A new and less visible form of state surveillance seems to be gaining ground International, secret services information is increasingly exploiting commercial citizen data collected from technology companies and data brokers.
According to a survey presented by Financial Times, the so-called «Adint“ (Advertising Intelligence – advertising information) has evolved into one of the key information sources for state security services. The study was based on data from 11 European regulators and was held by German academics with specialization in matters of security and information.
As pointed out, telephone surveillance and mass collection of personal data are subject to strict legal restrictions; Market data market by private companies still moving in one cloudy regulatory framework Or even without clear rules.
The companies active in data collection for advertising and commercial purposes collect huge amounts of information for users. These data include unique mobile device identifiers, accurate geolocation data, but also detailed application user profiles.
According to researcher Thorsten Wetzling, through commercial suppliers information services gain access to an ever-renewed large-scale data stream. As it says, these data may be used for the purposes of the reveal basic information, such as age and gender, to highly sensitive characteristics, such as political beliefs, religious views or even a person's sexual orientation.
The study characterizes the use of Adint as one of the most important changes that have taken place in recent years in how information services operate.
"Vitrina" companies and data markets
Findings published by European think tank Interface, which specializes in technology and surveillance issues. According to the report, smaller governments use ready-made data analysis tools, while stronger information services directly buy large commercial data sets.
In some cases, the use of 'bitch' companies is also made in order to conceal the true identity of the state services acquired.
Researchers argue that this practice is no longer limited to the United States, but is expanding rapidly to Europe, as the commercial data market is becoming increasingly detailed.
Pressures for a new legal framework
European supervisory bodies are now calling for the revision of legislation, arguing that existing rules have been overcome by technological developments. Many of them were established after the revelations of informant Edward Snowden in 2013 and do not adequately cover the modern commercial data market.
At the same time, experts point out that users themselves often grant, without realizing it, access to a large amount of personal information, accepting the terms of use of applications, social networks and digital services.
It is typical that even the French External Information Service DGSE had requested from 2021 the creation of a specific legal framework for the purchase of commercial data by state agencies, but no relevant legislative agreement has yet been reached.