Two years after NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed the vast reach of U.S. and U.K. surveillance, the U.S. Congress rolled back the most manifestly unconstitutional element: the bulk collection of domestic phone data.
The U.K. government, on Wednesday, chose to double down instead.
The newly unveiled text of what critics are calling a proposed “Snooper’s Charter” or “Hacker’s License” would explicitly authorize the bulk collection of domestic data, require telecommunications companies to store records of websites visited by every citizen for 12 months for access by the government, approve the government’s right to hack into and bug computers and phones, severely restrict the ability of citizens to raise questions about secret surveillance warrants or evidence obtained through bulk surveillance presented in court, and oblige companies to assist in bypassing encryption.
Prime Minister David Cameron has said terrorists should have no “safe space” to communicate online, and Britain’s Home Office — charged with law enforcement, prisons, and border security — has presented in recent years several draft bills with that idea in mind.
The United Kingdom’s Home Secretary Theresa May, who is similar to the secretary of state for the U.S., insisted that the engines of Britain’s spy agencies would hum along as usual — just more efficiently, and with even more oversight, if the law passed. She answered questions from Parliament about the bill in the House of Commons in London on Wednesday.
There are some new limits in the bill. For example, if police wanted to use phone call information to try and track down a journalist’s source, those efforts would now have to be approved by a judicial commissioner. In fact, most warrants would need approval by a judicial commissioner, after the U.K. secretary of state signs off.
But overall, the bill, which May described as “world-leading” in its oversight provisions, remains a concern for privacy advocates because of its massive surveillance authorities and vague language and loopholes.
David Winnick, a parliamentarian from the Labour party and one of the few to offer criticism, told May that he was still “concerned” about the “excessive powers” being given to Britain’s spy agencies — a “bitter blow to civil liberties.”
Bulk Collection By Law
First, the bill explicitly authorizes bulk collection of domestic data, as long as it is “foreign focused,” “necessary in the interests of national security,” and approved by the secretary of state and the judicial commissioner. If an agency wants to actually examine domestic data, it has to get a targeted warrant — but massive amounts of data will have already been seized at that point.
“Powers for bulk interception that the government has long undertaken in secret have finally been explicitly avowed, but the case for them remains uncritically examined and evidentially weak,” wrote Privacy International in its initial statement about the bill.
May insisted that bulk collection is not a new power — that it was previously authorized under the Telecommunications Act.
However, the new standard is incredibly far-reaching. The United States Second Circuit ruled earlier this year that bulk collection of domestic communications data is so exceptionally broad as to be illegal, and in 2013 a District Court judge in Washington, D.C., found the program likely violated the U.S. constitution’s prohibition on general warrants. Congress ultimately decided to end the program and force the National Security Agency to replace it with something less intrusive.
Collection of Browsing History
Additionally, the bill would authorize British intelligence agencies to access a year’s worth of information about what websites British people visit without prior court approval. May did acknowledge this was a new power, but insisted it wasn’t all that intrusive, because a warrant would still be required to access specific browsing history for every page on every website visited, instead of just the homepage URL (like the Intercept homepage versus a specific article).
Anne Jellema, CEO of the Web Foundation, expressed concerns about the bill’s mass surveillance of Internet records.
“It will hurt U.K. businesses, create new vulnerabilities for criminals to attack, and ride roughshod over the right to privacy,” she wrote. “It will be possible to paint an incredibly detailed picture of a person’s hopes, fears and activities, and will create a data pool rife for theft, misuse or political persecution.”
British citizens also aren’t confident the government will protect all that new data it would now be entitled to. According to a poll conducted by British human rights group Big Brother Watch in 2012 — when a more severe surveillance bill was on the table — 71 percent of people said they didn’t think the government could keep their data, like websites visited, secure. Though the new bill isn’t as intrusive, this new power over website history remains.
License to Hack
The government will also create a new “regime” that will be granted authority to “interfere” with “electronic equipment” — basically to hack into devices and insert malware in order to covertly access information about the device or the user during an investigation of “serious crimes.”
Currently, the secretary of state approves the technique for intelligence or military agencies, while a chief police officer or “chief constable” authorizes a request made by law enforcement to hack. With the new bill, a judicial commissioner would also have to approve.
The U.S. government, including the FBI, also uses malware to access suspects’ devices, but the practice is much more secretive and unclear. Most warrants granted to law enforcement agencies to hack are sealed, making it hard to determine how often it happens.
Cooperating Companies and Encryption Restrictions
And companies, both abroad and domestically, would be under new pressures to comply with warrants issued by the U.K. government. For example, executives of foreign technology firms served with interception warrants from any “senior official” in the U.K., including local authorities, could be jailed or fined for ignoring a warrant.
And communications providers would be required to “remove any encryption applied” from communications when requested.
Though the U.K. government says companies were previously required to comply with warrants by decrypting messages, there’s a question as to whether that’s actually the case. The government wrote in February in its Interception of Communications Code of Practice that communications providers need to provide a “permanent interception capability” — or way to access communications through a warrant. However, there is no explicit mention of decrypting text or providing plaintext.
