Ecuador Wants To Set Up It's Own 'NSA Data Gathering Operation'

A supporter of Edward Snowden holds a sign outside the Embassy of Ecuador in London June 24. Image by Luke Macgregor / Reuters

Exclusive: Documents Illuminate Ecuador’s Spying Practices -- Buzz Feed

The country where anti-surveillance hero Edward Snowden wants to take refuge spent half a million dollars on an Israeli-made “GSM interceptor” through a U.S. middleman. Seeking the capacity to “intercept text messages, falsify and modify the text messages” among other tricks.

WASHINGTON — The intelligence agency of Ecuador appears to have sought in recent months to obtain new equipment for a large-scale surveillance, according to confidential government documents obtained by BuzzFeed.

The capabilities sought by Ecuador resemble the National Security Agency practices revealed by Edward Snowden, who is reportedly seeking asylum in the left-leaning Latin American republic.

The Ecuadorian documents — stamped “Secret” — obtained by BuzzFeed appear to show the government purchasing a “GSM Interceptor” system, among other domestic spying tools, and they suggest a commitment to domestic surveillance that rivals the practices by the United States’ National Security Agency that are at the center of a fierce national debate. They include both covert surveillance capacities and the targeting of President Rafael Correa’s enemies on social media. According to the files, SENAIN keeps close tabs on the Facebook and Twitter accounts of journalists, opposition politicians and other individuals, some with few followers.

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My Comment: It does not surprise me that Ecuador .... like most countries .... wants to have a surveillance program in place. What I am surprised is how cheap it is going to cost Ecuador to set it up .... and who is helping them to set it up.