Dec 02, 2021 07:00:00

FBI's 'List of personal information available from LINE' is leaked, what kind of information can be accessed?

The 'list of data that can be requested for each message app' used internally by the FBI has been published on the Internet. The target apps on the published list include LINE, which is widely used in Japan, and it shows the contents of personal information that the FBI can obtain from LINE.

Document Detail --Property of the People

https://propertyofthepeople.org/document-detail/?doc-id=21114562

FBI Document Says the Feds Can Get Your WhatsApp Data --in Real Time --Rolling Stone
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/whatsapp-imessage-facebook-apple-fbi-privacy-1261816/

The published list is an FBI internal document obtained by the news site Rolling Stone and the nonprofit Property of the People , and nine types of message apps such as iMessage, LINE, Signal, Telegram, Threma, Vibeer, WeChat, and Wickr. The types of information that can be legally obtained from are summarized. Also, at the top of the list is 'LAWFUL ACCESS'.

According to the list, the information that the FBI can get from LINE is: If the FBI has obtained an investigation warrant and the user has not enabled

end-to-end encryption, it is possible to obtain ' messages for up to 7 days'. However, it is said that information such as 'photos', 'movies', and 'location information' cannot be obtained. In addition, if you are a suspect or victim of the case, you can obtain 'profile image ', ' display name ', ' email address ', ' phone number ', ' LINE ID ', and ' other registration information'.

If you are using iMessage, a messaging app provided by Apple, you may get more information than LINE. According to the list, the FBI will be able to obtain 'search information about targeted users throughout the iMessage service' from Apple in addition to basic user information with the permission of the court. In addition, if the target user is backing up iMessage data to iCloud, it is said that Apple can be requested to access the target user's backup data including ' messages sent and received by iMessage'.

As mentioned above, a lot of information can be obtained from LINE and iMessage, but on the other hand, there are message apps that are difficult for the FBI to obtain information. For example, Signal, which promotes privacy performance, is said to provide only the user's registration date and time and the last login date and time.

'Privacy is essential to democracy. The FBI can monitor our information and easily dig into the details of our daily lives,' said Ryan Shapiro, executive director of the Property of the People, who got the list. The status quo threatens all of us and paves the way for authoritarian domination. '