Washington denies that it has used the system improperly. But that hasn’t curbed Europe’s outrage. French Foreign Minister Elisabeth Guigou has cautioned businesses over transmitting confidential data. And a group of French companies who believe they lost business through Echelon’s spying is threatening a joint lawsuit.
America won’t be alone in the dock. Echelon is a joint partnership of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Britain. Despite denials from Prime Minister Tony Blair, critics believe that the United States may be sharing secrets with Britain. If true, that would confirm the EU’s worst suspicions: Britain is closer to its American cousins than its European partners.
