Gardaí Leaking Mobile Phone Records?
May 25th, 2006
Last Tuesday’s Evening Herald had a curious front page story about the Afghan hunger strikers. Entitled “Truth about Taliban hunger strike” it read:
Exclusive: Sinister Taliban rebels directed Dublin sit-in protest from Afghanistan.
The hunger strikers inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral were being directed from Afghanistan, gardai believe.
Sources have told the Evening Herald that some of the 41 protestors maintained close mobile phone contact with “outsiders” in Afghanistan.
It is thought that these advisers were senior Taliban figures and officers have identified a number of former active Taliban fighters amond the hunger strikers.
A source said: “There was an almost constant phone link to advisers in Afghanistan and there is no doubt that these protestors were pawns that were being directed from home.”
“They were seeking regular direction on what they should do and there was no doubt that a Mr Big was in charge.”
This story suggests that Gardaí or others having access to confidential mobile phone records are leaking them to the press, confirming our previous warnings that data retention would be abused. The legislation makes it clear that information should be accessed only for the “prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of crime” – it’s silent on the question of advancing a political agenda by media leaks. We’ve written to the Data Protection Commissioner asking him to investigate this apparent abuse of the legislation.
Entry Filed under: DRI, Data Retention, Mass surveillance
13 Comments Add your own
1. Ken McGuire | May 25th, 2006 at 10:47 pm
It was bound to happen sooner or later with all the hype over data retention. Coming into an election year it will be interesting to see how this one is played out both politically and through the media…
2. John McCormac | May 25th, 2006 at 11:31 pm
But what if this alleged leak was actually a leak that was in the public interest?
3. Damien Mulley » Blo&hellip | May 27th, 2006 at 12:29 am
[...] It was Digital Rights Ireland who covered the fact that Gardai might be leaking mobile phone data of the Afghanis in the Cathedral. Where’s that in the “mainstream” media? [...]
4. Jack M | June 9th, 2006 at 3:39 pm
Have we jun jumped with this story? In no way does this indicate that the phone records were passed to An Garda Suíochana and let me tell you as fact that the process for retrieval of telephone records takes quite some time (Cellular networks would be generating just short of 1 million calls in an hour and lets pretend the Tali’s were taking services from multiple vendors). The article could be based on primary evidence e.g., visual evidence of use. Perhaps the Gardaí were listening in some way or had requested triangulation on the GSM cell networks from the mobile companies.
Oh, and if you think that the boys in blue are efficient in that check section 64 of the 2005 act. Required signature of a Chief Superintendent. So delays and more delays. The information is also trasmitted via fax.
If you’d like a laugh view this, with sound: http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-wh-nsawiretapping,0,1906650.flash
Parody of the US NSA tapping allegations.
5. Micheal O Dowd | June 20th, 2006 at 1:38 pm
Bizarre story, but it doesn’t really prove anything.
Certainly the phone records could not have shown how “…They were seeking regular direction on what they should do and there was no doubt that a Mr Big was in charge.”
Unless of couse Bin Laden registers his mobile phone to get the free credit…
6. Barry | July 11th, 2006 at 7:04 am
Even though some comments seem to think it is a slow legal process, the technical side is not so difficult. It wouldn’t be so easy to tap and listen to digital signals from a phone on the fly but to identify where calls from a particular mobile in St Pats were going wouldn’t be much of a problem. In effect the story only says that calls were made to Afghanistan. I’d say there aren’t too many calls from Ireland to there and the country code would be easy to sift out from the data. I suggest a guard leaked the info to a pal in the Herald.
7. Andy | December 2nd, 2006 at 2:58 pm
I don’t understand that so many people are against this kind of use of new technology in the interest of security. If you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear!
8. Fishy | December 6th, 2006 at 5:31 pm
Andy-
We have a constitutionally based right to privacy. The logic of your assertion is that right is only of value to criminals.
The rest of us could have no objection to a law which compells us to walk around naked in all-glass homes.
Many law abiding people have things they would like to keep private. The constitution gives them the right to do so.
9. Alan | December 17th, 2006 at 10:47 pm
Fishy,
Your comments suggest that you genuinely believe A, The Gardai have an interest in your phone conversations. B, That a Chief Superintendent would authorise it and C, That a Judge would also accept it.
How could that happen if it was for personal or perverted reasons? Seriously, they have better things to do that hear you talk.
I also assume based on your above arguement that you believe Gardai should not be allowed enter houses under any circumstances nor search people under any circumstances nor just about all powers they have. As under your arguement they could enter and/or search your house.
The fact that innocent law abiding people dont suffer this proves the law and powers Gardai use is correct and used within the law.
10. Jim @ Mobile Phones | January 16th, 2007 at 1:04 am
Here something I covered over on my website
http://www.mobileireland.net/2007/01/02/fbi-can-track-phones-in-the-usa/
11. Ken McGuire :: Creative I&hellip | January 23rd, 2007 at 10:41 am
Data Retention Abuse? Phone Records Leaked?…
Digital Rights Ireland has an interesting article on the Gardai leaking confidential mobile phone records to the press following on from the recent hunger strike in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin…
Take a read…
……
12. Lewy | April 19th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
Heres a good example of why someone doing something legal would need a right to privacy.
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/81695
Plenty of relevant stuff in here as well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_privacy
13. Digital Rights Ireland &r&hellip | July 10th, 2007 at 9:49 am
[...] There appears to be an ongoing problem with a minority of Gardaí abusing their position by selling or leaking confidential information. The most recent episode involves allegations that Gardaí have been illegally supplying information to insurance companies. The Sunday Tribune has an update: NEARLY 50 serving gardai have been interviewed as part of an internal inquiry into allegations that members of the force supplied confidential information to insurance companies to help them settle road traffic claims quickly. [...]
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