Posted March 25, 200916 yr What is it going to be next ? bugging devices in every living room and bedroom across the land ? :manson: Social networking sites like Facebook could be monitored by the UK government under proposals to make them keep details of users' contacts. The Home Office said it was needed to tackle crime gangs and terrorists who might use the sites, but said it would not keep the content of conversations. Civil liberties campaigners have called the proposal a "snoopers' charter". The idea follows proposals to store details of every phone call, email, and internet visit made in the UK. Tens of millions of people use sites like Facebook, Bebo and MySpace to chat with friends, but ministers say they have no interest in the content of discussions - just who people have been talking to. Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake said the websites contained sensitive personal details and that he was concerned information could leak from any government-controlled database. The Independent newspaper quoted him as saying similiar plans to monitor phone and email records threatened to be the "most expensive snooper's charter in history". "It is deeply worrying that they now intend to monitor social networking sites which contain very sensitive data like sexual orientation, religious beliefs and political views," he said. The newspaper also reported that Chris Kelly, Facebook's chief privacy officer, was considering lobbying ministers over the proposal, which he described as "overkill". With similar proposals already being enacted or under consideration for phone, email and internet contacts, ministers denied they were trying to intrude on people's private lives. A Home Office spokesman said it would consult shortly "to ensure that we keep up with technological advances". "The government has no interest in the content of people's social network sites and this is not going to be part of our upcoming consultation," the spokesman said. "We have been clear that the communications revolution has been rapid in this country and the way in which we collect communications data needs to change, so that law enforcement agencies can maintain their ability to tackle terrorism and gather evidence," he said. The spokesman reiterated that as with similar proposals for emails, text messages and phone calls, there were no plans to retain the content of conversations. Details of the proposals were disclosed by Home Office minister Vernon Coaker earlier this month, at a Commons committee to examine draft EU directives. He said that the government was considering acting on social networking sites because they were not covered by the latest proposals from Brussels. Mr Coaker acknowledged that the plan would raise fresh concerns about the right to privacy, saying he accepted it was an "extremely difficult area". "It is absolutely right to point out the difficulty of ensuring that we maintain a capability and a capacity to deal with crime and issues of national security, and where that butts up against issues of privacy," he said.
March 25, 200916 yr If ever we needed proof that labour were evil and that Lib Dem needed a chance this is it :/
March 25, 200916 yr tbh im begining to think that scott is right on these issues, ok ill not conceed dna benefits (just look, another guy has been proven innocent by dna only last week), but his point often made that 'big brother' is watching you IS gathering momentum.
March 25, 200916 yr Fukking hell, the government REALLY need to stop interferring or things will get worst.
March 26, 200916 yr tbh im begining to think that scott is right on these issues, ok ill not conceed dna benefits (just look, another guy has been proven innocent by dna only last week), but his point often made that 'big brother' is watching you IS gathering momentum. It does have benefits, never denied it, I just WILL NOT comply with a national database which I feel infringes on mine and every other law-abiding citizen's Human Rights, and frankly I just wouldn't trust a system which allows such huge gaffes as the HMRC fiasco, and countless other examples, our private records simply are not secure, and these idiots want to bring in an ID card system, you've gotta be kidding me.... Such a thing would be considered unconstititutional even in the US, and this is the country which brought in the rather outrageous Patriot Act....
March 26, 200916 yr This is getting ridiculous. It seems like the government are just chucking the word 'terrorists' at anything they want to enforce in hope that it will be pushed through or considered acceptable. How many terrorists are going to be stupid enough to write on another terrorist's wall anyway?
