Search

An open letter to the CEO of SWIFT on other covert programmes for access to financial data

11th July 2006

Dear Mr Schrank, I am writing with regard to the current controversy over the private arrangement between SWIFT and the U.S. Government that facilitates the extradition of confidential financial transaction data from SWIFT to U.S. authorities. You will be aware that Privacy International contends that this arrangement breaches privacy and data protection law, and we have lodged complaints with regulatory authorities in 38 countries. In my many discussions with SWIFT officials over the past…

Content type: Long Read

Pulling a Swift one? Bank transfer information sent to U.S. authorities

29th June 2006

On June 22-23 2006 the New York Times ran a story uncovering an international financial surveillance programme run by the Bush Administration. In essence the Bush Administration is getting access to international transfer data and storing this in databases at the Treasury Department and/or CIA for access to investigate terrorist activity. There are a number of inconsistencies in the accounts so far: The U.S. claims that this is a narrowly focused programme that is compliant with the law,…