If there is a cloud hanging over public trust in the GCSB it may be its involvement in the Dotcom saga. The assistance the spy agency provided Police in the run up to Dotcoms 2012 arrest on copyright-related charges was illegal at the time because Dotcom was a permanent resident of New Zealand. But it also meant the GCSBs snooping powers were used to further a United States prosecution that many legal experts characterise as a test case, sitting near the boundary of civil and criminal law. Under a 2013 law change, the GCSB can currently only provide assistance to the Police, the Security Intelligence Service and the Defence Force. But given Police have agreements to assist their overseas counterparts, doesnt that still mean the GCSB could on occasion find itself asked to serve some controversial foreign agendas?
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 18:44:42 +0000