“It’s clearly not the same thing,” said Amie Stepanovich, U.S. policy manager for international digital rights group Access Now. The U.K. government is “reinterpreting current law” by saying companies “have to actually provide a way to decrypt communications.”
She said the new language would effectively eliminate forms of encryption that companies cannot decrypt upon request, namely end-to-end encryption where only the sender and receiver hold the key to read it — technology Apple provides. With the new bill, Apple could be pressured to comply with U.K. law or pull out of the market entirely.
No Questions Asked
Finally, some privacy advocates are worried that new protections would not be effective because of the bill’s provisions for challenging surveillance practices.
Under the new law, it would be illegal for anyone even to ask questions in court about whether or not evidence was obtained through bulk surveillance, or to talk to anyone about a surveillance warrant received — much like U.S. policy on national security letters issued to companies by intelligence agencies.
Amnesty International, the human rights group that learned it was being spied on by GCHQ this summer, wrote that the bill’s “wider powers” would “take U.K. closer to becoming a surveillance state.”
“Just a few months ago the government admitted through gritted teeth that they’d been spying on Amnesty International and another NGO,” wrote Alice Wyss, a U.K. researcher for Amnesty. “They were only caught out then because they broke their own rules and kept our communications too long, and that’s likely to have been just the tip of the iceberg.”
Correction: November 4, 2015
An earlier version of this story conflated two judicial rulings into one. A panel of the U.S. Second Circuit ruled bulk collection illegal, but did not rule on its constitutionality. D.C. District Court Judge Richard Leon raised the constitutional concerns.
Top photo: Home Secretary Theresa May presents the draft Investigatory Powers Bill in the House of Commons in London.
I love when privacy advocates get in a tizzy and push to judge and come up with all sorts of bogus rash conclusions about people who engage in practices which enhance their privacy and go to length trying to maintain their anonymity, especially online, where it seems like nobody is allowed to be private or have any anonymity whatsoever.
So, basically, curiosity and stalking isn’t a crime, but privacy is — or at least this is what we are coming to with laws like these, and surveillance states like the one we live in. I’m curious if they’ll ever get around to updating paparazzi laws — shouldn’t random people be allowed to confiscate and delete “photos” taken of them while they’re on a stroll along the length of Niagara Falls or a walk through the Louvre or an idle by the Fontana di Trevi or a lull on a beach in Rio or a trip through the markets in Marrakech without their permission, especially if it all gets uploaded to third party servers that correlate data points and identify people?
Of course the UK proposes more snooping — it has the most cameras per square inch, last I checked, in London, doesn’t it? So much for a Brit’s right to privacy, too — well, unless it’s online, but … well, isn’t all that camera storage stored in a cloud somewhere and available online?
Murky lines murk murkily. Except I don’t consider any of this murky. I consider all of this invasive, to an extraordinary extent. Peoples’ life stories (even the boring ones) and their photos and memories should be theirs to share or not share by choice. Not excavated or stolen from them, nor blackmailed or extracted from a thousand cameras or the equivalent of a TS/SCI with poly/lifestyle for every person. There needs to be a REAL RIGHT to privacy. And I have NO idea how the hell anything like that can be instituted in this day and age — even if people WANT it (and I do), it seems like other peoples’ desires and curiosities (under whatever rubric) override the individuals — even if those rubrics are ludicrous, crass, and demeaning. I’d like to posit with people starting with relearning “Hi, How are you?” and “Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself?”
If everyone hasn’t figured it out by now: The American NSA, acting through GCHQ, is the main sponsor of this bill and the “lobbying group” that’s been pushing it through despite the outcry against it. We spy on Britain, Britain spies on us. This is a big win for the NSA, because with all of the US’s domestic spying programs on the cutting room floor, the only real option left for the NSA is to help equip one of our allies to spy on us for them and push the laws through that legitimize it. It’s not because of terrorism, it’s because of control, plain and simple.
Indeed, GCHQ is out-of-control, but so is America’s NSA. The only real reason this bill has been developed and is being pushed through has more to do with a close ally of the UK rather than the UK government itself. I must say that lots of people in the UK intelligence community have a hard-on for this rubbish legislation. It’s rubbish, plain and simple. They can use “terrorism” as the main reason and excuse all they want for this legislation; it’s a load of cod’s wallop.
ProtonMail have now confirmed that their attacker is probably a “state-sponsored actor”.
IMHO it’s obviously GCHQ, as ProtonMail had just tweeted against the latest UK law. ProtonMail have launched a defence fund for better, more defendable servers.
I can talk securely with my technical mates via OpenPGP. The reason I promote ProtonMail is it is easy for my mum, my doctor, my lawyer and my politician to send me encrypted email. It’s just a tick-box. That’s why GCHQ hate it, because they hate privacy. That’s why you lot should support it and use it.
Canadian police are complaining that their kiddie porn targets are walking because they encrypt their home computer files and refuse to give the nice policeman the encryption keys. This sort of behaviour is going to result in a new level of what’s considered to be criminal behaviour – and it involves that right you had, not to incriminate yourself.
