Tempora
Tempora is the codeword for a computer system used by the British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). It collects most internet communications from fibre-optic cables. The data base of messages can be searched later as required.[2] The system went into action in autumn 2011.[3]
Tempora uses intercepts on the fibre-optic cables that make up most of the internet. It gets large amounts of internet users' personal data, without any individual suspicion or targeting.[4]
The existence of Tempora was revealed by Edward Snowden. He is a former American intelligence contractor who leaked information to former Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald in May 2013. This was part of Snowdon's revelations of government-sponsored mass surveillance programs. Data collected by the Tempora program is shared with the National Security Agency of the United States.[5]
References
change- ↑ Philip Bump (21 June 2013). The UK Tempora program captures vast amounts of data – and shares with NSA. The Atlantic Wire. [1][permanent dead link]
- ↑ GCHQ report on the technical abilities of the powerful spying program TEMPORA, which allows for a "full take" Archived 2019-06-05 at the Wayback Machine, released by Der Spiegel on 18 June 2014
- ↑ Shubber, Kadhim. "A simple guide to GCHQ's internet surveillance program Tempora". Wired. Archived from the original on 15 May 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ↑ Ball, James (25 October 2013). "Leaked memos reveal GCHQ efforts to keep mass surveillance secret". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- ↑ Ewen MacAskill; Julian Borger; Nick Hopkins; Nick Davies; James Ball (21 June 2013). "GCHQ taps fibre-optic cables for secret access to world's communications". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
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