
GCHQ, the government's monitoring agency, acted illegally by developing spy programs that remotely hijack computers' cameras and microphones without the user's consent, according to privacy campaigners. A legal challenge lodged on Tuesday at the investigatory powers tribunal (IPT) calls for the hacking techniques – alleged to be far more intrusive than interception of communications – to be outlawed. Mobile phones were also targeted, leaked documents reveal. The claim has been submitted by Privacy International following revelations by the whistleblower Edward Snowden about the mass surveillance operations conducted by GCHQ and its US counterpart, the National Security Agency (NSA). The 21-page submission details a host of "malware" – software devised to take over or damage another person's computer – with such esoteric names as Warrior Pride, Gumfish, Dreamy Smurf, Foggybottom and Captivatedaudience. Details of the programs have been published by the Guardian and the online magazine The Intercept run by the journalist Glenn Greenwald. They are said to allow GCHQ to gain access to "the profile information supplied by a user in registering a device [such as] … his location, age, gender, marital status, income, ethnicity, sexual orientation, education, and family". More intrusively, Privacy International alleges, the programs enable surveillance of any stored content, logging of keystrokes and "the covert and unauthorised photography or recording of the user and those around him". It is, the claim maintains, the equivalent of "entering someone's house, searching through his filing cabinets, diaries and correspondence, and planting devices to permit constant surveillance in future, and, if mobile devices are involved, obtaining historical information including every location he had visited in the past year". Such break-ins also leave devices vulnerable to attack by others "such as credit card fraudsters, thereby risking the user's personal data more broadly", Privacy International argues. "It is the modern equivalent of breaking in to a residence, and leaving the locks broken or damaged afterwards." The claim acknowledges that it is unclear how many computers or mobiles have been infected but points out that leaked documents show the agencies have the ability to scale up the programme to infect millions of computers and devices around the world. GCHQ itself had reservations about the legality of these surveillance operations, Privacy International claims, pointing to a leaked document noting that "continued GCHQ involvement may be in jeopardy due to British legal/policy restrictions". The activities of GCHQ breach the right to private and family life under article 8 of the European convention on human rights and the 1990 Computer Misuse Act, Privacy International alleges. The submission states: "Privacy International accepts that, in principle, surveillance may be conducted for legitimate aims such as national security. The issue is therefore whether the interference is 'in accordance with the law' or 'prescribed by law', and whether it is necessary and proportionate." The IPT is a partially secret court which investigates complaints about MI5, MI6, GCHQ and the use of surveillance powers by government, police and local authorities. Many of its hearings take place behind closed doors. The IPT has extensive powers to demand to see all relevant intelligence and evidence. Often complainants are told the tribunal can neither confirm nor deny whether surveillance has taken place. This latest submission will join a long line of legal challenges brought by civil liberties groups following Snowden's revelations. The IPT is already looking at complaints over GCHQ and NSA use of mass interception programmes such as Prism and Tempora. Other claims have been lodged against other European governments, at the European court of human rights and with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), alleging abuse of telecommunications equipment. Eric King, deputy director of Privacy International, said: "The hacking programmes being undertaken by GCHQ are the modern equivalent of the government entering your house, rummaging through your filing cabinets, diaries, journals and correspondence, before planting bugs in every room you enter. Intelligence agencies can do all this without you even knowing about it, and can invade the privacy of anyone around the world with a few clicks. "All of this is being done under a cloak of secrecy without any public debate or clear lawful authority. Arbitrary powers such as these are the purview of dictatorships, not democracies. Unrestrained, unregulated government spying of this kind is the antithesis of the rule of law and government must be held accountable for their actions." In the past GCHQ has declined to comment on any of its specific programmes, but stressed that its activities are proportional and comply with UK law. Responding to allegations earlier this year that mobile phones were being targeted through downloaded apps, the agency said: "It is a longstanding policy that we do not comment on intelligence matters." A spokesman added: "Furthermore, all of GCHQ's work is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework that ensures that our activities are authorised, necessary and proportionate, and that there is rigorous oversight, including from the secretary of state, the interception and intelligence services commissioners, and the parliamentary intelligence and security committee. All our operational processes rigorously support this position." 

