Government Communications Security Bureau

Government Communications Security Bureau   (Intelligence agency)
Parent organization	New Zealand
Headquarters	Pipitea House, 1-15 Pipitea St, Pipitea, Wellington 6011
Leader	Director of Government Communications Security Bureau

The Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) is a New Zealand intelligence agency. It is forbidden from conducting surveillance on New Zealand citizens or permanent residents in the country.

Official narrative

The GSBB website stated as of August 2017 that the group "contributes to New Zealand’s national security by providing information assurance and cyber security to the New Zealand Government and critical infrastructure organisations, foreign intelligence to government decision-makers, and cooperation and assistance to other New Zealand government agencies."

Activities

"The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security, Cheryl Gwyn, probes a series of allegations, including that the agency wrongly spied on Kiwis in the Pacific, and used its eavesdropping powers to snoop on rival candidates for the job of World Trade Organisation boss when our Government was backing former trade minister Tim Groser for the job."

Illegal spying

The GCSB spied on Kim Dotcom, illegally, then claimed that they had stopped in 2016. When their espionage malware was detected in 2017, they stated that they "had no idea" it was still spying on him. "The GCSB admitted liability and will at some point pay damages, but Dotcom also demanded access to the recordings." In 2019, "The New Zealand Court of Appeal has refused to grant Kim Dotcom access to his private communications captured illegally by the country's spy agency. The Court found that while the intercepted communications, which formed part of the Megaupload investigation, are 'relevant', the need to protect national security tips the scales in the state's favor."

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