The Judiciary Police (PJ) has reiterated that all investigations it carries out comply with the law and that citizen surveillance requires the authorization of a judge. The security force stated that it also needs to be aware of new technologies currently available in the market.
Emails recently disclosed by WikiLeaks indicate that CCAC and the Judiciary Police (PJ) had shown interest in acquiring cyber-surveillance software from Italian IT company Hacking Team, via their Singapore office.
The PJ stressed that the surveillance of telecommunications is carried out depending on the requirements of a particular investigation, and subject to a judge’s authorization. “The PJ has been carrying out its investigations complying with the law and respective proceedings laid out by Macau’s judicial bodies,” a statement released last week said.
Emails exchanged between Hacking Team’s employees and Macau’s security forces show no clear evidence that the CCAC or the PJ succeeded in acquiring the software. However, as the Times reported on Friday, one of the emails sent by a PJ member asks for assistance in installing the system.
The Hacking Team fell victim to a cyber-attack last week. Hackers breached the company’s servers, downloading over 400 gigabytes of its data. WikiLeaks released over a million of Hacking Team’s emails.
An article published by The Guardian last week explores how opaque the company is, despite its straightforward approach and daring promotional material advertising its products and abilities: “Hack into your targets with the most advanced infection vectors available.”
The company never disclosed its list of clients, or provided details on the technology behind its software. Nor did it elaborate on the type of work they were contracted to perform in the name of privacy and security.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published a report in 2013 regarding “digital mercenaries,” including Hacking Team. The report said that Hacking Team, Britain’s Gamma Group, Germany’s Trovicor, France’s Amesys and American’s Blue Coat Systems “sell products that are liable to be used by governments to violate human rights and freedom of information.”
According to the Washington Post, Hacking Team emails – now archived by WikiLeaks – suggest that the company faced pressure from the United Nations and the Italian government over business relations with repressive regimes.
In March 2015, Hacking Team was accused of providing software to the Ethiopian government, which was then used to spy on journalists and activists based overseas, including in the US. CP
Hong Kong’s anti-graft agency also involved in scandal
Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was also found to have sought the services of the IT company Hacking Team, well known for selling software to governments that enable them to carry out surveillance operations of citizens’ computers and mobile phones, the South China Morning Post reported.
An e-mail conversation between an ICAC principal investigator and the head of Hacking Team’s Singapore office show that ICAC was interested in the company’s Galileo remote control system, in particular for mobile phones. They too discussed a meeting for a software demonstration.
SCMP reported that an ICAC spokesperson would not confirm whether they bought or tried the software, which can cost around HKD3 million for a three-month trial.
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