Sweden Can Monitor Calls, Emails from Finland

[wilpuri]

Sweden Can Monitor Calls, Emails from Finland Published 01.07.2008, 09.58 (updated 01.07.2008, 10.01) Image: YLE

Swedish lawmakers have been flooded with criticism after approving a controversial eavesdropping law. The legislation also affects most emails, phone calls and faxes sent abroad from Finland. The law, which goes into effect in January, is designed to prevent terrorist attacks. Swedish defence officials will soon have permission to eavesdrop on communications traffic that crosses its borders, even if the final recipient is not in Sweden. Around ninety percent of telecommunications sent abroad from Finland travels through Sweden.

Many online services such as free email accounts Hotmail and Gmail are based abroad -- and communication to those servers travels through Sweden. This opens the door for defence officials to monitor emails. Many other online services which appear to be based in Finland may not be, and are thus also subject to Swedish surveillance.

"Despite its name, the popular chat site Suomi24.fi is based in Sweden. So every message sent will go through the Swedes' filter," notes the Ministry of Communication's internet safety department head Timo Lehtimäki.

When the surveillance law was first presented in the spring, TeliaSonera began to move its servers from Sweden to Finland to spare its Finnish customers from having mobile phone calls monitored.

Swedes Protest Surveillance Law

In Sweden, the public has responded angrily to the new legislation. Hundreds of protestors picketed the Parliament building when the government was debating the law.

Nearly half a million people have sent angry emails to the Swedish newspaper Expressen's online publication, protesting what they call a violation of privacy rights.

YLE

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