11. 02. 2014

SHARE: IS THERE INTERNET MONITORING SOFTWARE IN SERBIA

Novi Sad, 11.02.2014 (Beta, RTV) - Share Foundation warned today that there are indications that software for mass surveillance of electronic communications is being used in Serbia and requested from President Tomislav Nikolic that the National Security Council examines whether this is true.

In an open letter to Nikolic, on the occasion of the Safer Internet Day and the fight against surveillance of electronic communications, the foundation said that there are indications that in Serbia software manufactured by companies FinFisher and Trovicor is being used, but that there is no precise data whether it is used by state agencies or private organizations.

"The abuse of these tools, while there is no clear legal framework and control mechanism for their use by public authorities or private actors, harshly violates the right to privacy, and thus threatens the foundations of a democratic society," the letter states.

Share Foundation wrote to Nikolic regarding his earlier claims that his communications were monitored without authorization and urged him to sign the online petition "Request for Termination of Mass Surveillance".

It was suggested to Nikolic that he should request at the meeting of the National Security Council the establishment of a working group, composed of members of the Coordination Bureau, the Ombudsman and the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, which would prepare a report on the allegations set forth in the letter.

Share Foundation reminded that the UN General Assembly recently adopted a resolution on the right to privacy in the digital age, and that Article 41 of the Serbian Constitution guarantees the right to privacy of communication and ensures that electronic communication of all people is not intercepted arbitrarily and without any control.

"Journalists, human rights activists and researchers are not able to adequately, independently and impartially perform their social role if someone without authorizaiton and without their knowledge oversees communications," the letter states.

Share Foundation reminded of the report by the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, which states that security authorities have established a 24-hour connection to the largest telecommunications operators and they made more than 270,000 independent accesses to data retained by one of them, which is a drastic violation of the right to privacy of the citizens of Serbia.