Corruption and commercial espionage

Vanguard May 2012 p. 7

Jim H.

(Above: Can't see, can't hear, can't speak)

Last year, after the News of the World scandal erupted, media baron Rupert Murdoch declared that phone hacking did not happen in his Australian businesses.

The News of the World revelations resulted in closure of the paper and enormous damage to News Corporation’s reputation. Recent revelations about pay TV corruption may actually destroy the Murdoch

Empire.

Recently, the Australian FinancialReview (AFR), published by Fairfax Media, revealed the results of a four-year investigation into News Corporation’s subsidiary News Datacom Systems (NDS), established in Israel in 1988.

It was run by Reuver Hasak, former director of Shin Bet, the Israeli domestic security service.

Within NDS there is a secretive unit known as Operational Security, made up of former police and intelligence personnel. Operational Security was formed to prevent fraud within News Corporation’s ranks, to identify anyone making pirate smart cards and to take legal action against them.

NDS carried out a labyrinthine series of global double deals, to severely damage News Corporation’s rivals in the battle for pay TV control.

The Australian Financial Review claims that it now has access to a large cache of NDS documents that were in the possession of former London Metropolitan Police commander Ray Adams.

The Australian Financial Review claims that “NDS encouraged and facilitated piracy by hackers not only

Murdoch is a friend of Gina Rinehart. It is likely that Rinehart’s move into Fairfax is at least partly motivated by a wish to gain influence over and silence an important Murdock rival in Australia.

It is inconceivable that Murdoch and his people have not been up to the same tricks in Australia. It should be blown out into the open. It is important to demand that the Australian government take action.

It must never be forgotten that Murdoch style underhanded tactics are part and parcel of the normal operations of capitalism.

The more examples that are brought out to the light of day, the clearer will be seen the true nature of this rotten system.

of its competitors but also of companies such as Foxtel, to whom NDS provided TV smartcards. The [email] documents show NDS sabotaged business rivals, fabricated legal actions and obtained telephone records illegally.”