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 informatio ...
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
Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of '' signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication ...
,
COMINT
Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of '' signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication ...
or
HUMINT
Human intelligence (abbreviated HUMINT and pronounced as ''hyoo-mint'') is intelligence gathered by means of interpersonal contact, as opposed to the 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 a national-level 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, collecti ...
, 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 device or procedure that measures and records several physiological indicators such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while a person is asked ...
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 (German: ; , BND) is the foreign intelligence agency of Germany, directly subordinate to the Chancellor's Office. The BND headquarters is located in central Berlin and is the world's largest intelligence head ...
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, thre ...
*
Surveillance abuse
*
Surveillance scandals
*
SEXINT SEXINT is the practice of monitoring and/or characterizing/indexing the pornographic preferences of internet users in an effort to later use the information for blackmail. The term is a portmanteau of ''sex''ual ''int''elligence retrieved on an inte ...
* The use of LOVEINT is a major plot point in the 1994
James Cameron action comedy ''
True Lies
''True Lies'' is a 1994 American spy action comedy film written and directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Art Malik, Tia Carrere, Bill Paxton, Eliza Dushku, Grant Heslov and Charlton Heston. ...
''
References
Surveillance scandals
National Security Agency
Signals intelligence agencies
Privacy in the United States
Privacy of telecommunications
Stalking