FBI's Comey (crypto backdoor promoter) has just visited Romania calling for data retention laws after several such recent laws were declared unconstitutional. The FBI basically gave an ultimatum saying that if such laws aren't passed, then it could hurt the US-Romanian relationship. So the US is actively threatening/bullying other countries into adopting mass surveillance laws right now - or else!.
The ultimatum is also BS, because the US needs Romania more than ever in the Russian-Ukranian conflict (Romania is also one of the countries that has a missile shield against Russia, installed by the US). But I guess that's the level of diplomacy US enforces with most weaker countries (bullying).
The Romanian NSA sees the US NSA as some sort of mentor and tries to do whatever it gets told to strengthen that relationship. It's also very likely the NSA subsidizes/gives away its spying tech to countries such as Romania to make spying on its own citizens easier. Surveillance oversight is even weaker than in the US/UK.
Both Romania and Poland were accused of holding secret CIA prisons as well about a decade ago (likely true).
> So the US is actively threatening/bullying other countries into adopting mass surveillance laws right now - or else!.
A ploy which worked just fine against Australia (and our spineless luddite government). They probably didn't even need to threaten, just asked nicely and promised our Prime Minister a photo opportunity one day. </rant>
So do you think federal subpoenas from the US to Romania would get honored, then? Like, if the FBI subpoenas for this same information, would the Romanian federal government enforce it?
Or would they not even bother to subpoena, and just get the information through back channels (i.e. not documented, not official)?
The ultimatum is also BS, because the US needs Romania more than ever in the Russian-Ukranian conflict (Romania is also one of the countries that has a missile shield against Russia, installed by the US). But I guess that's the level of diplomacy US enforces with most weaker countries (bullying).
The Romanian NSA sees the US NSA as some sort of mentor and tries to do whatever it gets told to strengthen that relationship. It's also very likely the NSA subsidizes/gives away its spying tech to countries such as Romania to make spying on its own citizens easier. Surveillance oversight is even weaker than in the US/UK.
Both Romania and Poland were accused of holding secret CIA prisons as well about a decade ago (likely true).