The threat picture is serious. We cannot sit idly by while the threat actors settle into the digital space. Norway needs organized collection to strengthen the defense against digital attacks and other serious threats to national and social security. As we have seen here at home, including in repeated cyber operations against the Storting carried out by foreign actors, threat activity is persistently high. Today, we rely on tips from other countries that have similar intelligence systems to protect us. It is important that Norway develops its own ability to protect us against the threats in the digital space. Therefore, a broad majority in the Storting has adopted the Intelligence Services Act, which makes it possible for the E-service to start with so-called facilitated collection. Facilitated collection has been investigated on several occasions. First by an independent committee led by Olav Lysne. The report issued by the committee in August 2016 was sent for public consultation. The question was then thoroughly investigated and heard in the proposal for a new intelligence services act. The Ministry of Defense has recently put out for consultation proposals for changes to certain provisions in the Intelligence Services Act, not the whole act. We have thoroughly assessed the practice of international courts, and we will put forward a proposal for the Storting that complies with the requirements set. We have received valuable input in the consultation round which we will take with us in the further work on the proposal, including from the Norwegian Data Protection Authority. Facilitated collection is not mass surveillance, as the Norwegian Data Protection Authority claims on news Ytring. The term “mass surveillance” is misleading and apt to cause unnecessary concern. Monitoring requires that the E-service keeps someone or something under surveillance. If a label is to be put on this, “mass storage” is a more precise term for what happens through organized collection. Although large amounts of data will be stored, the E-service will not have access to the data without prior approval from the courts. The e-service should not mass monitor Norwegians. A broad majority in the Storting has adopted the e-Act and thus facilitated collection because Norway needs information about the threats we are exposed to from outside. The new e-law is important for the safety of our country and is in no way intended to collect a lot of information for random use. FOLLOW THE DEBATE:
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We cannot have an analogue defense in a digital world – Speech
