U.S. Citizen Sues Ethiopia Over Spyware
Posted by: Timothy Weaver on 02/06/2017 11:20 AM
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A U.S. citizen, using the pseudonym Mr. Kidane, is suing the Ethiopian government for planting spyware on his computer.
Back in 2013, a study of his computer by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab concluded that his computer was infected by spyware which was part of a systemic campaign by the Ethiopian government to spy on perceived opponents.
A hearing has been held to determine if the case can be brought by a U.S. citizen in the U.S. courts for wire tapping and invasion of his privacy. The EFF considers this important because the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act only allows torts that are committed within the United States.
“Mr. Martinez argued that the location where the harm was inflicted upon Mr. Kidane was in Maryland, where his computer and he were the entire time he was spied upon,” the EFF said in a Feb. 2 report. “The question of whether U.S. courts can provide a remedy to an American who was wiretapped shouldn't turn on where the eavesdropper was sitting, but rather where the actual wiretapping occurred, which in this case was Silver Spring, Md.”
Ethiopian lawyers argue that they can damn well do anything they want to American citizens as long as there is not an Ethiopian agent in the country.
A ruling is expected in the next few months.
Source: SCMagazine
Back in 2013, a study of his computer by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab concluded that his computer was infected by spyware which was part of a systemic campaign by the Ethiopian government to spy on perceived opponents.
A hearing has been held to determine if the case can be brought by a U.S. citizen in the U.S. courts for wire tapping and invasion of his privacy. The EFF considers this important because the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act only allows torts that are committed within the United States.
“Mr. Martinez argued that the location where the harm was inflicted upon Mr. Kidane was in Maryland, where his computer and he were the entire time he was spied upon,” the EFF said in a Feb. 2 report. “The question of whether U.S. courts can provide a remedy to an American who was wiretapped shouldn't turn on where the eavesdropper was sitting, but rather where the actual wiretapping occurred, which in this case was Silver Spring, Md.”
Ethiopian lawyers argue that they can damn well do anything they want to American citizens as long as there is not an Ethiopian agent in the country.
A ruling is expected in the next few months.
Source: SCMagazine
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