Update On Tapping German Chancellor Merkel's Phone

(Updated: June 28, 2016)

Over the final days, in that location were to a greater extent than or less novel developments regarding the eavesdropping on the mobile telephone of the German linguistic communication chancellor Angela Merkel, which was revealed inward Oct final year. It was clarified that the tape from an NSA database that was presented every bit prove for this tapping, wasn't genuinely an master copy NSA document, but but a transcription.

Also, this database tape wasn't with the Snowden-documents. This way the information nigh monitoring Merkel's telephone was non provided past times Edward Snowden, but past times to a greater extent than or less other leaker, something that many people may non possess got been aware of.

Criminal investigation

In June of this year, the highest German linguistic communication populace prosecutor (Generalbundesanwalt) started a criminal investigation against NSA regarding the alleged eavesdropping on chancellor Merkel. Last calendar month it was reported that this instance had been unopen every bit no sufficient prove had been found, but this was non fully correct.

In his annual press conference on Dec 11, prosecutor Harald Range said that the investigation of the eavesdropping on chancellor Merkel is nevertheless going on:

Annual press conference of the federal populace prosecutor Harald Range
(information nigh the Merkel eavesdropping starts at 23:20)

Regarding the eavesdropping case, prosecutor Range said the next things:

- The telephone number which is at stake is non registered past times the German linguistic communication Chancellery, but it's a number that has been used since 1999 past times the headquarters of Merkel's political party CDU. Therefore the number wasn't used past times Gerhard Schröder (chancellor from the SPD political party from 1998-2005).

- The document (see below) that was publicly presented every bit a proof of this eavesdropping is non an authentic NSA interception order, nor is it from an NSA database. Actually, it was made past times a reporter of Der Spiegel, based upon an NSA document he had seen.

- The prosecutor asked the editors of Der Spiegel to mitt over the master copy document or to last questioned nigh it, but this was refused pointing to the journalist's privilege to protect their sources. NSA was asked for a disceptation through the BND, but likewise refused to comment.

- This makes that nether these circumstances, a serious evaluation of the authenticity of the document is non possible.

- Through his German linguistic communication lawyer, Edward Snowden was likewise given the chance to render a written statement, but until similar a shot in that location was no reaction.

- Presently, in that location is no sufficient prove that could Pb to an indictment, but the instance is non yet closed. The investigation continues, in addition to this volition likewise include the results of the parliamentary commission that is currently investigating NSA spying activities.

- Based upon the Snowden revelations in addition to other media reports it tin last assumed that inward general, unusual intelligence agencies are trying to spy on German linguistic communication targets past times electronic means. But according to German linguistic communication law, that is non plenty to opened upwards a criminal case, because that would last investigating without reasonable suspicion, which the populace prosecutor isn't allowed to exercise nether the dominion of law. Where neccessary, such investigations are the responsibleness of the safety services.

Misinterpretation

Parts of what prosecutor Range said was misinterpreted past times a number of unusual intelligence websites, similar stresses that neither NSA nor the U.S. of A. authorities has denied that telephone calls of chancellor Merkel had been monitored.

A minute leaker

After the populace prosecutor's press conference, Der Spiegel provided a statement proverb that prior to their reporting nigh the eavesdropping on chancellor Merkel, they had access to information from an NSA database, which it copied.

This sounds similar Der Spiegel got access to the content of an NSA database from which it selected in addition to copied the information related to chancellor Merkel. But inward the majority "Der NSA Komplex" written past times Spiegel reporters Marcel Rosenbach in addition to Holger Stark, it is said that early on Oct 2013, "we received the excerpt from an NSA database nigh Merkel's prison theater cellular telephone phone".*

That phrase suggests that someone from outside, in addition to likewise someone non existence Edward Snowden, provided Der Spiegel with but that i especial tape which includes Merkel's telephone number. How in addition to inward what shape is non said. Greenwald convinced that this came from a minute leaker.

Just a transcription

After having obtained the database record, Der Spiegel presented it to the Chancellery, so they could verify it. According to their statement, Der Spiegel made it real clear that this information was non an master copy document, but but a transcription. Apparently for this reason, the mag never published the database record, but solely reported nigh its contents.

However, to a greater extent than or less other German linguistic communication newspapers somehow managed to larn a re-create of the missive of the alphabet that was sent to the Chancellery in addition to published it inward their impress editions. One of them was the tabloid paper BILD, from which this scan was made:

So what nosotros run into hither is a printed re-create of a re-create (either past times xerox, a scanner or a (mobile phone) camera, which explains the fuzzyness) of the impress on a DIN A4-sheet of paper that was sent to Merkel's Chancellary.

Maybe this was a xerox re-create of the excerpt which the mysterious source handed over to Der Spiegel, but to a greater extent than probable (else it could last used to draw the source) is that a reporter copied the master copy text past times hand. Probably he used an Apple computer, every bit the number is inward the Ayuthaya font, which comes with Apple's OS X.

For a detailed explanation of the record: How NSA targeted chancellor Merkel's mobile phone

Right later this "document" was showtime published, to a greater extent than or less people wondered why it looks similar a slice of paper, whereas all other leaked NSA documents are digital files (with a few similar exceptions though). This has similar a shot been cleared, but in i lawsuit again nosotros run into that it tin convey to a greater extent than or less fourth dimension in addition to to a greater extent than or less pressure level earlier such questions are answered.

From which database?

Initially, Der Spiegel reported that the tape that mentions Merkel's telephone number comes from an NSA database inward which the agency records its targets.* My proffer was that this could possess got been a database codenamed OCTAVE, which was used for tasking telephony targets, but which reportedly was replaced past times the Unified Targeting Tool (UTT) inward 2011.

But a to a greater extent than recent Spiegel article from early on June 2014, seems to say that it's an entry from the NYMROD database. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 slide inward which Merkel was listed with 122 other heads of nation inward the NYMROD database was published past times Der Spiegel on March 29, 2014. This slide was from an NSA presentation nigh content extraction analytics that was fully published inward June.

However, inward to a greater extent than or less other NSA document it is explained that NYMROD is a name-matching organization that is used for finding "garbled or misspelled names" of targets. It contains names taken from CREST (a translating database) in addition to from intelligence reports from NSA, CIA in addition to DoD databases.

If nosotros compare that component subdivision with the information inward the tape that was published, it seems non real probable that the entry is from NYMROD. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 tasking database nevertheless seems the best option.

Update:
On June 12, 2015, the highest German linguistic communication populace prosecutor, Harald Range, said the investigation into the eavesdropping on chancellor Merkel was closed, in addition to no courtroom instance would last filed. This because in that location was no sufficient difficult evidence: no master copy documents were provided, in addition to likewise Edward Snowden seemed non to possess got whatever personal insights inward this matter.

Update:
During a hearing of the German linguistic communication parliamentary investigation commission on June 23, 2016, it came out that the German linguistic communication information assurance agency BSI offered to investigate chancellor Merkel's prison theater cellular telephone phone, but this offering wasn't accepted past times the chancellery in addition to hence it wasn't possible to for instance banking concern check the telephone for whatever sort of malware implants.