fra

Unintended but not unexpected

The recent regulations in Sweden created the Pirate Party. The even more recent controversies with FRA (massive surveillance legislation) and ipred (strengthening copyright holders rights) and the Pirate Bay trial have driven the new parties marketing for them. Yesterday the party passed the 10 000 member level.

The Pirate Party is now larger than both the established Left Party and the Environmental Party making it the sixth largest party (counted in members) in Sweden. Swedish wikipedia has a table of party members here.

That the implementation of strickter internet regulation would increase the popularity of the Pirate Party should hardly be surprising. It is possible that few politicians in other parties were aware of the amount of popular anger was brewing under the surface and how this was organised and created into a more organised protest movement. In this way the growth of the Pirate Party is definately unintended but not unexpected.

Posted on by mklang

Wanted: FRA integrity lawyer: An unpopular but easy job

The Swedish Försvarets Radioanstalt (FRA) or in English the National Defence Radio Establishment is looking for a lawyer. After a recent change in Swedish legislation (the FRA law, or FRA-lagen in Swedish) that came into effect on 1 Januarythe FRA is authorized to warrantlessly wiretap all telephone and Internet traffic that crosses Sweden’s borders. This obviously includes much of internal Swedish communication.

Anyway the FRA now are looking for a lawyer to

Funktionen svarar även för frågor om etik och integritetsskydd i signalunderrättelseverksamheten… Funktionen har även till uppgift att se till att myndigheten behandlar personuppgifter på ett lagligt och korrekt sätt.

The position is responsible for questions of ethics and integrity protection in relation to signals intelligence… The position also has the responsiblity to ensure that the agency treats personal data in a correct and legal manner [my translation].

Wow! Considering the task of the FRA is to eavesdrop on all traffic this job must be a doddle. Once you have made it legal to wiretap all internet traffic without the need for warrents – what integrity concerns can be left for the lawyer to deal with?

Posted on by mklang

Buzzing with FRA

The whole of Sweden is buzzing with the new surveillance law entering into effect in 2009. Or at least many of the Swedish blogs I follow. The outside world is a mystery to me since I am stuck inside writing. Paddy K has written an English version of what’s going on that is well worth reading. Not only that he also lightens my guilt of not actually being more active in publicising the anti-FRA to the non-Swedish speaking world, which is most of you out their since there are only 9 million swedes.

Paddy K also includes the brilliant line:

I guess politicians have short memories. Or scriptwriters with a developed sense of irony.

Thanks I needed a laugh!

The Swedish wikipedia has a good background on FRA. For more about this in English check out EDRIgram, jill/txt, English wikipedia and the Economist.

Posted on by mklang