Nokia accused of more complicity with Iranian regime

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As Nokia touts its N8 smartphone reaching the shores of Britain, Access Now’s “No to Nokia” campaign raises curious questions about “Nokia’s relationship with totalitarianism.”

It suggests there is no excuse for Nokia to be doing business with Iran, in particular – “given that Iran’s telecommunications infrastructure is majority owned by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards — the very same group that is responsible for suppressing and killing countless Iranian civilians”. We imagine it has something to do with a pay cheque. No to Nokia suggests that Nokia has been flogging surveillance technologies to repressive regimes.

Nokia has said that its only connection to Iran now is in “contractual links” and referring former customers to Trovicor, a private company Nokia Siemens integrated in 2007 then sold on to Perusa Partners Fund March, 2009. However, Access Now suggests that Trovicor’s relationship is curious. It, says the campaigners, does much of what Nokia used to be up to, allegedly playing part in tracking services.

And Access Executive Director Brett Solomon says he’s heard reports that “many in the Iranian government believe that they are still doing business with Nokia Siemens”.

Access points out some bizarre similiarities. Trovicor has, apparently, the same staff: former head of worldwide sales at Nokia, Johann Preinsberger, is Trovicor managing director and CEO “along with at least three other top executivies who transitioned between the companies.”

Access Now finishes its statement with some open questions to Nokia: If Nokia Siemens is concerned about human rights abuses, why are they referring people to a company that actively facilitates such abuses? And at what point does Nokia Siemens believe that it is no longer responsible, legally or otherwise, for the technology that it has created?