	[followthemonkey]
	Charity launches legal challenge against GCHQ's development of programs that remotely hijack computer cameras   Finally good news. They must receive all the support they can get to fight this battle.

		[Maury75]
		You are probably right but it's worth keeping up the pressure and support whoever is fighting these battles. In the long run it might or might not lead to something. It's worth trying but it takes millions to go against them.

		[QueenBoadicea]
		Maybe they are at work?

		[followthemonkey]
		And the people lives are too valuable to lose if they riot. Most people have a luxury life and are too busy to be &quot;disturbed&quot;.... then it will be too late.

		[BarrieJ]
		It goes beyond Bush; he like Blair was a patsy.

		[AlexAlexander]
		I'll donate if the charity include Gruppenführer Blair and his henchmen in their legal challenge.

	[superdonyoungy]
	One can only hope these voyeuristic pricks, sponsored with British tax payers money donated willingly by both Labour and the Tories are forced to sit and watch fat sweaty oafs wanking.

		[grundistled]
		Methinks a taxpayers' strike is the way to go: withholding cash from the trax coffers (eg income tax payments by the self employed/small businesses) would get some attention. It needs to be done en mass in an organised way in order to protect the individual though. Model: Define those actions/policies which must be quashed; define what action must be taken to eliminate/curb them; keep it focused on the specific 'common cause' problems, and set a timeframe for the delaying of payments such that it can be seen as a justifiable 'tax strike' rather than just giving something for non-payers to hide behind. I'm personally very uncomfortable paying money to this undemocratic rogue state, since that ostensibly amounts to financing torture, international criminality, and a surveillance state.

		[Ziontrain]
		The state does not have any qualms about mass imprisonment.

		[Rothchilde]
		You could alternatively as the UN to get involved for the breach of the human right to privacy?Launch an inquiry into NSA and GCHQ Or ask the Human Right to Privacy explicitly keep up with the current times.Petition the UN for better Privacy Rights

		[inrepose]
		Who said I was an Oaf! ;)

	[Unconstituted]
	Campaigners having to do what our vile Westminster career politicians should be doing.  Good luck. A lot of the British public are counting on you.

		[diddoit]
		Can you imagine how these powers would be abused in a strike etc? They already bugged key miners phones and handed info to Thatcher and that was back in 1984.

		[BarrieJ]
		When Harold Wilson, George Thomas, Lord Robens and the Charity Commission conspired to illegally take £150,000 from the Aberfan Disaster Fund; parents of the deceased had their phones tapped, their mail opened and were followed by the security services. The files relating to the enquiry were put under the thirty years rule. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office at Hanslope has over 15 miles of shelving containing files that should have been released to the National Archives; so far they have failed to explain why they haven't. The fact is the people of the UK have always been considered to be the enemies of the state.

		[LizaLane]
		That's as it should be. If we had any sense we would all be enemies of the state.

		[Rothchilde]
		You could sign a petition or launch one yourself. Petition for Better Privacy RightsorPetition the UN to launch an inquiry into the NSA and GCHQ.

	[superdonyoungy]
	Legality is not even in question any more, whistle blowers are traitors and our freedom a precious &quot;gift&quot; from those who believe they have the right to grant it.

		[Maury75]
		You are so right! The term legal doesn't apply anymore. It is opportunely replaced by &quot;necessary&quot;.This story conjures in my mind the picture of a hooded butcher of the Spanish Inquisition as he is just about to dislocate a man's shoulder saying to him: &quot;Have faith poor soul, it might hurt a little but we are doing this for your own good and for your soul's salvation!&quot;So nice of them I always thought...

	[Jellytussel]
	A spokesman added: &quot;Furthermore, all of GCHQ's work is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework that ensures that our activities are authorised, necessary and proportionate, and that there is rigorous oversight, including from the secretary of state, the interception and intelligence services commissioners, and the parliamentary intelligence and security committee. All our operational processes rigorously support this position.&quot; Oh yeah.

