WikiLeaks Founder Says Governments 'Curbing' Freedoms

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Saturday that governments worldwide are curbing personal liberty, privacy and free speech by misusing technology.

"Bulk surveillance of entire nations is on," Assange said in an address from Britain via video to a media conference in New Delhi.

The whistle-blower, who is living under strict bail conditions at the house of a wealthy supporter, said governments in some countries are "sucking out" data from emails and Internet transactions and passing on this "economic intelligence" to retail outlets and other organizations.

"We are giving away an extraordinary degree of our liberty about our life," said Assange.

The comments came after Assange launched his website's new project earlier in the week -- the publication of files he claims show a global industry that gives dictatorships and democracies alike tools to spy on their citizens.

The latest WikiLeaks files detail the activities of about 160 companies in 25 countries which develop technologies to allow the tracking and monitoring of individuals by their mobile phones, email and Internet browsing histories.

Assange also alleged that the Chinese had hacked into the computer system of India's federal policy agency, the Central Bureau of Information, and were extracting information for its own purposes.

Assange has been in Britain for the past year fighting extradition to Sweden for questioning on allegations of rape and sexual assault.

His case is due to come up again in court early next week.