It was 1993, a few months after mobile phone networks were launched in Greece. The board of directors of one of these start-up companies was holding a meeting in Athens, where the employees would present letters of complaint and customer suggestions to improve its services.
Among the annoying letters there were some expressing the suspicion that the start-up telecommunications companies would facilitate those who were used to tapping phone lines…
One secretarial employee suggested an idea: “Let us make an add and announce that anyone who can prove that mobile phones are being monitored will win a million dollars!”
The foreign president of the company turned red and retorted “you must be kidding!”
Years went by and now everyone believes that if all phones are monitored and if that is not the case then it is because those who are doing the monitoring are only interested in a few phones: those that are of interest to secret services, criminal organizations, as well as ordinary people for personal affairs.
Most of these wiretappings are legal and carried out with the approval of the local prosecutor, but you can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs. So every now and again we will find out various stories, mostly of public interest.
Now it is said that monitoring mobile phone conversations is much easier. The recent leaks of the troika talks is a characteristic example confirming the… progress of technology.
The people must be aware that the privacy of telecommunications has essentially been abolished.
… How can one react to being monitored? There is a method devised by a Greek publisher during the dictatorship, which turned out to be efficient.
They followed him by car. He managed to remain constantly behind them, turning the tables around.
That is what happened back then. Now, there are no… wiretappings.
Stavros P. Psycharis
Originally published in the Saturday print edition
