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(Disclaimer: IANAL). This is incredibly disturbing news (though alas, not surprising). Attorney-client privilege exists for a reason. Part of that is to prote

(Disclaimer: IANAL). This is incredibly disturbing news (though alas, not surprising). Attorney-client privilege exists for a reason. Part of that is to protect the client from lawyers acting in bad faith. But part of that is because the entire justice process breaks down if defendants can no longer communicate openly with their lawyers without fear that prosecutors may be able to get their hands on that same information. Of course, there are other means of communication besides email (and email was never the most secure communication medium to begin with), but this still is a very dangerous step.

judk 13y ago
Note that these lawyers were working for a foreign government. It is a bit weird to claim that a multinational corporation deserves more protections than a corporation operating only in its home country.
futurehuman 13y ago
It gets worse. Here's a case showing that this global dragnet has absolutely nothing to do with terrorism, but corporate espionage: http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2013/s3904457.htm http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2013/s3904457.htm "ASIO has cancelled the passport of a retired spy who's preparing to give evidence in The Hague about what he says was his involvement in a covert operation to record Timorese ministers and officials in Dili in 2004." "For some time now the Timorese government has been alleging that the bugging operation was ordered by then foreign minister Alexander Downer during negotiations over a treaty governing billions of dollars in gas revenue between the two countries." "It's understood the spy decided to blow the whistle when he learned that in his life after politics, Alexander Downer had become an advisor to Woodside Petroleum through his lobbying firm, Bespoke Approach." tl;dr: Foriegn Minister of Australia spied on foreign government for Woodside Petroleum. Said minister now works for Woodside Petroleum.
- ttctciyf 13y ago
  A piece[1] at emptywheel.net notes that the mention of sigint used in agricultural trade negotiations around 2004 and suggestively points to a diplomatic cable[2] discussing strategy for changing the French stance on GM imports from the US at that time. If you're interested in this aspect you might like to take a look. [1] http://www.emptywheel.net/2014/02/15/since-spying-to-benefit-monsanto-is-not-industrial-espionage-its-okay/ http://www.emptywheel.net/2014/02/15/since-spying-to-benefit... [2] http://wikileaks.org/cable/2007/12/07PARIS4723.html http://wikileaks.org/cable/2007/12/07PARIS4723.html

judk 13y ago

Note that these lawyers were working for a foreign government. It is a bit weird to claim that a multinational corporation deserves more protections than a corporation operating only in its home country.

futurehuman 13y ago

It gets worse. Here's a case showing that this global dragnet has absolutely nothing to do with terrorism, but corporate espionage: http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2013/s3904457.htm http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2013/s3904457.htm "ASIO has cancelled the passport of a retired spy who's preparing to give evidence in The Hague about what he says was his involvement in a covert operation to record Timorese ministers and officials in Dili in 2004." "For some time now the Timorese government has been alleging that the bugging operation was ordered by then foreign minister Alexander Downer during negotiations over a treaty governing billions of dollars in gas revenue between the two countries." "It's understood the spy decided to blow the whistle when he learned that in his life after politics, Alexander Downer had become an advisor to Woodside Petroleum through his lobbying firm, Bespoke Approach." tl;dr: Foriegn Minister of Australia spied on foreign government for Woodside Petroleum. Said minister now works for Woodside Petroleum.

ttctciyf 13y ago
A piece[1] at emptywheel.net notes that the mention of sigint used in agricultural trade negotiations around 2004 and suggestively points to a diplomatic cable[2] discussing strategy for changing the French stance on GM imports from the US at that time. If you're interested in this aspect you might like to take a look. [1] http://www.emptywheel.net/2014/02/15/since-spying-to-benefit-monsanto-is-not-industrial-espionage-its-okay/ http://www.emptywheel.net/2014/02/15/since-spying-to-benefit... [2] http://wikileaks.org/cable/2007/12/07PARIS4723.html http://wikileaks.org/cable/2007/12/07PARIS4723.html