Telecom Data back to Forefront of Cabinet Discussions

The controversial issue of wiretapping resurfaced on Tuesday as the cabinet will address the report handed over by a Lebanese delegation that visited France to view the modern mechanisms in intercepting phone calls.

The matter will top the government's 82-article agenda on Wednesday during a session that will convene at the Grand Serail.

Ministerial sources told An Nahar newspaper that the session is expected to witness a heated debate over the legal limits that would organize wiretapping in the country and the right to provide the security agencies with the necessary telecom data.

In August, the Lebanese delegation that visited Paris came back with results contradictory to what the government decided regarding allowing the security agencies to benefit from the telecom data.

Media reports said that the delegation was informed that the norms require the security agencies to explain the results they reached after analyzing the data. “If the results don’t fulfill the purpose the data was taken for then the side that demanded to acquire the data would be held accountable.”

The cabinet, according to An Nahar, will discuss an “urgent draft law” over the modification of law 140, which specifies the protection of communication data.

The daily said that any amendment to the law will include enabling the security agencies to monitor the movement of calls without obtaining the context so as not to violate the privacy of citizens.

However, the Telecommunications Ministry argues that any modification to the law hinders the freedoms of people.

The March 14 alliance has constantly demanded the cabinet to approve providing the telecom data to security agencies to uncover the security incidents in Lebanon after MP Butros Harb and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea were the targets of murder attempts.