5/24/2019 CLFR - Qatar | Global Network Initiative ABOUT THE GNI PRINCIPLES Qatar ISSUES MEDIA CONTACT PROVISION OF REAL-TIME LAWFUL INTERCEPTION ASSISTANCE DECREE LAW NO. (34) OF 2006 Decree Law No. (34) of 2006 on the promulgation of the Telecommunications Law (the Telecommunications Law) and No. (1) of 2009 on the promulgation of the Executive By-Laws for the Telecommunications Law (the Telecoms By-Laws) require telecommunications systems operators that provide services to the public to intercept communications in real time. Article 59 of the Telecommunications Law states that ‘service providers must comply with the requirements of the security authorities in the state which relate to the dictates of maintaining national security and the directions of the governmental bodies in general emergency cases and must implement orders and instructions issued by the General Secretariat regarding the development of network or service functionality to meet such requirements.’ Any government department involved in state security can rely on Article 59 of the Telecommunications Law, together with the use of any enforcement powers vested directly in the concerned government authority. Article 93 of the Telecoms By-Laws states that ‘nothing in the By-Law prohibits or infringes upon the rights of authorised governmental authorities to access con dential information or communication relating to a customer, in accordance with the applicable laws.’ Article 91 of the Telecoms By-Laws mentions that service providers shall not intercept, monitor or alter the content of a customer communication, except with the customer’s explicit consent or as expressly permitted or required by the applicable laws of the State of Qatar. Article 4 of the Telecoms By-Laws authorises the Secretary General of the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ictQATAR) to issue regulations, decisions, rules, orders, instructions and notices for the implementation of the Telecommunications Law and the Telecoms By-Laws. https://globalnetworkinitiative.org/clfr-qatar/ 1/4