Finland mulls intelligence-gathering abroad: media

A report drafted by a work group claimed that Finland needs new legislation to cover foreign intelligence gathering activities and online surveillance.

The work group of the Finnish Defense Ministry submitted the report to Defense Minister Carl Haglund on Wednesday, Finnish national broadcaster Yle reported.

Haglund claimed that the Finnish defense forces' capability to detect certain types of threat is weaker than many other countries.

"We have fewer tools (than many countries) we can use to prevent crimes like terrorism," Haglund was quoted as saying.

At present the Finnish Security Intelligence Service has no mandate to collect intelligence abroad.

The work group suggested that in order to combat external threats, it is necessary to set up a single organization, which could have a mandate to send officers abroad for human intelligence operations and online intelligence gathering.

However, the Finnish Ministry for Transport and Communications argued that large-scale online spying might endanger citizens' constitutional rights.

The ministry said it would be difficult to distinguish domestic communications from foreign ones, but did not object to authorizing intelligence collection abroad.

The amendment requires approval by several ministries, including the above mentioned two ministries and the Ministry of Justice, according to the report. Endit