Vodafone opens up on law enforcement requests

Vodafone is releasing its first report on government requests for access to its customers' communications for the purposes of law enforcement. The report first released to The Guardian also shows that in some countries direct links to its network have been established for the purpose of government surveillance. Vodafone's group privacy officer, Stephen Deadman, said: "These pipes exist, the direct access model exists." In six of the countries in which Vodafone operates, the law either obliges operators to install direct access pipes, or allows governments to do so. 

The company said wires had been connected directly to its network and those of other telecoms groups, allowing agencies to listen to or record live conversations and, in certain cases, track the whereabouts of a customer. The operator called for an end to such practices, saying any request for personal data should come through a warrant, in order to ensure transparency and the possibility of appeal. 

It also wants more governments to disclose how many such warrants are issued each year. The Vodafone report provides the number of requests in each country where it operates for access to customer communications data. In some countries not all the data is available or the company is legally prohibited from disclosing the information. The report shows the highest number of warrants received for access to Vodafone communications data was in Italy, at almost 606,000 last year.