back to article MEPs slam Nokia Siemens for aiding Iranian censors

MEPs singled out Nokia Siemens for criticism over selling censorship and surveillance systems to Iran on Wednesday, charges the networking firm said are unfounded. A European Union Parliament resolution "strongly criticizes international companies, and notably Nokia/Siemens, for providing the Iranian authorities with the …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    I said it once, and I'll say it again

    As someone that once worked on CALEA at NSN, if Nokia Siemens Networks developed the sort of tapping ability they're talking about, they would be making much more money then they do now.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    So...

    ...it's OK for the EU (and the UK via ECGD) to sell arms to dictators and despots, but it's not OK so sell some censoring technology (which can be easily by-passed).

    Someone, somewhere has their priorities totally out of whack.

  3. BristolBachelor Gold badge
    Stop

    Persecution

    While the MEPs are at it, could they also complain about the same way that this is being used against residents of the EU (who they are supposed to represent, not Iran!)

    It seems that there are several companies either making, or allowing the use of systems for censorship and surveillance of individuals and their freedoms for no other reason than they don't agree with their point of view.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Heard of 3GPP ... ?

    So, it's perfectly okay for the EU to use agreed upon 3GPP standards for legal intercept but it not's okay for Iran? From my understanding of other countries, it's pretty much a legal requirement that the authorities can intercept calls, subscriber movements, text messages, etc. ... and if they can't then there's big trouble. Or am I mistaken and 3GPP standards apply only to "nice" countries?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    <title>

    ...while in the same time building up more and more censorship infrastructures across European countries

  6. James 47
    Stop

    No GSM for Iran then

    Lawful Intercept has been part of the GSM spec for how long now?

    These MEPs haven't a clue what they're talking about, it should be fairly easy for El Reg to show them how their own countries have used the exact same technologies on their own citizens.

    I'm looking at you Britain.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    As above

    Europe should get it's own house in order before trying to dictate to others.

    Britain spying on it's citizens ok. Iranians not so much

  8. gjw
    Jobs Horns

    Perhaps this is the moment...

    to point out that the Iranians have, by ousting the Shah, chosen to be ruled by these clowns. It's their legitimate government, even if the Western powers don't like it.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    Pot, meet the kettle.

    "A European Union Parliament resolution "strongly criticizes international companies, and notably Nokia/Siemens, for providing the Iranian authorities with the necessary censorship and surveillance technology, thus being instrumental to persecution and arrests of Iranian dissidents"."

    Pot, meet the kettle. MEPs are using exactly same hardware for exactly same purposes _in EU_.

    Call it "searching for IP infringers" or whatever, basic facts won't change: It's surveillance and censorship. Same suppliers also.

    Nobody wonders who were the first customers ordering these equipment from Nokia Siemens? First UK, then the rest of the EU, mandated by a UK-orchestrated directive.

    Now selling same stuff to elsewhere is worth condemnation? MEPs seem to be double-standard, BS-talking hypocrites, who ought to be shot.

    Hardly a news, unfortunately.

  10. ian 22
    Flame

    @gjw

    "Legitimate" == legal.

    When discussing governments, the word is meaningless, as governments define themselves as "legitimate". Hitler and Stalin were both legitimate, as Hamas in Gaza is legitimate. If the people have chosen these governments, the people are responsible for the consequences. Certainly that is the position of Hamas vis-a-vis the people of Israel.

    Having lit the blue touch-paper, I shall now retire a safe distance.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Unhappy

      Er not not exactly...

      "If the people have chosen these governments, the people are responsible for the consequences. "

      When every choice on the ballot paper is hell bent on increasing government surveillance, the people's choice (sic) is totally irrelevant.

      Nokia/Siemens must have upset some European government to be taking this sort of flak.

    2. gjw
      Jobs Horns

      Legitimate>legal

      I looked it up in the dictionary. Legitimate is also rightful: legitimate sovereign, so it's more than just 'legal'. The Iranian people hasn't just 'chosen' its government, it kicked out the Old Guard, and replaced it with a revolutionary one. How much more 'legitimate' do you want it to be?

      And yes, the Iranian people is responsible for the consequences, not Nokia/Siemens. That was actually my point.

  11. shariatmadari

    Please read this research

    about the monitoring system that Nokia Siemens Network sold to Iran:

    http://shariatmadari.wwebb.info/nokia-siemens-monitoring-system

    Thank you.

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