3 ms·

It's less of a big deal because states spy on other states, even their allies. It has been that way since the beginning and everyone usually turns a blind eye u

by _djo_ 13y ago

It's less of a big deal because states spy on other states, even their allies. It has been that way since the beginning and everyone usually turns a blind eye unless it either gets leaked and causes embarrassment or it results in a real security risk as in the case of Pollard. Every one of the countries currently lodging complaints over the story of the UK's GCHQ hacking G20 delegates possesses a communications intelligence organisation whose mandate is to spy on foreign states and on foreign people. That includes my own country, which has complained loudly while conveniently forgetting about the National Communications Centre whose purpose is to do exactly that sort of thing. They've also forgotten about some surveillance equipment that was discovered outside the German embassy about a decade ago. So it's the way things are and have always been. You spy on your allies (very discreetly!) because that's how you maintain confidence in them remaining your allies.

mfwoods 13y ago
Sure, I agree that governments spying on other governments is something that is a necessary evil up to a certain point. In my opinion this is vastly different from a government reading and storing pretty much all foreign communication they can get their hands on from an allied state citizens though, something I understand the USA/NSA seems to be doing.
- _djo_ 13y ago
  Thing is though, that doesn't matter. No country places any restrictions on whether the foreigners its spy services monitor are part of a foreign government or not because it wouldn't make any sense. To use a pertinent example, none of the dozens of countries trying to intercept al-Qaeda communications cares which country they're in as long (in most cases) as they're not domestic. So what the NSA is doing to foreign citizens is no different to what every other country with the means does. My country will happily (and legally) spy on American citizens indiscriminately if it feels the need to, as will all of Europe.

by _djo_ 13y ago

mfwoods 13y ago

Sure, I agree that governments spying on other governments is something that is a necessary evil up to a certain point. In my opinion this is vastly different from a government reading and storing pretty much all foreign communication they can get their hands on from an allied state citizens though, something I understand the USA/NSA seems to be doing.

_djo_ 13y ago
Thing is though, that doesn't matter. No country places any restrictions on whether the foreigners its spy services monitor are part of a foreign government or not because it wouldn't make any sense. To use a pertinent example, none of the dozens of countries trying to intercept al-Qaeda communications cares which country they're in as long (in most cases) as they're not domestic. So what the NSA is doing to foreign citizens is no different to what every other country with the means does. My country will happily (and legally) spy on American citizens indiscriminately if it feels the need to, as will all of Europe.