France summons US envoy over spying claims

[cronus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24607880

France summons US envoy over spying claims

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has summoned the US ambassador over newspaper claims that the US spied on millions of phone calls in France.

France has labelled such activity between allies as "unacceptable".

Le Monde says the data, based on leaks from ex-intelligence analyst Edward Snowden, suggest the US NSA agency monitored businesses and officials as well as terrorism suspects.

The intercepts were apparently triggered by certain key words.

The paper says the National Security Agency (NSA) spied on 70.3 million phone calls in France in just 30 days between December 10 last year and January 8, 2013.

(continued, the guilty have nothing to fear but then there's the French...)

[Clinton Huxley]

Probably hoovering up data about Airbus sales to pass on to Boeing.

[Svartalf]

I fart in the US' general direction.

[Clinton Huxley]

Aye, that's pretty much all the French did to the Germans in 1940.

[cronus]

Probably hoovering up data about Airbus sales to pass on to Boeing.

When China does it it's called Industrial Espionage but when America does it then it's War On Terror rhetoric.

[Clinton Huxley]

Probably hoovering up data about Airbus sales to pass on to Boeing.

When China does it it's called Industrial Espionage but when America does it then it's War On Terror rhetoric.

its the War on Non-American Capitalism.

[pErvinalia]

I just watched Argo again, and I'm reminded how farcical we are as an international community. It's bizarre that we live in a world where we spy on our friends, or we have to pretend to be a movie company to stop 6 innocent people getting hanged or shot by a bunch of nutcases. We really have failed as a general civilisation. We need to go back to the drawing board.

[Tyrannical]

France summons US envoy over spying claims.........and a missing Pink Diamond!

[JimC]

Probably hoovering up data about Airbus sales to pass on to Boeing.

When China does it it's called Industrial Espionage but when America does it then it's War On Terror rhetoric.

Fucking hypocrites.

I think I am moving more and more in the BG direction. Uncivilised indeed...

[piscator]

Just a little white hat pentesting. We really should charge for this!

[Ian]

Probably hoovering up data about Airbus sales to pass on to Boeing.

When China does it it's called Industrial Espionage but when America does it then it's War On Terror rhetoric.

Fucking hypocrites.

I think I am moving more and more in the BG direction. Uncivilised indeed...

France never does anything of the sort.

[Svartalf]

Never on such a scale, and we do it with class; you could say with a certain discreet charm.

[tattuchu]

Every country has spies. They spy. It's what they do. Hence, the title: spy. So why does everyone always act shocked and outraged when spies are revealed to be...spying?

[JimC]

Every country has spies. They spy. It's what they do. Hence, the title: spy. So why does everyone always act shocked and outraged when spies are revealed to be...spying?

Largely, it is the scale of the NSA issue, as revealed by Snowden and others. This is not a certain country trying to take a peak at another's new missile plan, but the US winnowing the world's communication network, friend and foe alike, as they like. Outside of the US, it is not just the outline of the communication, but the contents as well that are potentially at risk.

Sheer arrogance and bullying...

[klr]

Every country has spies. They spy. It's what they do. Hence, the title: spy. So why does everyone always act shocked and outraged when spies are revealed to be...spying?

Largely, it is the scale of the NSA issue, as revealed by Snowden and others. This is not a certain country trying to take a peak at another's new missile plan, but the US winnowing the world's communication network, friend and foe alike, as they like. Outside of the US, it is not just the outline of the communication, but the contents as well that are potentially at risk.

Sheer arrogance and bullying...

China has - allegedly - stolen detailed information about all sorts of advanced US weapons systems, never mind all sorts of industrial/commercial intelligence as well.

Given the ability and the inclination - and the fact that we live in a world of data and communication - most countries will be unable to resist collecting all the information they can, by fair means or foul.