Intercepting data on the Internet

27.4.1998

WRITTEN QUESTION E‑1429/98
by Daniela Raschhofer (NI)
to the Commission

As reported by the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties and Internal Affairs, the American intelligence service in Europe routinely intercepts e-mails, telephone calls and faxes.  According to the committee's report, the illicitly obtained information is transmitted by satellite to Fort Meade in Maryland (the headquarters of the intelligence service).  According to a report by the German television company ARD, the European Union's telecommunications networks are also tapped constantly by the United States intelligence service (NSA).

 

1. Is the Commission aware that the NSA has hacked into the EU data network and in this way come into possession of confidential information relating to the GATT negotiations?

 

2. If so, what technical precautions and steps have been taken to block access to confidential information?

 

3. Does the Commission know what other classes of information or data networks the US secret service has accessed?

 

4. Does the Commission know whether the European Parliament is directly or indirectly affected by these activities by the US secret service?

OJ C 50, 22/02/1999