Thai Police deny plans to spy on people's e-mails, mobiles

[webfact]

HACKING
Police deny plans to spy on people's e-mails, mobiles
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THE Police Bureau has dismissed social media reports that surveillance computer software it purchased from Italy could be used to spy on citizens via their e-mails and mobile devices.

Police spokesman Pol Lt General Prawut Thawornsiri, the chief spokesman, said reports of the 2012 deal with Italy-based Hacking Team worth more than Bt10 million were groundless because surveillance on citizens was illegal and ran counter to national police agency policy.

Besides the national police agency, reports leaked by those who hacked Hacking Team's computer system show that the military and the Department of Corrections were among the Thai buyers.

Governments of many other countries were also named as past and present customers of Hacking Team, which specialises in surveillance software.

A Bangkok-based source said Hacking Team's software was sophisticated and highly-skilled personnel were needed to use the surveillance tools.

The Italian firm has been labelled unethical for selling the software to governments given the potential privacy ramifications.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Police-deny-plans-to-spy-on-peoples-e-mails-mobile-30264857.html

-- The Nation 2015-07-21

[Brit_Doggie]

mobile yes e-mails locked with password never.

[ezzra]

surveillance computer software it purchased from Italy could be used to spy on citizens via their e-mails and mobile devices."

It's not for hacking, eh...we bought from Italy to learn how to make'ta a pasta and a'na Pizza....

joost like a mama use to make..... eh....

Edited July 21, 2015 by metisdead
Bold font removed.

[bino]

Police spokesman Pol Lt General Prawut Thawornsiri, the chief spokesman, said reports of the 2012 deal with Italy-based Hacking Team worth more than Bt10 million were groundless because surveillance on citizens was illegal and ran counter to national police agency policy.

So why did they spend the 10 million on the software if its use was against policy? And since when has policy meant anything in Thailand, especially when there is money or power to be had.

reports leaked by those who hacked Hacking Team's computer system

Ironic that the hacking experts have been a victim of their own game, but good to see that someone is watching the watchers.

[doremifasol]

Spy this, spy that, I spy you, you spy me............

[Yunla]

I feel truly sorry for anyone who has to sit and read my emails all day. I hope they are getting paid a good salary for it. If they are reading this too, I'm sorry for all the emails about the pigeons nesting on my balcony, how my legs are giving me gyp, and all the links to obscure 1980s electropop. I will try to spice up my emails in the future.

[NongKhaiKid]

When officialdom categorically denies something ... !

[arthurboy]

So the denial means that the hacked information from the Hacking Team was hacked before the hacking and misleading details placed in the released hack. Or someone in the group who did the hack put in fake details regarding Thailand to cause trouble.

Clear?

[alfalfa19]

Hilarious: Police spokesman Pol Lt General Prawut Thawornsiri, the chief spokesman, said reports of the 2012 deal with Italy-based Hacking Team worth more than Bt10 million were groundless because surveillance on citizens was illegal and ran counter to national police agency policy.

[awayego]

"A Bangkok-based source said Hacking Team's software was sophisticated and highly-skilled personnel were needed to use the surveillance tools."

That says it all really, absolutely no need for concern folks - TiT!

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

Were these guys not caught out by the army when they went to look at a demo of hacking/eves dropping equipment ? Now they were caught out buying software to hack and still they deny.

[Prbkk]

I feel truly sorry for anyone who has to sit and read my emails all day. I hope they are getting paid a good salary for it. If they are reading this too, I'm sorry for all the emails about the pigeons nesting on my balcony, how my legs are giving me gyp, and all the links to obscure 1980s electropop. I will try to spice up my emails in the future.

Yes, anyone required to follow links to 80s electropop should be paid well.

[AlQaholic]

I feel truly sorry for anyone who has to sit and read my emails all day. I hope they are getting paid a good salary for it. If they are reading this too, I'm sorry for all the emails about the pigeons nesting on my balcony, how my legs are giving me gyp, and all the links to obscure 1980s electropop. I will try to spice up my emails in the future.

Yeah, just put in some phrases such as "Royal Family", "Military", "Junta" and they will be all over you.......

[smutcakes]

According to the report in the BKK Post on the 19th, the police spent Euros 286K in 2013, and the Thai Army spent Euros 360K in 2014.

