LOVEINT is the practice of
intelligence service
An intelligence agency is a government agency responsible for the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information in support of law enforcement, national security, military, public safety, and foreign policy objectives.
Means of info ...
employees making use of their extensive monitoring capabilities to spy on their love interest or
spouse
A spouse is a significant other in a marriage. A female spouse is called a wife while a male spouse is called a husband.
Married
The legal status of a spouse, and the specific rights and obligations associated with that status, vary signific ...
. The term was coined in resemblance to intelligence terminology such as
SIGINT
Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is the act and field of intelligence-gathering by interception of ''signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly u ...
,
COMINT
Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is the act and field of intelligence-gathering by interception of ''signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly u ...
or
HUMINT
Human intelligence (HUMINT, pronounced ) is intelligence-gathering by means of human sources and interpersonal communication. It is distinct from more technical intelligence-gathering disciplines, such as signals intelligence (SIGINT), imager ...
.
National Security Agency
The term LOVEINT originated at the
NSA
The National Security Agency (NSA) is an intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the director of national intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collection, and proces ...
, 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.
Most incidents are self-reported, for example during a
polygraph
A polygraph, often incorrectly referred to as a lie detector test, is a pseudoscientific device or procedure that measures and records several physiological indicators such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while a ...
test. The NSA sanctions them with administrative action up to termination of employment.
In five of the cases, the NSA employee resigned, preempting any administrative action. In two other cases, they retired.
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
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
, which declined to prosecute.
German Federal Intelligence Service
In September 2007, it was reported that an employee of the German
Federal Intelligence Service
The Federal Intelligence Service (, ; BND) is the foreign intelligence agency of Germany, directly subordinate to the Chancellor's Office. The BND headquarters is located in central Berlin. The BND has 300 locations in Germany and foreign cou ...
abused his monitoring powers to read the email-traffic of his wife's lover.
[{{cite web, url=http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/archiv/bka-reform---das-bundeskriminalamt-soll-per-gesetz-mehr-befugnisse-bei-der-terrorabwehr-bekommen--neue-fahndungsmethoden-sollen-die-jagd-auf-staatsfeinde-erleichtern--beamter-unter-verdacht,10810590,10501420.html , title=BKA-REFORM - Das Bundeskriminalamt soll per Gesetz mehr Befugnisse bei der Terrorabwehr bekommen. Neue Fahndungsmethoden sollen die Jagd auf Staatsfeinde erleichtern.: Beamter unter Verdacht , author=Andreas Förster , work=Berliner Zeitung , date=2007-08-31 , language=German , access-date=2014-03-16 , archive-date=2011-04-29 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429183905/http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/archiv/.bin/dump.fcgi/2007/0831/politik/0062/index.html , url-status=dead ]
See also
*
2013 global surveillance disclosures
*
Cyberstalking
Cyberstalking is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, group, or organization. It may include false accusations, defamation, slander and libel. It may also include monitoring, identity theft, thr ...
*
Surveillance abuse
*
Surveillance scandals
*
SEXINT
* The use of LOVEINT is a major plot point in the 1994
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker, who resides in New Zealand. He is a major figure in the post-New Hollywood era and often uses novel technologies with a Classical Hollywood cinema, classical filmmaking styl ...
action comedy ''
True Lies
''True Lies'' is a 1994 American action comedy film written and directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Harry Tasker, a U.S. government agent, who struggles to balance his double life as a spy with his familial duties, ...
''
References
Surveillance scandals
National Security Agency
Signals intelligence agencies
Privacy in the United States
Privacy of telecommunications
Cyberstalking