PSNA urges an end to dealings with Cobweb Technologies and calls out government hypocrisy over “Christchurch Call”
PSNA has written to the Minister of Immigration, Michael Wood, urging him to immediately end his ministry’s contract with Cobweb Technologies – an Israeli internet surveillance company implicated in abuses of privacy rights, targeting of journalists, activists, opposition politicians and government officials around the world.
Radio New Zealand revealed today that the Immigration Ministry is using Cobweb Technologies for internet surveillance, despite Cobweb’s history of abusing human rights.
It’s no surprise the company was started by members of the Israeli Defence Force which has been implicated in widespread abuses in surveillance of Palestinians, the most surveilled population in the world.
Meta, the owner of Facebook and multiple other social media platforms, kicked Cobweb Technologies and six other surveillance companies off all their platforms last year after a months-long investigation into the activities of what they describe as “cyber mercenaries”.
Meta’s report says:
“Given the severity of their violations, we have banned them from our services…We also alerted around 50,000 people who we believe were targeted by these malicious activities worldwide…”
“Our investigation identified customers in Bangladesh, Hong Kong, the United States, New Zealand, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Poland, and other countries. In addition to targeting related to law enforcement activities, we also observed frequent targeting of activists, opposition politicians and government officials in Hong Kong and Mexico”
This government’s use of Cobweb Technologies makes a mockery of the Prime Minister’s leadership of the “Christchurch Call” which is pressuring social media platforms like Facebook to act against those who assist in the abuse of human rights, while itself employing a known human rights abusing company.
Meta has asked government to act on these companies saying:
“Our hope is to contribute to the broader understanding of the harms this industry represents worldwide and call on the democratic governments to take further steps to help protect people and impose oversight on the sellers of ubiquitous spyware”
“Why is New Zealand not responding to this appeal? Why are we acting like phonies, urging social media platforms to be responsible while we are acting irresponsibly?” asks PSNA National Chair John Minto.
“Our government’s position is sickeningly hypocritical”
“Cobweb Technologies should be gone by lunchtime tomorrow”
PSNA – had to look it up.
LOL
Likewise. One thing I was taught in journalism decades ago – always spell a name in full before reducing it to initials.
Why are you surprised this government is showing itself to be the most hypocritical government ever . Condemning National for poor housing but spending millions each week,on unsafe motels and only building 3000 houses in 5 years. Going back on a promise to back pay nurses .Came to power saying they will open and transparent t but will not hold enquiry into handling of covid and the move back to normality. False promises about rentals being improved but only appointing 37 inspectors for the country.
Ok Trevor, I’ll play your game. If not in motels, where to out them? In the houses National built, ahh NO. In the state houses National sold off ahh, NO.
You are irrational of your hatred of Labour.
National did not go into power for 3 election in a row with the promise of building 100000 state houses .Rather they put the wheels in action for the private market to build more homes .It was not as well thought out as it could have been and the current leaders except too many homes were sold but then Labour has sold $30 million worth of State houses since coming to power and built 3000 not a great track record
It’s overwhelming.
Thank you for your Good work.
I made some of my ‘thinkings’ known on https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2022/10/12/political-roundup-new-zealands-relationship-with-india-is-in-trouble/
Judging by Michael Wood’s appearance on Morning Report this morning, his officials appear to have well and truly captured him.
This is wrong on sooooooo many levels but it lets those officials off the hook once again.
We know from things like AlJazeera’s ‘All Hail the Algorithm’ some of the bullshit assumptions (incorrect assumptions) things like Cobweb make.
In a previous life as a Systems Programmer, someone once said to me “People should drive technology, Technology should not drive people”.
The tensions between the technophobe and the technophile. Use it where it’s beneficial but don’t let it take over. Ministers fall heavily on the side of the technophile. Don’t be surprised if they opt for online voting with all its potential pitfalls. And of course the IT professional developers will be bending Ministers ears assuring them that they’re really really clever. (NZ doesn’t have a particularly good record developing gummint IT systems – admittedly because often ‘official non-technical control freaks’ like to micromanage and interfere, and change specs halfway through a project)
At a practical level, Cobweb is a really shit thing to pull on people, but rest assured people! Micahel Wood assures us there are a limited ‘expert’ people in INZ/MBIE’s “Intelligent Unit”.
Aside from the issues of entrapment, assumptions will, and are being made.
Just a couple off the top of my head:
– People engaging in social media conversations with what are effectively strangers are not going to be entirely truthful – and rightly so
– There are cultural issues such as the way indigenous families operate things like bank accounts. The wider family will contribute to, and draw on a common account. (INZ will require proof that an immigrant is able to support themselves).
– Devices using the internet are often shared – often among several family members and villagers.
Thankfully I’ve been telling potential immigrants there are better places to go other than hypocritical ‘lil ole NuZull that punches above its weight. And the ones that have taken that advice (sometimes after being severely burned by the NZ experience) are doing fairly well.
Hopefully the Greens and TPM are making it clear to Labour their stance, and hopefully that’s no support – not even supply if they continue to pursue certain policies.
Meantime, don’t get sick or have an accident or be any shade of brown
Information gathering in the context of immigration whilst not ideal is understandable in this day and age of terrorism and sophisticated rorts to achieve migrant status. However, it is extremely hypocritical of the government and open to abuse.
What John hasnt mentioned is that in the immigration context, they not only look at financial and health? issues but they also look at political activity and religion. I can see why they might but it is antithetical to NZ Human Rights and other laws so it seems a step too far particularly for any left leaning identarian government.
And what of the potential for abuse – is this Govt going to turn down a Syrian refugee who may or may not have been part of the Isis movement or are they more likely to turn down some PI Baptist Pastor from Samoa because they dont support gay marriage? Very open to abuse by this or future governments.
Assitionally, Immigration is not the only NZ service using Cobweb so who is using it and what for – do we spy on our own? and, how much of the information gathering Cobweb does is by illegal means?