		[Americro]
		That is a triple-flusher, with a good minute of intense scraping with chlorox afterwards ....

	[drbendyspoogun]
	Can you ask them if my camera still works, as my friend fell off a shelf trying to retrieve a Danny Baker Own Goals and Gaffs VHS and landed on my screen, I replaced the screen but the camera isn't recognised. I'm at the computer now, I'm the one wearing the City Boy T-shirt and have got a fez on to disguise my baldness. Thanks GCHQ, let me know if you can get it to work, keep up the good work,

		[MrFabJp]
		Best Danny Baker DVD is The Game... a classic!

	[onetimeonly]
	I'd like to write here what I think about this initiative, but since what I write here will be stored for all eternity to be used against me or my children later, if appropriate, perhaps I shouldn't.

		[Rothchilde]
		Perhaps signing a petition to the UN to do something is a better option for you? Petition UN for better Privacy RightsUN:Launch an inquiry into NSA and GCHQ P.S.:    Warrior Pride, Gumfish, Dreamy Smurf, Foggybottom and Captivatedaudience  Did you notice there are exactly five? Are they five for the five powers US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand who have NSA and GCHQ stations on site?

		[superdonyoungy]
		All brought to you by the two main political parties.

		[gilesjuk]
		Blair's legacy. So while Thatcher screwed over the unions, Blair screwed over everyone else.

		[Foreigner2]
		Icaruss said:   well, your intent to write something is enough. Your past comments will be viewed in this comment's context now.  Interesting. It means ... it means ... well, I don't know what it actually means ... I guess it means I will have to quote Walt Whitman. &quot;Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes.&quot;

		[Bret Tom O'Hawks]
		There's a danger that you may hold extremist views. You cannot be allowed to have the oxygen of publicity; to be free to pollute the innocent minds of right thinking people. Maybe you, your family and associates should be detained in Diego Garcia for security reasons? Oops, I mentioned Diego Garcia! Oh, I'm going to flee to my secret hide-out before plod 'gives me words of advice'.  Good luck everyone.

	[infinitesadness]
	I go online knowing they have got everything, I have nothing to hide.I even have tape over the camera and microphone to stop the perverts.Because they can listen in too. I'm more worried about my stolen identities and what it has done to my credit rating. But what is more concerning is that I don't think CIA,FBI,MI5,MI6 and GCHQgive a stuff about the legality of my privacy, As far as they are concerned,we are all legitimate targets and the fines they might have to pay if they get caught are minute if next to nothing. For them we are just zeros.

		[rinzor]
		I've said it before and I'll say it again,Blu-Tack is your invaluable friend. (anon)

		[vondon]
		the fines they might have to pay if they get caught are minute if next to nothing   Would also just be paid by the taxpayer.

		[T0nyN]
		Would also just be paid by the taxpayer.   back to the exchequer who then pays it to the spies who..... A nice circle.

	[diddoit]
	The new docs Greenwald has just published blow the lid on a lot of the fibs.

		[tryingtobehonest]
		Here's something to get you started.

	[diddoit]
	Did anyone read what Cameron said in opposition? In June 2009, in a speech at Imperial College London Cameron said: &quot;Today we are in danger of living in a control state&quot;. &quot;Every month over a thousand surveillance operations are carried out, not just by law enforcement agencies but by other public bodies like councils and quangos. &quot;The tentacles of the state can even rifle through your bins for juicy information.&quot; Cameron said there were &quot;serious questions&quot; about the quality of justice in Britain. He said a Tory government would seek to rebalance the relationship between the individual and the state. Cameron : &quot;A Conservative government would constantly ask two essential questions: Does this action enhance personal freedom, and does it advance political accountability?&quot; Does anyone think that's what he's done?

		[diddoit]
		If I were Clegg, I'd hand his quotes to him and ask him to read through them slowly.  For it's Cameron blocking reform, Clegg isn't being assertive enough though.

		[Hottentot]
		No His actions and words are totally different now, one only has to recall his comments in parliament, his side kick trying to intimidate the Guardian, Hague's stupid saying, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear, and May's closed answers to the select committee's questions.

