(Image source: Bloomberg)
BY JOHN O'CONNOR
Brazil is seeking to break away from the U.S.-centric
Internet after NSA leaker Edward Snowden revealed
widespread spying by Washington on foreign
countries communications.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is demanding
greater online independence for her country
following allegations the NSA intercepted
her personal communications, hacked a state-owned
oil company and spied on Brazilian citizens.
(Via Press TV, NBC)
The accusations were made after Snowden released
more NSA files to Guardian journalist Glenn
Greenwald last week, showing the state-owned
oil company " ... Petrobras is among several
targets for the [NSA's] Blackpearl program,
which extricates data from private networks
... " (Via The Guardian)
The documents also revealed the U.S. has been
gathering information on Brazilian citizens
through major tech companies like Facebook
and Google, casting doubt on the agency's
claim it operates solely in the interest of
national security.
A senior government official announced Monday
Brazil may soon require the Internet companies
to set up local data storage centers in the
country to prevent NSA snooping.
(Via WTOL)
And Bloomberg reports Brazil is also considering
developing " ... locally made network equipment
... " throughout South America that will defend
the countries' communications " ... against
foreign spies."
Rousseff is expected to announce Tuesday whether
she will cancel a previously scheduled trip
to Washington next month in response to the
spying allegations.