March 26, 200916 yr Author This is getting ridiculous. It seems like the government are just chucking the word 'terrorists' at anything they want to enforce in hope that it will be pushed through or considered acceptable. How many terrorists are going to be stupid enough to write on another terrorist's wall anyway? Yeah exactly :manson: A would be terrorist is hardly going to say : Mohammed Al-Khalid is off to pick up the semtex today Posted 2 hours ago · Comment · Like Terrorism is just an excuse for the government to erode our privacy and intrude on our lives, we had far worse terrorism under the IRA/INLA in mainland Britain especially in London and that was not used to crack down on civil liberties and privacy like is happening now after ONE attack in London and one in Glasgow :manson: Edited March 26, 200916 yr by B.A Baracus
March 26, 200916 yr Yeah exactly :manson: A would be terrorist is hardly going to say : Mohammed Al-Khalid is off to pick up the semtex today Posted 2 hours ago · Comment · Like Terrorism is just an excuse for the government to erode our privacy and intrude on our lives, we had far worse terrorism under the IRA/INLA in mainland Britain especially in London and that was not used to crack down on civil liberties and privacy like is happening now after ONE attack in London and one in Glasgow :manson: Yes it was. What about internment? Unfortunately, each terrorist attack leads to howls of protest that it must never happen again. So the government of the day thinks "We must do something. This is something so we'll do it, even if it is a barmy idea". Thus each terrorist attack leads to ever-more extreme responses. It's just that Britain and the US are largely alone in this. The Spanish government didn't respond in the same way to the Madrid bombings.
March 26, 200916 yr Author Yes it was. What about internment? Unfortunately, each terrorist attack leads to howls of protest that it must never happen again. So the government of the day thinks "We must do something. This is something so we'll do it, even if it is a barmy idea". Thus each terrorist attack leads to ever-more extreme responses. It's just that Britain and the US are largely alone in this. The Spanish government didn't respond in the same way to the Madrid bombings. Internment was different, that was detention without trial of suspects of terrorism in NI the violations of privacy affect EVERYONE, I am far more concerned about having the government infringe on our freedoms and civil liberties and privacy than I am the remote chance I might be blown up by some fanatic If MI5 / MI6 / Police have suspicions about someone then they should get a warrant and be able to access their personal data having given evidence of the suspicion to a judge, having the government snoop on EVERYONE'S personal data in the hope they might find a terrorist somewhere is not even something Orwell would make up
March 26, 200916 yr Internment was different, that was detention without trial of suspects of terrorism in NI the violations of privacy affect EVERYONE, I am far more concerned about having the government infringe on our freedoms and civil liberties and privacy than I am the remote chance I might be blown up by some fanatic If MI5 / MI6 / Police have suspicions about someone then they should get a warrant and be able to access their personal data having given evidence of the suspicion to a judge, having the government snoop on EVERYONE'S personal data in the hope they might find a terrorist somewhere is not even something Orwell would make up And the Diplock courts, i.e. trial without a jury? The fact is terrorism has been used by successive governments as an excuse for depriving people of their rights for decades. And as technology develops, governments can do more and more to deprive us of basic liberties.
March 26, 200916 yr The Government (Nu Labour) are the most paranoid Government we have ever had, getting more like the Ministry for State Security or lets call it the Stasi. We are the most watched and most listened to society in the world, not even Russia is as bad as the UK nowadays.
March 27, 200916 yr Internment was different, that was detention without trial of suspects of terrorism in NI the violations of privacy affect EVERYONE, I am far more concerned about having the government infringe on our freedoms and civil liberties and privacy than I am the remote chance I might be blown up by some fanatic If MI5 / MI6 / Police have suspicions about someone then they should get a warrant and be able to access their personal data having given evidence of the suspicion to a judge, having the government snoop on EVERYONE'S personal data in the hope they might find a terrorist somewhere is not even something Orwell would make up I have to agree with Suedehead on the one hand, and you on the other... Internment, or "rendition" as it's calling itself nowadays is unnacceptable, at the end of the day, if you're so sure of your evidence, make your case in a court of law, dont spirit people away to Bellmarsh or GITMO and just expect us to believe that it's for our "own good"... And, Internment is what led to the three greatest miscarriages of justice this country has ever known - namely the Guildford 4, the Birmingham 6 and the Maguire family..... It's simply NOT an acceptable action from what is supposed to be a free, democratic country... What's the point in "saving" us from terrorists if the State just terrorises and oppresses us itself....? We'd may as fukkin' well have Sharia Law if we allow these things to pass into our own laws.....
March 27, 200916 yr They didn't even f***ing kill anyone in Glasgow. It was the Terrorist's definition of 'Epic Fail' So they really can't use that as an excuse, and nor should they. I for one resent my privacy being eroded by the government who have proven time and time again that they aren't capable of looking after basic information, never mind sensitive things like bank details, NI numbers. So god only knows what they are going to loose with all their internet data.
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