		[MirandaKeen]
		No, he's taken things to a new level by privatising and selling our data. Next he'll be telling us that he didn't know what GCHQ were up to. Very dangerous individual with a cabinet that can easily develop a totalitarian regime.

	[Busufi]
	As far as I know, I do not recall the right to national security, security & spying being exclusive to HM's Government or HM Forces; since our Nation is at war against terrorism the citizens of the Nation have a common law right to protect the Realm including the right to preserve national security and the right to self-defence. Please correct me if I am wrong.

		[kimorris]
		The only reason the UK is at war with &quot;terrorism&quot; is because the war criminal Bliar began two acts of aggression in the middle east

		[tryingtobehonest]
		Goes back a bit further than that monster, but yes, certainly added fuel to the fire.

	[Myro117]
	About time, the GCHQ have been skating by too damn quietly for my liking. The charity have my full support

	[AnAverageJoe]
	And to think that my friends all thought that i had completely lost my marbles because i chose to cover up my built-in web-cam lense on my 'puter - he who laughs last eh...

		[Cavirac]
		I read a few years ago that people could take over your camera so the technology has been around for quite a while now and even in the public domain. Best thing is to cover the lens straight away when you take it out the box. Paranoid no, careful yes.

		[BryanHemming]
		I covered mine up as soon as I saw my new laptop had one.

		[AnAverageJoe]
		Me too, BryanHemming - tis enough to make one wonder if there is a 'Top Ten' of intimate cam moments stored away somewhere, doesn't it...

	[Maury75]
	Eric King, Deputy Director of Privacy International, said: The hacking programmes being undertaken by GCHQ are the modern equivalent of the government entering your house, rummaging through your filing cabinets, diaries, journals and correspondence, before planting bugs in every room you enter. Intelligence agencies can do all this without you even knowing about it, and can invade the privacy of anyone around the world with a few clicks. All of this is being done under a cloak of secrecy without any public debate or clear lawful authority. Arbitrary powers such as these are the purview of dictatorships not democracies. Unrestrained, unregulated Government spying of this kind is the antithesis of the rule of law and Government must be held accountable for their actions.” Well said!

	[Americro]
	I haven't even bothered to scroll through any comments yet. How many bots, paid shills, information warfare agents, and misinformed citizens have defended this monstrous violation of privacy under the rhetoric of it &quot;keeping the UK safe&quot;? This has nothing to do with keeping anyone safe. It is bulk privacy violation to build profiles and gather information on people's thoughts, and to get bits of info to be presented out of context as story fragments to punish thoughts in the near or far future. The bus and subway bombings were not prevented by this. None of this does anything for safety. In fact, it makes everyone less safe because it wastes time, personnel, resources and taxpayer money, which directly and aids and abets actual terrorists and terrorism, while violating the law and allows power abusing politicians and bad apples in security agencies to build profiles, start parallel constructions without probable cause, and of course, float information to destroy reputations and credibility, to blackmail, or to sit and collect info on people to prosecute them for at best thought crimes at a later date, to pull information entirely out of context and to create crimes, thought crimes and terrorism out of a rant, sarcastic remark, bad joke, running bad joke between friends, etc. It is people with absolute power playing God. Intelligence in the US and UK is out of control, due to idiotic politicians and political appointees to head agencies, and they are unintelligently directly aiding and abetting terrorism through their obsession with innocent people's thoughts, conversations, selfies, etc. What the US and UK intelligence agencies are doing is acting like awkward, hyperactive 13 year olds with a security clearance.

	[coolguywithattitude]
	Even the assumption that this could be lawful in a democracy shows just how out of hand the big brother snoopers of the state have become.

	[317east]
	Furthermore, all of GCHQ's work is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework that ensures that our activities are authorised, necessary and proportionate, and that there is rigorous oversight, including from the secretary of state, the interception and intelligence services commissioners, and the parliamentary intelligence and security committee. All our operational processes rigorously support this position. Lies. &quot;For at least GCHQ, the number of audited queries is only 5% of those performed.&quot; - Edward Snowden
