The Swiss authorities have confessed to using a controversial computer spy software of the type currently at the centre of a scandal in Germany.

Justice ministry spokesman Guido Balmer confirmed on Thursday evening reports that had appeared in various media outlets.

“The federal law enforcement authorities and those in canton Zurich have used this software in individual cases for the clarification of serious crimes,” Balmer was quoted by the Swiss news agency as saying.

Swissinfo

The German version states that it was used on 4 cases.

A background of the German case is here, exposed by a Hacker Group.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15449054,00.html

I think using it is fine, as long as there are sufficient controls.

Plus it being the only way to tap encrypted voice like skype - clearly not the case

The question is, how is it controlled, and who controls it.

Seems all good and fine if they are following a potential terrorist or criminal, but there's always the side of mistaken identity. If so, would one appreciate the police hijacking their computer, watching and listening their every move at home through an assumed 'turned-off' webcam. Or even planting evidence on an innocent person's harddrive.

The fact it's largely mysterious to average non-nerds, and fascinating to proper-nerds, makes it ideal conspiracy theory stuff.


In UK it'd be controlled under the regulation of investigatory powers act (RIPA) which deters missuse by imposing massive bureaucratic weight on any plod wanting to use the technique.

I'm a lot more concerned about criminals and script kiddies using spyware than the Swiss police farce.

An update:

Cabinet gives green light for internet control

The government has approved the surveillance of mobile phones and the internet for police investigations into serious crimes.

Swissinfo EN

So basically the situation is that we now know that Switzerland is using, and has green lighted the use of, software which pretty much every other country is using on the quiet, and would continue to use on the quiet even if it came out.

At least we know it's officialy being used here.

Data Center Tech persons will know that this was implemented since Aug 2009.

According to Bundesrätin Sommaruga, the rules and regulations and laws about this are not yet sufficient and need to be ironed out. She right today stated that it was important to find a good balance between the needs of the judiciary and the rights of the people.