Reprint from the BBC:

China has been monitoring and censoring messages sent through the internet service Skype, researchers say.

Citizen Lab, a Canadian research group, says it found a database containing thousands of politically sensitive words which had been blocked by China.

The publically available database also displayed personal data on subscribers.

Skype said it had always been open about the filtering of data by Chinese partners, but that it was concerned by breaches in the security of the site.

Citizen Lab researchers, based at the University of Toronto, said they discovered a huge surveillance system which had picked up and stored messages sent through the online telephone and text messaging service.

The database held more than 150,000 messages which included words such as "democracy" and "Tibet" and phrases relating to the banned spiritual movement, Falun Gong.

"These text messages, along with millions of records containing personal information, are stored on insecure publicly accessible web servers," said Citizen Lab's report, entitled "Breaching Trust".

They said that by using one username, it was possible to identify all the people who had sent messages to or received them from the original user.

'Meeting laws'

Skype is operated in China as Tom-Skype, a joint venture involving the American auction site, eBay and Chinese company TOM-Online.

Citizen Lab said it was "clear" that Tom was "engaging in extensive surveillance with seemingly little regard for the security and privacy of Skype users".

They asked to what extent Tom Online and Skype were co-operating with the Chinese government in monitoring communications.

But Skype president Josh Silverman said China's monitoring was "common knowledge" and that Tom Online, had "established procedures to meet local laws and regulations".

"These regulations include the requirement to monitor and block instant messages containing certain words deemed offensive by the Chinese authorities," he said.

Mr Silverman said that it had been Tom Online's policy to block certain messages and then delete them and he would be investigating why the policy had changed to allow the company to upload and store those messages.

Although internet use in high in China, the authorities have long prevented citizens from accessing websites which it considers politically sensitive.

Western internet companies such as Google, Microsoft and Yahoo have been criticised by human-rights groups for adhering to China's strict regulations.

Clearly Skype is not a safe service at all.  I would not consider using it for any sort of contact that I didn't mind if anyone in the world heard.

Infiltrators

Amy Goodman of democracy now interviewed the Ramsey County Sheriff today.  The sheriff admitted that he had hired paid informants to infiltrate various RNC protest groups.  According to the Sheriff:

"We followed our Welcoming Committee members to many cities around the country. We consulted with the terrorism task force in those cities. We received information, etc. But as they started arriving, we were able to identify those that were here. " 

The ironic thing about this interview is that Amy Goodman herself was arrested at the RNC and pepper sprayed point blank in the face while handcuffed.  This was certainly not the worst police brutality faced by protesters at the RNC.  But it is safe to say that the ramsey county police had a pretty good PR fuck up by arresting her.  You can read the rest of Amy Goodman's interview at democracynow.org.

Terrorism

This admission of consulting with the terrorism task forces is not especially shocking since 8 members of the RNC welcoming committee were charged with rioting in furtherance of terrorism.  From the Twin Cities Indymedia:

"In what appears to be the first use of criminal charges under the 2002 Minnesota version of the Federal Patriot Act, Ramsey County Prosecutors have formally charged 8 alleged leaders of the RNC Welcoming Committee with Conspiracy to Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism. Monica Bicking, Eryn Trimmer, Luce Guillen Givins, Erik Oseland, Nathanael Secor, Robert Czernik, Garrett Fitzgerald, and Max Spector, face up to 7 1/2 years in prison under the terrorism enhancement charge which allows for a 50% increase in the maximum penalty." 

There were an additionally more than 800 arrests at the RNC including more than 20 journalists.  This is truly a frightening turn of events, it is the first practical use of HR-1955, the home grown terrorism bill, which we have written about before.  We can probably expect to see a lot more of this sort of thing in the future.  Where every act of protest or dissent is considered and treated like a terrorist act.  Even the police response in Minneapolis, which was to use tear gas and concussion grenades against unarmed civilians at the RNC.  If this line of thought continues soon the concussion grenades will be the least of our worries as the bullets fly over our heads and we are charged as enemy combatants.  This is a very real threat under the provisions set aside by HR 1955. 

Hack This Zine: A criminal threat?

There were numerous home raids before and during the RNC, at least 5 by some estimates, possibly more.  During the raids everyone in the house was arrested and any equipment was confiscated.  Even hackbloc members had their equipment confiscated (stolen) by the police.  So far, very few of these items have been returned.  The protesters were treated as criminals, not protesters exorcising their first amendment rights.  The Minneapolis Star-Tribune quotes:

"Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said the St. Paul raid targeted the RNC Welcoming Committee, a group he described as "a criminal enterprise made up of 35 self-described anarchists...intent on committing criminal acts before and during the Republican National Convention."

One of the main things stolen during these police raids were pamphlets fliers and information, including copies of Hack This Zine!  From Twincities.com:

"The seized material included titles such as "Anarchism, What it Really Stands For," "You Can't Blow Up a Social Relationship," "Join the Resistance: Fall in Love," "Hack This Zine" and "An Anarchist Cookbook — Recipes for Disaster." 

I hope they enjoy reading that down at the police station.