Vodafone, one of the world’s largest cell phone companies, revealed the scope of government snooping into phone networks in a report that is described as the first of its kind, covering 29 countries in which it directly operates.

The most explosive revelation was that in a small number of countries, authorities require direct access to an operator’s network — bypassing legal niceties like warrants. It did not name the countries.

“In those countries, Vodafone will not receive any form of demand for lawful interception access as the relevant agencies and authorities already have permanent access to customer communications via their own direct link,” the report said.

[adapted from HuffPo]

Many Governments Listen To Phone Calls Anytime They Want: Report.