New Zealand Parliament Narrowly Passes Controversial Spying Law [View all]
Source: Bloomberg
New Zealand’s parliament passed a controversial law that will give the nation’s foreign intelligence agency greater spying powers.
Legislation giving the Government Communications & Security Bureau the ability to spy on New Zealanders was passed by 61 votes to 59 in Wellington today. The law was prompted by revelations that the GCSB illegally spied on Kim Dotcom during a U.S.-led operation to close his Megaupload website on piracy charges last year.
It comes as the U.S. and U.K. governments face accusations of mass cyber surveillance after leaks by former U.S. national security contractor Edward Snowden. Dotcom, an outspoken opponent of the new law, clashed with Prime Minister John Key during a parliamentary hearing on the legislation last month.
The law is “morally indefensible” and would set New Zealand on the same path as the U.S., Dotcom said at the hearing on July 3. “We should avoid blindly following the U.S. into the dark ages of spying abuse.”
Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-21/new-zealand-parliament-narrowly-passes-controversial-spying-law.html
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