LOVEINT is the practice of intelligence service employees making use of their extensive monitoring capabilities to spy on their love interest or spouse. The term was coined in resemblance to intelligence terminology such as SIGINT, COMINT or HUMINT.

National Security Agency

The term LOVEINT originated at the NSA, where approximately one such incident is reported per year. In 2013, eight had been reported in the past decade, and they were the majority of unauthorized accesses reported by the NSA.[1] Most incidents are self-reported, for example during a polygraph test. The NSA sanctions them with administrative action up to termination of employment.[2][3][4][5] In five of the cases, the NSA employee resigned, preempting any administrative action. In two other cases, they retired.[1] The worst administrative sanction handed out was "a reduction in pay for two months, a reduction in grade, and access to classified information being revoked." One case was forwarded to the Department of Justice, which declined to prosecute.[6]

German Federal Intelligence Service

In September 2007, it was reported that an employee of the German Federal Intelligence Service abused his monitoring powers to read the email-traffic of his wife's lover.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Edward Moyer (2013-09-27). "NSA offers details on 'LOVEINT' (that's spying on lovers, exes)". CNET. Archived from the original on 2014-02-01. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  2. ↑ Siobhan Gorman (2013-08-23). "NSA Officers Spy on Love Interests". Washington Wire. The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2014-04-01. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  3. ↑ Andrea Peterson (2013-08-24). "LOVEINT: When NSA officers use their spying power on love interests". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2014-03-28. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  4. ↑ Lee Ferran (2013-09-27). "'LoveINT': Given Immense Powers, NSA Employees Super Cyber-Stalked Their Crushes". American Broadcasting Company. Archived from the original on 2014-03-24. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  5. ↑ National Broadcasting Company (2013-09-27). "'Loveint': NSA letter discloses employee eavesdropping on girlfriends, spouses". National Broadcasting Company. Archived from the original on 2014-03-23. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  6. ↑ Ryan Gallagher (2013-09-27). "Loveint: How NSA spies snooped on girlfriends, lovers, and first dates". Future Tense. Slate. Archived from the original on 2014-04-02. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  7. ↑ Andreas Förster (2007-08-31). "BKA-REFORM - Das Bundeskriminalamt soll per Gesetz mehr Befugnisse bei der Terrorabwehr bekommen. Neue Fahndungsmethoden sollen die Jagd auf Staatsfeinde erleichtern.: Beamter unter Verdacht". Berliner Zeitung (in German). Archived from the original on 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
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