Wikileaks Spy Files has revolutionized Internet services by leaking pictures of the tech Surveillance. Founder of WIKILEAKS Julian Assange has recently launched the new project of the website. This new project talks about a global industry that offers governments an opportunity to make use of tools that would spy on their citizens. In this project, hundreds of files reveal the activities of around 160 companies in 25 different countries. These activities allow tracking and monitoring of citizens and individuals via their mobile phones, net browsing histories and email accounts. Spyfiles are an alleged proof of how the western and eastern high-tech companies compete among themselves for contracts that are palatable and lucrative.

Wikileaks: The Big Names Leaked

Wikileaks released a database of tech providers that are involved in the government tracking all across the globe. There are quite a few names on the list that are relatively familiar. The familiar names on the list include Nokia, Cisco and Alcatel Lucent. Popularly called ‘The Spy Files’, it’s a project that includes 287 records. The accumulation of product brochures, presentations and manuals are damning. WikiLeaks files documents the reality of International mass surveillance industry.

WikiLeaks: Violation of Human Rights?

Quoting the intro of the Spy Files – “Intelligence agencies, military forces and police authorities are able to silently, and on mass, and secretly intercept calls and take over computers without the help or knowledge of the telecommunication providers. Users’ physical location can be tracked if they are carrying a mobile phone, even if it is only on stand by.” When seen in the view of human rights violation, many in the United States have started regarding it as violation of their privacy.

What is to be done now?

Now the question is that other than just questioning over the rising concern, what else can be done? In the United States, the courts for the time being can offer the best solution. It’s only until something like WikiLeaks that help people realize that something like this is going on and needs to stop. It’s quite unlikely to witness laws that are specifically designed to safeguard privacy in the world of digital age. Another question is whether a few more steps taken as an initiative will be enough to stop government to engender even more technical means of gathering sensitive information that hold a private space in their lives. Transparency could well mitigate the problem but in a month, it may well be a forgotten affair too.

Wikileaks bring to the lights some apparent spying that is carried on a global level where the popular technology is being used to capture personal content. It keeps a check on the use of mobile phones and facebook for the purpose of surveillance. Critics believe that the Wikileaks are nothing but ‘good western countries’ exporting to the ‘bad developing world countries’. According to them, WikiLeaks Spy files are revealing the details of the companies that are making more than billions selling tracking tools to the buyers of the government who should be blamed for turning a blind eye to the technical systems that abuse human rights.

This news article is written by guest author Rosette Summer who is associated with many technology and designing communities including Broadband Expert, the high speed internet providers as their freelance writer and adviser. In her free time she writes articles related to technology, mobile applications, etc.

Author: Rosette