> From other documents, it appears that the NSA has the ability to listen to phone calls on French networks. As most of the "targets" use Orange, the historical telecom operator, and that collaboration from Orange with the NSA is unlikely, it would mean that their IT systems are owned.
It's probably much worse than that. France, Germany, and most of the rest of Europe are vassal states of the US through cooperation among intelligence agencies. In other words, France is being sold out not only by Orange and/or employees of Orange, but by their own intelligence services who have a stronger allegiance to their links with Five Eyes intelligence services than to French interests.
This is another reason "everyone does it" doesn't hold water as a justification. The situation is massively asymmetrical.
Meh. Do you think the French are governed by a government with actual autonomy to go wherever the people wish to be led, or just pretend autonomy within a narrow range of bouncing a little to the left or right within the neoliberal framework?
It's probably much worse than that. France, Germany, and most of the rest of Europe are vassal states of the US through cooperation among intelligence agencies. In other words, France is being sold out not only by Orange and/or employees of Orange, but by their own intelligence services who have a stronger allegiance to their links with Five Eyes intelligence services than to French interests.
This is another reason "everyone does it" doesn't hold water as a justification. The situation is massively asymmetrical.