U.S. spying on PH mobile networks, Snowden leaks show

The U.S. has secretly been collecting data from telecommunication activities in the Philippines, a website that publishes leaks from whistleblower Edward Snowden said.

The U.S. National Security Agency has been using a telecommunications software called MYSTIC to trawl networks for so-called metadata, a report in The Intercept claimed.

The online publication’s report was based on documents leaked by Snowden, whose revelations has turned U.S. relations with many countries sour over spying accusations.

Personal information gathered by MYSTIC in the Philippines, the Intercept said, included the time, source and destination of calls made via mobile networks.

The report cited a U.S. budget document as saying that MYSTIC is capable of offering “near real-time, complete access to the additional target country’s networks…”

Another document said MYSTIC collects text messages and call detail records. It is unclear whether the NSA collects full voice recordings from the Philippines.

MYSTIC “will soon become a source of lucrative intelligence for terrorist acitivities in Southern Philippines,” a separate document showed, citing an ongoing upgrade.

It said an entity called DSD, which the Intercept claimed to refer to the “Defence Signals Directorate, an arm of Australian intelligence,” is working on the project.

Aside from the Philippines, also monitored by MYSTIC are the Bahamas, Mexico, Kenya and a country which The Intercept refused to name for security reasons.

“All told, the NSA is using MYSTIC to gather personal data on mobile calls placed in countries with a combined population of more than 250 million people,” the report added.

The report was released barely a month after Manila and Washington signed a new agreement aimed at increased rotational presence of U.S. troops in the Philippines.

The Intercept said it received no response from officials of embassies of the Philippines and other countries allegedly monitored by MYSTIC when asked for comment.