Netherlands: Vodafone calls for spying debate to focus on secret services

Rob Shuter, CEO of Vodafone Netherlands, has called for a more in-depth debate about the spying revelations of the former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. The discussion to date has lacked factual information, Shuter said in an article on the operator's blog. He said the debate should centre on how the Netherlands balances effective law enforcement and intelligence services with privacy protection. The question is whether intelligence services have the correct judicial authority and whether there is effective oversight at an international level.

Vodafone is concerned that in recent weeks its has attracted the image, as a company of British origin, of one that passes information about customers to intelligence services. Vodafone strongly denied this, with the CEO noting that such suggestions are "completely untrue" and ignore the judicial framework applicable to all operators in the Netherlands. The company name Vodafone Cable has also emerged as part of leaked secret documents. However, Vodafone said that no such company exists.

Vodafone noted further that it meets the requirements of Dutch law, but that it's not possible to test the legality of a request to tap communications. The Dutch parliament will hold a debate with the foreign affairs minister on 16 October over the government's reaction to the spying revelations. The opposition party D66 has called on the government to agree a treaty with the US to prevent such spying, NU.nl reports. 

Read more: Vodafone calls for spying debate to focus on secret services - Telecompaper

Espionage: NSA Spying on Europe - Snowden leaks: France summons US envoy over spying claims

France's foreign ministry has summoned the US ambassador over allegations the US National Security Agency spied on millions of phone calls in France.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said he was "deeply shocked" by the claims made in the Le Monde newspaper.

The data, based on leaks from ex-intelligence analyst Edward Snowden, suggest the NSA monitored officials and businesses as well as terror suspects.

The White House said "all nations" conducted spying operations.

"As a matter of policy we have made clear that the United States gathers foreign intelligence of the type gathered by all nations," said National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden.

Le Monde says the NSA spied on 70.3 million phone calls in France in just 30 days between 10 December last year and 8 January 2013.

Read more: BBC News - Snowden leaks: France summons US envoy over spying claims

U.S. Report Cites 'Persistent' Chinese, Russian Spying for Economic Gain

The U.S. government accused the Chinese of being the world's "most active and persistent" perpetrators of economic spying, an unusual move designed to spur stronger U.S. and international action to combat rampant industrial espionage threatening U.S. economic growth.

Russian intelligence agents also are conducting extensive spying to collect U.S. economic data and technology, according to a U.S. intelligence report released Thursday that concluded China and Russia are "the most aggressive collectors" of U.S. economic information and technology.

"The nations of China and Russia, through their intelligence services and through their corporations, are attacking our research and development," said U.S. counterespionage chief Robert Bryant.

For more: U.S. Report Cites 'Persistent' Chinese, Russian Spying for Economic Gain - WSJ.com