The secret software used in the first three years of the last government made it possible to track the location of up to 10,000 people a year. To do this, just type in the cell phone number of the person to be monitored In the first three years of the Bolsonaro government, the Brazilian intelligence agency (Abin) used a secret program to monitor the location of citizens based on cell phone data. Called FirstMile, the tool made it possible, without any official protocol, to identify the approximate location of a particular person, simply by entering his mobile phone number.
The information was released on Tuesday (14/03) by the newspaper O Globo. The system was powered by the flow of information generated by the transfer of data from 2G, 3G and 4G networks between mobile phones and telecommunication towers installed in different regions of the country. Reportedly, it was enough to enter a contact’s telephone number into the program to follow the device owner’s last known location on a map.
Developed by the Israeli company Cognyte (formerly Verint), the system has made it possible to track the steps of up to 10,000 mobile phone owners every 12 months, with the right to the history of movements and even “real-time alerts” of the movements of a target in different addresses.
The software was purchased for BRL 5.7 million by the Israeli company, without the need for tender, at the end of the government of Michel Temer (MDB).
Confirmed by Abin, the practice has raised questions, even among the body’s own members, since Abin does not have legal authorization to access citizens’ private data. There are reports of use of the system also against employees of the agency itself.
A high-ranking Abin member told O Globo that the system could be used “without supervision” and that unauthorized access could not be identified. Members told Abin that the mechanism was used without the need to record which searches were carried out.
Abin’s former manager defends use of tool
Wanted, Abin confirmed the use of the software to monitor population movements, but refrained from providing further details on the case, claiming contractual secrecy.
In a statement, the intelligence agency said only that the contract for using the program began on December 26, 2018 – at the end of Michel Temer’s government – and ended on May 8, 2021.
“The technological solution in question has not been in use at Abin since then. Currently, the Agency is in the process of improving and revising its internal rules, in line with the public interest and commitment to the democratic rule of law “, concludes the note.
Through social networks, the federal deputy and director of Abin in the past government, Alexandre Ramagem, defended the use of the program and denied that the practice constituted irregularities.
“In 2019, taking over the body, we formally verified the legal support of all contracts. For this instrument, we also introduced specific corrections to affirm its regular legal use by its administrators, respecting transparency and austerity “, said Ramagem.
Opening of the investigation by the PF
In view of the repercussions of the case, the Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino, sent a letter to the Federal Police (PF) on Wednesday night, asking for the opening of an investigation to investigate suspicions of espionage by the population.
“Abin does state intelligence. Abin does not investigate people, legally speaking. So if there is any monitoring of you or any citizen, or mine, it is clear that this is not Abin’s mission. Brazil are the police judges, with follow-ups by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Judiciary,” said Dino, in an interview with CNN Brasil.
Also on Wednesday, the head of government in Congress, Randolfe Rodrigues (Rede-AP), said he was considering submitting a request for the creation of a CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) to investigate the case.
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Source: Terra
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