2023-07-06 19:55:25
State Security (VSSE) and General Intelligence and Security Service (SGRS) are increasingly using “exceptional methods”, such as wiretapping, according to the Committee’s 2022 activity report. R, the intelligence services oversight body.
Last year, State Security used exceptional methods 587 times, compared to 363 in 2021. Listening to, understanding and recording of communications saw a particularly strong increase (330 in 2022 against 192 in 2021). The collection of data concerning bank accounts and bank transactions, another widely used method, was used 108 times last year, compared to 73 in 2021. Hacking into a computer system, opening mail as well as observation and inspection of places not accessible to the public are also considered exceptional methods.
Terrorism, “absolute priority” of the Security
The main threat contexts that required the implementation of this type of method are terrorism (715 authorisations), espionage (612), extremism (362), interference (325). The “terrorism” threat has increased slightly compared to 2021 and therefore remains the “top priority” of State Security, according to the report. This specifies that several threats can appear in the same file.
While the number of cases for interference was still falling sharply in 2020, it is now rising sharply, from 121 two years ago to 325 in 2022. Committee R points out that, in practice, it is difficult to distinguish between espionage (clandestinely gathering data) and interference (influencing decision-making processes). The “extremism” threat has also experienced a strong resurgence, going from 279 cases in 2021 to 362 last year. Finally, “criminal organizations” have made a comeback since 29 files were opened in 2022 while there were none in 2021.
For its part, the SGRS used exceptional methods 172 times last year, compared to 89 the previous year. This increase is particularly marked with regard to listening to, becoming aware of and recording communications (60 in 2021 compared to 95 in 2022) as well as for intrusions into a computer system (from 14 in 2021 to 24 in 2022).
“Social media, unprecedented amplifiers of misinformation”
The director of Comité R, Serge Lipszyc, underlines in the report the need to adapt the means and functioning of these “essential institutions” which are the intelligence and security services. He points in particular to the invasion of Ukraine, which, after the coronavirus pandemic, “has reinforced a global crisis that affects us as it probably has not happened since the Second World War. This crisis has caused societal insecurity which has not only manifested itself in significant socio-economic difficulties but which has above all led to a return of very dark reflexes of fear and rejection of others.
“In the acceleration of the geopolitical, economic and social movements that it entails, our communication society clearly seems to be struggling in the face of devastating phenomena for Humanity such as radicalism, extremism or even conspiracy, which are found in the social media amplifiers of disinformation that are sometimes out of control”, adds Serge Lipszyc.
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