Sahnawi to LBCI: Lebanese people's privacy fully exposed to security apparatuses

Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sahnawi confirmed on Tuesday that he has discussed during his meeting with President Michel Sleiman the telecommunications issue at the technical level.     

Sahnawi confirmed that, he has been granting the security apparatuses full access to the telecom data, on a daily basis, for the last 7 months.      

The telecommunications minister told Nharkom Said TV show that the Lebanese people’s privacy is exposed to the security apparatuses; “there is no such thing as privacy,” he added.       

Sahnawi explained that he had asked the head of the parliament’s telecommunications committee “why are you requesting the data on a daily basis?”, adding that the head of the committee revealed to him that Interior Minister Marwan Charbel had called him few days earlier and confirmed to him the discovery of intelligence about assassination plots and that, accordingly, he needed the data.   

Sahnawi confirmed that, according to the law, the ministry cannot hand over telecom data arbitrarily, stressing that he will raise the issue during the cabinet session.