Judiciary Rejects Security Agencies' Demand to Obtain Text Messages, Internet Passwords Data
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The controversial issue of providing security agencies with telecommunications data resurfaced on Monday after a judicial authority rejected a request to expose the text messages (sms) among the Lebanese, As Safir newspaper reported on Monday.
A source close to the judicial authority, which is tasked with assessing the possibility of providing the security forces with the data, told the newspaper that the security agencies' request clearly violates the constitution and the privacy of citizens.
According to the daily, the security agencies filed a request to obtain all the circulating text messages between the Lebanese that occurred two months before the assassination of head of the intelligence branch of the Internal Security Forces(ISF) Maj. Gen. Wissam al-Hasan, who was killed on October 19 in a car bombing in the Ashrafieh district of Beirut.
The security agencies also extended their request to acquire the facebook and several internet passwords that the Lebanese use, under the pretext of the “national security.”
Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui confirmed in comments published in As Safir the matter, warning the approval of such a request would allow security agencies to “further exploit” the privacy of the Lebanese.
He pointed out that he referred the request to the cabinet's general secretariat along with his recommendation to “reject” it.
Sehnaoui urged the judicial authority that is made up of three top judges to be more “effective” in safeguarding the implementation of the constitution.
For his part, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told the newspaper that the ISF Intelligence Bureau filed a request to obtain the text messages across the country, noting that the judges rejected its demand for violating the privacy of the Lebanese.
However, he said that the Intelligence Bureau sought to resubmit a request to obtain the text messages in two provinces including Mount Lebanon.
Charbel defended the security agency, saying that investigators will only view the sms for suspicious numbers.
He stressed that the security apparatuses don't obtain the telecom data of officials.
In August, a Lebanese delegation visited France to view the modern mechanisms in intercepting phone calls.
The delegation came back with results contradictory to what the government decided regarding allowing the security agencies to benefit from the telecom data.
Media reports said that the delegation was informed that the norms require the security agencies to explain the results they reached after analyzing the data. “If the results don’t fulfill the purpose the data was taken for then the side that demanded to acquire the data would be held accountable.”
03 December 2012, 06:51
38
What a joke this country is. "Privacy of citizens" is sacred, how about the life of citizens and their leaders?! are these not sacred ??Isnt the assasination of wessam 7assan a first class terrorist act !? what did they US do when they were attacked on 911?? they tapped millions of phones across the country. Isnt this a clear act of protecting the terrorists who did this crime??, not to mention them planting other cars that did not explode. And then you wonder why it is inevitable that this country is going to a civil war. Bye bye lebanon.
03 December 2012, 09:21
45
i guess FT you are also part of those who believe no man ever walked on the moon...
03 December 2012, 09:50
73
hello guys, wake up!
"all the circulating text messages between the Lebanese that occurred two months before " !?!?!??!
seriously? sorry but rifi and his leash holders can go shove their requests, i dont see why he should read the kinky messages i sent my gf.
03 December 2012, 10:41
43
Mowaten you are affraid to be exposed because you told your gf that you would like to put your finger ? ano w air is that your level of argumentation ? i dont want them to see my message that i sent to my gf ...
03 December 2012, 11:06
23
reje3 slash bi ouwwe :)
Man there is a LAW, this is the democracy you are always fighting for, right? There is something called protection of privacy.
Get the law changed and approved and all will be fine.
Bass this has always always always been the way to go! Iza kell judge byefta7 3a ysebo allah yostor :)
It's exactly like all of you guys accusing one party (HB in that case) of killing the guy without any proof whatsoever! Such behaviors should be banned!
You ask for justice? Wait for the due process no?
03 December 2012, 11:09
42
"chou jeb el moon landing 3ala el 7adiss halla2?" let me tell you coz you need repetition to understand things: you are saying that the americans deliberately killed 3 500 people to have a pretext to invade irak! lol
just like those who deny that americans landed on the moon and it was all fabricated to prove they were stronger than the russians at the time! conspiracy theory as usual...
understood the example now? :)
03 December 2012, 11:09
23
I don't know if anyone noticed the words slash always uses. He is always into 'fingering', 'sorry i was with your mom' hahahah!
