You would probably need something to narrow your search down, either by a specific person, a specific email address, specific IP address or specific keywords to search for.” If you wanted to do a whole country, go ahead. The BBC quotes an anonymous individual who it says used to work for the firm, describing the technology: “You would be able to intercept any internet traffic. The firm, now known as BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, sells a surveillance tool that, according to the BBC, can collect, catalogue and analyse millions of people’s electronic communications. It added that it was committed to “operating ethically and responsibly”.Īccording to a BBC investigation published on Wednesday, the sales of the controversial technology were made through a Danish company that BAE bought in 2011. The manufacturer disputed some of the BBC’s claims without specifying which ones. The documents also reveal official concerns that the export of the technology could backfire and imperil the security of Britain and its allies, the BBC said.īAE said it was unable to comment on specific contracts “due to the strict national security and confidentiality regulations we operate under”.