BTA as Industrial Espionage

Dear Office of Communications,

I read with interest documents disclosed to Gus Hosein concerning
the privacy issues arising from the ongoing Phorm affair.

Nowhere in that material could I see a discussion of the industrial
espionage and intellectual property concerns that also arise when
confidential communication traffic is used for commercial
intelligence gathering.

Rather than resort to elegant sophistry to write a FoI request
designed to force disclosure of something embarrassing, please
could I ask simply...

What part of "BTA using the content of communication traffic is
industrial espionage (and therefore a threat to the whole UK
economy)" does Ed Richards fail to comprehend?

What assessment (if any) have Ofcom made of the industrial
espionage/intellectual property threat posed by allowing
unauthorised surveillance of commercial communications by ISPs?

Yours faithfully,
PJ

Dear Julia Fraser,

thank you for your reply.

I'm surprised to learn Ofcom is unable to
consider or investigate industrial espionage. I'm also a little
disappointed to learn that you made no assessment of industrial
espionage or the unauthorized surveillance of commercial
communications by ISPs.

"We make sure that people in the UK get the best from their
communications services and are protected from scams and sharp
practices, while ensuring that competition can thrive.. Accountable
to Parliament, we are involved in advising and setting some of the
more technical aspects of regulation, implementing and enforcing
the law".

Perhaps you could elaborate for me then; if Ofcom are not
responsible for ensuring that the UK is protected from scams and
sharp practice (such as industrial espionage and unauthorised
communications surveillance)... who do you suppose is responsible
for making that assessment?

I've tried telling the police. They say communications surveillance
is 'not a police priority' and 'someone higher up' has told them
not to investigate. I've tried telling the ICO. They obviously
don't want to touch it with a bargepole; claiming RIPA is not their
responsibility (and ignoring the DPA/PECR). My MP won't ask
questions about it in Parliament, because he tells me it is
'complex'. The CPS have been considering a private prosecution for
almost 1000 days in a state of complete omertà. The UK Intellectual
Property Office claim to have no enforcement powers. My local
Trading Standards are more concerned about the sales of 'Noddy Goes
to Toyland' bootleg DVDs at car bootsales, than issues of national
security. And British Security Services counter intelligence staff
appear to be on a long term sick leave.

So, any help gratefully received.

Yours sincerely,

P. John

Dear Mr Neudegg,

>you may find it useful to contact the Home Office:

Thank you for the suggestion. Coincidentally, I have been in touch
with the Home Office.

You'd be forgiven for thinking the HO would be alert to a bunch of
Russian/Turkish/American/Greek spyware criminals intending to
engage in nationwide industrial espionage and covert mass
communication surveillance (not to mention fraud, and computer
misuse)... particularly during a period of critical/severe security
alert... and two concurrent wars... but apparently not?

Sadly Home Office don't like answering questions about the topic.

Not so surprising, really. I'd be ashamed and embarrassed if I'd
been caught colluding with a bunch of foreign organised
criminals... which is partly why I'm rather confused by Ofcom's
indifference.

But thank you for your suggestion.

Yours sincerely,

P. John