This is a story about something positively obscene that is occurring in the United Kingdom. But if you think something similar, to some degree or other, isn’t planned for you right now, wherever you are, then dream on — be happy in your ignorance.
Listen to this…
The UK government is about to require all telecoms companies and ISPs to store the following end-user communications:
- Every phone call
- Every text message
- Every e-mail
- Every website visit
This mass of data must by law be STORED FOR A FULL YEAR and be available for perusal by “authorized” bodies.
And you’ll never guess who’s included under the “authorized bodies” tag…
According to the London Telegraph newspaper, 653 public bodies (so far!) are going to have access to all of your personal communications information showing not only who you have contacted but also when and where you contacted them. And just in case that isn’t obnoxious enough, a record of all the websites you visit will also be stored. The 653 public bodies includes police, councils, fire & ambulance and prison governors. Huh? What could possibly justify giving a prison governor the right to delve into the affairs of someone who’s not in prison? Or are we now all criminals until proven innocent?
Now, you might reasonably expect that there would be some oversight in place. Well there is.
Before any of the thousands of “authorized” people in any of those 653 “authorized” bodies can delve into your personal and private (???) communications, they will need the approval of no less a trained and trustworthy personage than – wait for it – a senior police officer or the *deputy* head of a local authority department.
Feel better now?
As one government opposition spokesman has pointed out, the British government has a history of granting themselves new powers which they claim are needed to tackle terrorism and organized crime, but which inevitably end up being used for quite different purposes. Could not the same be said of practically every government everywhere?
See, here’s why the terrorism-and-crime justification doesn’t wash:
Law enforcement organizations the world over are well aware that the terrorists and the professional crims are already using advanced encryption technologies to keep their communications hidden from authorities. So about the only people affected by this disgraceful invasion of privacy will be the average citizen.
And that includes you, when it comes to your country’s turn, so don’t feel too superior about living wherever it is you live. Knowledge is power, and governments the world over crave both. Only your refusal to accept such objectionable intrusion will keep the power hungry overlords and the shadowy alphabet agencies in check.
You will have just one chance to put a stop to this.
As I understand it the proposed law will not come before the UK Parliament until after the general election, so British citizens do at least have a chance to demonstrate at the ballot box just how little public support there is for this incredibly intrusive plan.
Wherever you live, be on the alert for such moves by your government, and let your elected representatives know that such invasion of privacy is neither acceptable nor justifiable, and that the future of their jobs depends on their listening to you.
So-called “people power” works just fine in any society where government representatives are elected, but only if enough people make enough noise.
You can start right now by spreading this warning to any social media sites you frequent — see the buttons below…
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You have got to be sh**** me ….
Thanks for the ‘Heads-up’ Bill – I’ll be writing to my MP about this.
If you had written this in early April I might have had a problem believing it………..
Unfortunately this does NOT surprise me at all. As the technology advances for all types of so called “civilian monitoring” on the Internet those in power no matter what their political affiliation will use this to maintain there power through this type of surveillance in the name of protecting their populations from “Terrorism/Organized Crime”.
I am quite sure these type of legal actions will occur in America quite soon. There are bills waiting to be voted on in Congress which address this as it pertains to ISPs storing the information mentioned in Bill’s posting.
As the economy of America continues its downward spiral the current administration will be under ever rising criticism on the Internet and people will be going to sites in the future they never would have thought of going to, let’s say one year ago. Political sites, self defense/weaponry sites, off shore banking solutions, are but some of the sites which will see an upsurge in traffic which of course the powers that be would wish to monitor.
Comic Strip “Pogo” says, “I have met the enemy, and he is us!”
If we wish to preserve our privacy and freedoms to some degree it would be best to start right now with implementing software and services before they too are made ILLEGAL.
1.Use a private VPN network, which I’m sure will be made illegal.
2.Learn how to remove Flash locally imbedded cookies from your computer. Two months ago white house dot gov. in the USA implanted this on the site of the white house. So, if you go to the white house website a FLASH tracking cookie is embedded in your computer and they can track where ever you go on the Internet.
This is not some paranoid fantasy, heck it was even written up in the NY Times which is HUGE supporter of the current administration in the USA. Go to Adobe and get their Flash cookie removal guidelines.
3. Don’t worry about an all powerful “BIG BROTHER” watching you, their incompetence will prove to be their undoing. But, they will cause many problems for those of us wishing to maintain a modicum of online privacy and security in our lives.
4. Bill Hely has numerous privacy and computer security strategies and recommendations through out his wonderful site and for those of us who rely on “The Hackers Nightmare”.
5. It is up to all of us in whatever country we live in to get off our “bums” and start protecting our online presence. No one will do it for you.
Thank you Bill and his great staff for this timely posting.
All The Best: Mitchell Dominguez
Mitchell – Thank you I would have said the same thing however it would have been drenched with fiercely scatalogical invectives as to have made it un readable … but certainly would have touched what I am sure we all ask – just who the hell are “they”? Talking to a couple of friends of mine, they posited the following :
Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you!
Pericles (430 B.C.)
A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have away.
Thomas Jefferson
Pogo Rules !!
Dear Bill,
I took your advice, e-mailed all my friends with your posting and wrote to my local MP Bill Olner. I’m still waiting for his reply from 2 weeks ago! If I ever do get a reply I’ll post it on here!
Adrian, does your local newspaper have a “Letters to the Editor” section? Others in your community might be interested to know that their local representative can’t be bothered responding to his constituents. If you can’t get a letter published (it can be difficult sometimes) try phoning a journalist directly. I’ve done it in the past and you’ll usually find them receptive to any story leads, especially when it comes to putting the screws to a politician.
Privacy … no such thing.
Freedom of Information / Right To Information in Aust. is a joke.
Anyone can apply to access to your personal information & you have to request Internal & External Reviews … giving 20 reasons why you want your personal information withheld & regardless of your privacy concerns, the Govt. departments disregard your right to privacy, in favour of the FOI applicant.
You don’t get the government you want, you get the government you deserve.
Who voted these legislators in? Did I hear, “Her Majesty’s loyal subjects”? Well then, maybe they should learn something from their choices and be more careful. (But that isn’t going to happen, is it?)
Ah, the silly times we live in.
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