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Case Sonera

Explore the shocking revelations of phone tapping and misuse of phone records at Sonera, Finland's top telecom company, in the early 2000s. Follow the investigative journey as Anssi Miettinen and Tuomo Pietiläinen uncover the truth amid corporate chaos and secrecy.

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Case Sonera

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  1. Case Sonera • ”Don´t trust your phone! They are taping your calls!” • A source inside Sonera, January 2001 ANSSI MIETTINEN AND TUOMO PIETILÄINEN, SKUP 2005

  2. Background • Sonera was and still is Finland´s biggest telephone operator • It´s biggest owner was the state of Finland • 1999-2001 the company was in turbulence: • high flying stock price • mobile internet visions • umts-auctions • changes in organisation • merger speculations

  3. In 2000, Kaj-Erik Relander was named as a new CEO. • Young and aggressive • Visionary, but greedy • Bought expensive umts-licences • Fired people he did not like • Arranged lucrative stock options

  4. In a short time, Sonera was in chaos • Mr Relander was arguing with the board of directors • Some members of the board wanted to fire him • Relander used tough leadership • Many people were afraid of him • The company was in a crisis • This was not public at the time

  5. The Start • In january 2001, Anssi started to take a close look at Sonera • Sources were acting strangely • They didn´t want to talk in the phone at all • No-one wanted to be quoted • Stories based on anonymous sources • ”Don´t trust your phone! They are listening to you!” • ”They check your phone records, too!”

  6. Phone Records

  7. Phone records • Reveal: who is calling who, for how long and when • Collected and saved by the operator • Sensitive information: the operator has a special obligation to protect that information • The legal use: • Solving serious crime (by the police) • Solving the misuse of company owned phones (like sex lines) • But only last three numbers hidden: 040-5853XXX

  8. The Investigation • First hints in March 2001 • ”The security department is out of line!” • Phone records, private detectives • Rumours about phone-tapping • First solid source: In October 2000 Sonera security used phone records to find out HS sources! • ”Be careful with Juha E. Miettinen” • He was the head of Sonera security

  9. Juha E. Miettinen, head of Sonera security department • A true security professional • Written many books • Member of different security organisations • Authorative leader • 8-10 people in the department

  10. The Investigation • Difficulties: How to proceed? • Anssi asked Tuomo to help • Tuomo had just been at IRE Conference • ”The information is out there. Just find it!” • So we started

  11. The Investigation • Is this legal? No. • How to find more sources / documents? • Is the CEO, Mr Relander behind this? • How to communicate with the sources and potential sources? • Gameplan: At first we must find more evidence, and not to be revealed to Sonera executives. • If they know, that we know, they will destroy all evidence.

  12. The Investigation • We started with the sources critical to management • Focus on the security department: first hand information • The organisation of security department • Phone numbers, addresses, background checking, character analysis

  13. The Investigation • Back to public phone booths! Reason: Protecting our sources Also: The ”media” was the message: ”Hello, my name is Tuomo Pietiläinen. I´m a reporter of Helsingin Sanomat and I´m working on a story that you might be able to help me. By the way, I´m calling from a public phone...” • Sources were given nicknames Reason: Protecting our sources • In meetings we turned our phone off or left it home Reason: The operator can check the location too! (And they did) • Made sure we were not being followed (Tuomo and the bike) Reason: They used private detectives.

  14. The Investigation • Slow at start, not much progress • In May 2002, we took a chance • We asked a guy from the security department to meet us • He was nervous, almost shaking when he realized what we were after • He did not say anything, but his behavior was revealing • He told his boss what we were doing • So were were revealed to Sonera management • The pressure started: ”If you publish, we will sue!” • Sonera denied any wrongdoing

  15. The Investigation • The rules of the game changed • Now we were able to contact potential sources more freely • We still did not have enough evidence • Quietly, Sonera hired an independent lawyer • It smelled like a white-wash • Finally, after 1,5 years a breakthrough! • Enough sources, documents also

  16. The Scoop, 11. October 2002 • We wrote that in 2000-2001 Sonera Security unit had used phone records to find the people who leaked information to the press. • The security unit searched the records of tens of employees and outsiders too. • We named Juha E. Miettinen responsible, no knowledge that Mr Relander had involvement. • Sonera denied all claims. Said the claims were serious, since Sonera as a operator should use the data with special carefulness.

  17. Sonera attacked Helsingin Sanomat • Jari Jaakkola, the head of communications: ”Sonera immediately launched an internal investigation which was conducted by an outside party. The result of the investigation was that there was no evidence to support the claims made by Helsingin Sanomat today.” • (Jaakkola was arrested 5 weeks later of his involment in the phone record scandal)

  18. The Police Investigation • Couple of weeks after we broke the story, the police started arresting Sonera executives. Mr Miettinen, Mr Jaakkola, Mr Relander and three other Sonera executives were arrested. (Mr Relander had resigned from Sonera a year before) • The police investigation was huge: • More illegal phone call tracing • Email-monitoring

  19. The Police Investigation • More targets of illegal tracing • Prime minister Paavo Lipponen • Two Helsingin Sanomat reporters (not us) • Professor at the Helsinki University of Technology • The board of directors of Sonera • Several Sonera managers and ex-employees • And about 80 people more • Several different cases 1997-2001

  20. The Trial

  21. The Trial • February-March 2005 • Six Sonera executives charged • E-mail messages among key evidence: ”I have launched an investigation concerning the source of news of Helsingin Sanomat... not all information from October 17th to 19th has been transfered to from the switches to the billing system...” Juha E. Miettinen (front) wrote to Kaj-Erik Relander (back) in his email.

  22. The Trial • Relander admitted giving orders, but said he thought it was legal. • Miettinen admitted several cases, but said he had only followed orders • Defendants admit to ”forgivable mistake” • Prosecutor called for suspended sentences and fines • Verdict comes next month

  23. The Lessons • New technology can reveal your sources, especially emails are being monitored in many companies • Keep your contacts anonymous, use switchboard instead of direct numbers • It´s better to work as a pair • Try to meet people face-to-face, so you can build trust but also read gestures • Don´t inform all the collagues • But brief your editor-in-chief immediately • Keep your files behind closed doors • Exceptional claims need exceptional burden of proof • The information is out there! Just get it!

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