Perhaps it was 2014, when the army hijacked the army meeting these people and through their cash around instead.

[Lupatria]

Just a gentle reminder:

In 2011 under the leadership of then Deputy Prime Minister, Chalerm Yubamrung, (the guy with the ear problems), a more than US $ 10.2 million expensive Internet surveillance system was purchased by the government, introduced in collaboration between the Technology Crime Suppression Division of the police and the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology.

"The Criminal Code and the Computer Crime Act works against people who proceed to click buttons (" like "and" share”) on facebook messages when they are classified as illegal by the police, said the technology Crime Suppression Division commander, Police Maj Gen Pisit Pao-in.

[No Apologist]

When they say these things, I always imagine they are - somehow, 'technically' - true. As in, it's not actually the 'police' who will use the equipment, but a special task force of the new such and such division of national blah blah that will do it...you know. They just aren't required to add that part.

[Tatsujin]

No need to panic, everyone's gonna be fine cos:

"A Bangkok-based source said Hacking Team's software was sophisticated and highly-skilled personnel were needed to use the surveillance tools."

From my last trip to the CSD, we've got very little to worry about.

[JakeSully]

Not to worry, if you simply replace Prayuth with Pigvomit in communications, the highly skilled elite personnel still won't be able to put it together.

[stuck]

mobile yes e-mails locked with password never.

Please tell me that this comment was made in ignorance. Emails with a password can't be seen or hacked? Email is one of the most insecure apps we use.

Unless your connected using encryption such as SSL, anyone can see your email as it passes from server to server.

[fred Kubasa]

Hell's bells 1 They can't, in broad daylight "spy" on law breakers in their own parking lot !

[GerdT]

mobile yes e-mails locked with password never.

If you patch a password on your e-mails the receiver would need that password too. How are you going to transmit that via a secure channel when that person sits abroad in another country?

Maybe you should try encryption for a starter that would help.

[passiflora]

i don't know why, but i don't believe that 1 second

[Borzandy]

If The police deny, then you can be absolutely sure they will not do !! Understood ??

[GerdT]

mobile yes e-mails locked with password never.

Please tell me that this comment was made in ignorance. Emails with a password can't be seen or hacked? Email is one of the most insecure apps we use.

Unless your connected using encryption such as SSL, anyone can see your email as it passes from server to server.

The judges are still out on that to come to a verdict. A password on emails only makes sense if you use a compression program and add a password too it. That still doesn’t help a lot since the password needs to be known to the receiving person too and that hands you a distribution problem. The password needs to be send which can be intercepted or needs to be exchanged in person prior of starting communications.

As far as SSL goes that might cut out the average hacker but certainly not agencies like the NSA or GCHQ because for them this isn’t a problem anymore.

[dotpoom]

"The Italian firm has been labelled unethical for selling the software to governments given the potential privacy ramifications".

I see....so the people wanting to buy it are walking saints.

[oneday]

"...were groundless because surveillance on citizens was illegal and ran counter to national police agency policy..."

...as if this country were being run by a lawfully elected government.

We believe, we believe...

[klauskunkel]

reports of the 2012 deal with Italy-based Hacking Team worth more than Bt10 million were groundless because surveillance on citizens was illegal and ran counter to national police agency policy.

since when has illegality stopped the Thai police from performing criminal acts?

[Thaddeus]

Can you imagine how many viruses and spyware they will contract..... shudder.

I wouldn't trust any of the RTP or the ICT to change a plug, for all our sakes don't give them buttons to press.

Unless it's a broken keyboard, in a sand-pit, with a toy hammer.

[stuck]

As far as SSL goes that might cut out the average hacker but certainly not agencies like the NSA or GCHQ because for them this isn’t a problem anymore.

Agreed.

[GerdT]

When they say these things, I always imagine they are - somehow, 'technically' - true. As in, it's not actually the 'police' who will use the equipment, but a special task force of the new such and such division of national blah blah that will do it...you know. They just aren't required to add that part.

Not entirely true but the root of the problem is that state agencies can stay within the confinements the law sets and let another foreign service do the dirty deed. NSA and GCHQ work hand in hand to bypass laws which ensure the service that isn’t permitted certain task in the own country will be done by the sister service abroad.