Milichia talks and they want democracy!
Tes mots sont tres fideles a la photo que tu mets ;)
03 December 2012, 12:17
21
Neji7 ya slash neji7 batal el laws inta! bass heke educate us and tell me who says that there is no privacy and no laws each time there is a murder? Hek give us some examples where this happened in Europe for instance. Si chaque incident justifie de devenir hors la loi, a quoi bon la loi? ;)
03 December 2012, 12:53
12
Hahaha. Let me guess, you also believe that the world is ending Dec 21st?
03 December 2012, 13:06
11
Mahboul qui a dit daller contre la loi si a chaque fois y a un meurtre ? Ce wue le grain de sable que tu as ds ce crane narrive pas a comprendre que pr trouver qui a tue qui il faut de linfo et si cest la telecom qui manque ils doivent la livre ... Ya ajdab ils sont partis en france et le systeme libanais est loppose de ce quils ont trouve fa arrete de faire comme si tu comprenais quelque chose aux lois repete tjs ce que ce single dis ts les mardis
03 December 2012, 13:11
12
Yalla un petit example ya fathal et y a meme pas e de meurtre laffaire clearstream si tu as deja entendu parle et si comme tu le pretends tu as vecu en europe ty dois savoir le nbrede conversations entegistrees et livrees le nbre de messages les numeros de comptes ... Bass ahbal quoi dire dautre
03 December 2012, 13:46
22
slash évidement qu'il y avait une part d'ironie dans mon commentaire, mais l'intrusion massive et généralisée dans la vie privée des gens est une porte ouverte au fascisme et a toutes sortes de manipulations.
when you know everyone's dirty little secrets you can threaten, blackmail and sway people into going your way, all in secret.
example? "vote for us, or your wife will find out you cheated on her"
blackmail is as old as the world, a lot of people have some monsters, or some shameful secrets, hidden in their closets. it's a common practice to find these out to gain leverage on people, and this is why the gestapo-like FSI drive is scary.
03 December 2012, 13:52
41
and no, there are other ways to protect the citizens and security, actually i wonder what kind of amateur agents would use sms and cellphones to organize their crimes. enno please, every stupid teenager who ever bought hash already knows not to use any incriminating word over the phone, now we're supposed to think world-class assassins go around texting each other with "hey guys X ordered us to bomb Y, let's do it and here are all the details of the operation, ps: make sure you delete the msgs ;))) ehehhe rofl".
please guys, dont back such a ridiculous and dangerous move simply because you support a political side.
03 December 2012, 14:06
21
Slashito mi corazon English please.
and please please please arrete ce complexe d'inferiorite ;) kell jemle 3indak yeha 'ajdab' w 'ahbal' hahaha
ah mazbout milechyewe w eben el chaweri3! Not your fault I understand no worries :)
Again you are breaking the laws son, a law is there to be respected. NEVER EVER in Europe did they go against any law, the simply cannot. Even in case of proven terrorists... they have to abide by the law 7arfan 7arfan.
Bass akid cha'fit milichyewe cannot get it.
I don't blame you!
03 December 2012, 17:32
10
Conspiracy theorists are the people who spread fear and rumors that there is some kind of negative or evil force behind an incident or catasrophic event. Please backup your conspiracy theories with facts or keep them to yourself.
03 December 2012, 18:57
11
Conspiracy theorists are the people who spread fear and rumors that there is some kind of negative or evil force behind an incident or event. Simply making a statement which contradicts what is widely accepted by the majority of people as the correct account of the event without explicit facts is to perpetuate a version that is fictional theory.
03 December 2012, 20:28
10
Conspiracy theorists are the people who spread fear and rumors that there is some kind of negative or evil force behind an incident or event. Simply making a statement which contradicts what is widely accepted by the majority of people as the correct account of the event without explicit facts is to perpetuate a version that is fictional theory.
