German government admits using Trojan to spy on private computers
October 11, 2011 3 Comments
CCC logo
By JOSEPH FITSANAKIS | intelNews.org |
The local government of at least one German federal state has admitted using specially designed computer software to spy on citizens, after a hacker group revealed the existence of the software. On Saturday, the German Chaos Computer Club (CCC), one of the world’s most reputable ‘white hat’ hacker groups, said that German authorities regularly employ the so-called ‘Bundestrojaner’ (‘Federal Trojan’) virus in order to spy on the users of targeted computers. Club member Frank Rieger told German newsmedia that the virus, which was revealed to the Club via an anonymous tipster, was developed by German police experts, and is used by government agents it to intercept electronic information during investigations. The Trojan is reportedly capable of surreptitiously taking screenshots of infected computers, keylogging, recording Skype conversations, and taking control of networked webcams or microphones, thus permitting physical eavesdropping of a person’s home or workplace. In doing so, the Trojan would appear to facilitate warrantless communications interception that exceeds legal limits set under German law. Moreover, according to CCC, the virus acts as a backdoor to infected systems, thus allowing the uploading and execution of unauthorized programs, and potentially may even facilitate the planting of incriminating evidence on targeted computers. Initially, German government officials denied the CCC’s allegations; on Monday, however, officials in the southern German state of Bavaria confirmed that local police forces have been using the Bundestrojaner virus since at least 2009. However, Bavarian Interior Minister, Joachim Herrmann, insisted that the interception capabilities offered to government authorities by the virus were well within German legal parameters. But Steffen Seibert, who speaks on behalf of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said that the Chancellery is concerned and that the CCC’s allegations would be investigated.
intelNews.org 
I’m sure the US government would never ever do this sort of thing.
I’m actually sure that the US government DOES such a thing, just like many (if not all) other “democratic” countries. It just hasn’t come out yet as it did in Germany.
Democracies are frightened as they see that the easy control they had over citizens through the flow of information is being destabilized, as new communication features such as social networks increase people’s communication and collaboration dramatically. So they try to develop other methodes to feel they’re still in control…
http://drawer20.wordpress.com/2011/10/09/trogerman-horse/
lol of course the US government does it, it is illegal under US law to produce an encryption algorithm that does not contain a backdoor code that is available to security departments in the US Government, hence the whole PGP lawsuit. They are not always sneaky about it they just made it the law. Microsoft is American and must conform to these laws.