBC 9y ago
Intelligence agencies and law enforcement don't need that stick, becuase they have others. This is a mixed blessing. Laws like RIPA (in the UK) sound draconian and scary, but they do mean that almost all law enforcement activity comes under a legal framework and that there are checks and balances on use of investigatory powers. The UK has more CCTV than any other country in the world, but now CCTV is regulated by the information commissioner. We even have a surveillance commissioner to look at what the security services are doing.