03 December 2012, 08:58
25
in many western countries the security agencies do that! but it is strictly and legally supervised only in extreme cases. why can t lebanon do it? the gvt has people to protect? lol
03 December 2012, 09:53
63
lol the lebanese fantasy of "western countries", if they do it in the "west" than it's good?
and anyway, you're totally wrong, in no civilized country can security agencies access such data without judicial agreement
03 December 2012, 11:04
32
just read mr mowaten instead of jumping at me with your pavlovian reflexes...
i wrote "legally supervised" : doesn t it means exactly what you are saying to look smarter? "in no civilized country can security agencies access such data without judicial agreement"
lebanese fantasy of "western countries": you make me laugh here..where do lebanese go mostly to study or work? in iran i guess the model democracy of yours? LOL
03 December 2012, 11:08
23
Fully agreed mowaten! At least someone has a brain on this site :)
I live almost all my life in these 'western countries'. When anything goes against the law, the case is void!
bass ne7na men 7ebb netfalsaf ;)
Now they will accuse the telecom minister for the killing because he is just abiding by the law...
Yeuh yeuh yeuhhhhhhh will their leader say on tv :)
03 December 2012, 11:14
32
reformist the smart: why couldn t the judiciary have access to data of suspect people and within strict laws to control it? because M8 tells you it is bad? or do you have any good argument?
03 December 2012, 12:48
12
so are you claiming that this hizbocrap government is civilized now??
03 December 2012, 13:55
21
lol peace, you can't even read what you wrote yourself and asking me to? what a funny guy you are
you wrote "legally supervised only in extreme cases", not just "legally supervised"
if you can't see the difference i'm sorry but i can't help you.
03 December 2012, 13:57
21
mohammad, it's funny what you're saying, and quite ironical you speak with a mouth full of "crap" and claim to be giving lessons on who is civilized? hahaha, please learn some manners before addressing "us savages"
03 December 2012, 13:58
21
peace "why couldn t the judiciary have access to data of suspect people and within strict laws to control it?"
this they can, but that is not what they are asking for. what they are asking for is:
"all the circulating text messages between the Lebanese that occurred two months before "
4 million lebanese are suspects now? and how strict is a law that releases ALL messages over a period of two months?
03 December 2012, 11:34
34
Peace, I never pretended to be smart, I let people judge on that one. The law is the law... This is the first premise of any democracy! It must be respected under any condition. Else it needs to be changed and there is a process for that :)
Iza kel wahad byefta7 3a 7sebo, then we are talking about something different.
El meshkle is our lawyers and politicians byetfalsafo and start throwing accusations chmel w yemin...
You are not happy with a law, fight to get it changed... through the law!
Is this a good argument? ;)
03 December 2012, 16:20
00
Just a quick question. What if the General Security Bureau (which is loyal to hizbullah) asks for the same kind of data and passwords for the past 3 months for all communications covering the north of Lebanon? And they state that it is to track those who are supporting the FSA with money, arms and men? Would that be acceptable to us?
03 December 2012, 17:21
03
At Realist /Slash / FT
"The security agencies filed a request to obtain ALL the circulating text messages between ALL the Lebanese"
"The security agencies also extended their request to acquire the facebook and several internet passwords that the Lebanese use"
Security agencies want to tap into ALL of the Lebanese, and they want access and password of ALL Lebanese bank accounts, and facebook accounts, as well as maybe Yahoo, Hotmail, etc...
And you guys don't see a problem with that???
Normally in any country, such request by security agencies would be made with regard to very narrow list of people, whom security agencies have a lead on, or are suspected to be behind a crime, and Judge(s) looking into their request, finds probable reason to give the access. Never has any country, including the United States FT has any secuirty agency been granted access by the Judicial to tap, gain access or obtain password of all its citizens.
03 December 2012, 19:09
03
That's the most stupid approach I heard. So, now they will blame their inability to find the killers because of that. Where is the president's opinion on this, or other leaders?
How come in other parts of the world, they can solve crimes and find killers (most of the times), but never in Lebanon? Tayeb, at least once, find the killers! Wallaw!
03 December 2012, 20:36
00
Sorry for all the duplicate posts. Not sure how that happened.
