There appears to be growing concern in Europe that Echelon is
being used to fuel industrial espionage practices. This reaction
has been prompted by a report by Duncan Campbell, an investigative
journalist, who revealed evidence that US firms have been using
Echelon to secure lucrative business contracts.
This accusation was further supported by the publication of US
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) documents in the British press
showing that the US has been using the technology to monitor
European business communications.
It has been suggested that this has been done with the approval
of President Clinton’s administration under the auspices of its
‘aggressive advocacy’ initiative.
The investigations into the matter may put the UK in a rather
uncomfortable position as it has obligations and close ties to both
the US and the EU.
It is believed that, in addition to the European Parliament’s
investigation, the European Court of Justice may focus its
attention on whether the use of Echelon in Europe is a breach of
the European Convention of Human Rights.
