Vodafone has released its first Law Enforcement Disclosure Report detailing government and law enforcement agency requests for customer communications data and help in direct “tapping” of communications, revealing most governments in African countries in which Vodafone operates have not requested tapping of communications.
The report provides a breakdown of two types of requests received – one category covering interception of communications lines allowing government and law enforcement agencies to access real time information including listening in to phone calls, and reading SMS messages, while the second category of requests covers metadata or “communications data” such as the details of who has accessed a given website, or who was in a specific cell location at a certain time.
The report reveals across the operator’s African operations it has not implemented the technologies necessary to conduct direct interceptions of communications, although it remains possible government bodies can arrange access to such information without operator assistance.
Tanzania is revealed as the African country – of those allowing for the release of statistical information – which has put forward the most communications data requests, with 98,765 requests having been made.
Lesotho also allows for the publication of data, with the operator having received 488 requests for communications data.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Vodafone has received 436 requests for communications data”.
The other African countries are not as forthcoming with statistical data.
In Egypt, the operator is legally disallowed from revealing this nature of information; similarly in South Africa the operator is banned by statute from releasing any information as to the state of government requests, including whether or not any such requests have ever been made.
In Ghana, the operator said it was awaiting guidance as to whether it is legal for it to reveal statistics regarding communications data requests.
With regard to communications data requests in Kenya and Mozambique, Vodafone said it had not been able to conclusively determine whether or not it is lawful to release the information due to complex umbrella regulations on the matter, and the operator has not been able to engage with the authorities as of yet.
The operator highlighted that it has rigorous standards to maintain the privacy of its customers, and said it has refused numerous requests from government agencies or authorities which have not followed the correct legal procedures for obtaining permission to make such requests, or which have lacking paperwork; while it also refuses requests from bodies acting outside of their legal jurisdiction.
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