Your an IDIOT if you don’t……
.. See that the sick fuckers here in the US have to have a plan B. It’s highly likely any surveillance done on US proper will be done by the Queens jock sniffers to avoid the legalities. A unofficial official arrangement between the Royal Jock Sniffers and the US intelligence community (sick fuckers).
On 7th of July 2004, I was arrested for closing down RAF Menwith Hill as part of an ‘Independence FROM America’ day. It’s officially an Royal Airforce base, but in reality it is an American NSA base with some British GCHQ officers. The clue is in the flag above the base, the Stars and Stripes.
What happens there is US NSA officers break spy on British people, and the British GCHQ officers spy on Americans. They literally hot-desk – one Brit and one Yank for each computer cubicle swap around seats minute by minute to avoid literally breaking their own national laws. And then they share whatever intelligence they find under another pre-existing WWII treaty.
That’s so they can claim with a straight face in front of any over-sight, ‘oh no, I never broke any of my nations laws’. It’s a very polite, very proper, very silly form of mutual despotism. It’s also a two-way process so don’t just blame us Brits, accept your own personal responsibility for our sad states affairs.
Oops, I meant 4th of July, not 7th July. That date is important to you for some reason, no?
Forgive my forgetfulness but one of you yanks here earlier referred to the 7/11 terrorist attack’, when it was actually the 7/7 attack’. I know what a 7/11 is, no corner-store was bombed. Cultural differences, and as Utah Philips said, “Love the people, hate the state”.
In order to find a needle,
you must make the haystack larger!
That way,
all of the richest people needn’t worry about trying to get a camel
through the eye of the needle and
eventually,
the whole barn will become one big incendiary bomb
which will inevitably explode and burn to the ground
and THEN
you will clearly find that needle.
Brilliant!
OK, does WaPo know my browsing history? Where they typically would fly a Lockheed promotional at me, they shot me Esquire’s BS claim they are throwing Boardwalk Empire out of NJ. Bring it, character actors! Same show different take offs, Lockheed.
I have had the most illuminating journey trying to figure out Tree’s family history…you’d think Harris had forbidden identification, stingray! I have the sickest notion she’s a Petto, not a Guinta, but between Barrel Murders and Capone’s Ball Bat, I got bupkis. These quidos were always switching their plates.
Hay, Esquire, your connections are showing…tell Bufalino I got the massage. See you at the ball, batters.
And could we be anxious enough to get Russia to take a whack at ISIL for US? What you wanna bet we downed that jet, Jackels? If they can speculate, so can I. Mine will make a better movie, SONY! Just sayin’…Murdoch is all over Cameron to pull a “Tony,” again. He never forgave Russia for chasing him out of all Outdoors.
We thought The Wire was a bummer, but reality trumps US every time.
There are a lot of negative comments about who is spying on who and why.
Although I am against spying on it’s citizens in todays world it is needed.
Given the huge population of Muslims living in UK and now moving into the USA I think more spying on them is needed. Many Muslims are peaceful but many are living in western countries and their goal is to disrupt and kill as many innocent people as they can. We should infiltrate all Mosques and deport immediately anyone spewing hate. If they are US or UK citizens then throw them in jail for a very long time. Time to be nice are long gone.
Intercept should also look into this one: http://www.techtimes.com/articles/103269/20151105/circle-with-disney-is-a-100-box-that-lets-parents-take-control-of-their-kids-internet-usage.htm If you read Tiebing Zhang’s LinkedIn profile, it says about his first company (Advista) “We are serving clients ranging from Depart of Defense to Industrial Control, offering technologies ranging from WiFi, WiMaX, Bluetooth, Satellite, to wireless sensor networks.” Now his new company is selling a box that allows “parents” to view everything about their kids’ browsing, anywhere at home or on mobile devices. I couldn’t find a ‘terms and conditions’ on that site – they have a return guarantee, so maybe you have to buy the thing to see it – I wonder what it says.
After all, you know, Mickey Mouse has to save kids from joining ISIS, or socialists, or …
The U.K. and the U.S.A. have to wake up to the fact that they/we are not the elite rulers of planet earth – – at best we are a very small cog. The spying has done nothing to make anyone any safer – not even by a micro-second….. The CRUSADE against Muslims??; Terrorism is not defeated by becoming terrorists… Kill them all?? and let GOD sort it out?? IS ONLY GOOD FOR A BODY COUNT… pushing people Into a corner?? Kill or Be Killed – and pray they do not come back at you -WHO IS TODAY’s INNOCENT BYSTANDER – – with their own bomb shelter ( innocent?)
I do think the US and UK are going in the same directions in this. I just think the US propaganda machine is better at the art of deception & misdirection. Don’t be fooled by cosmetic changes that have been implemented in the US. , The NSA & CIA are as corrupt as they have always been !
Unaccountable power is absolute power, & is absolutely corrupt !
WOE IS ME – – the guilty cry the loudest – Propaganda is only for the people……..
Revolutions start by the ELITE looking down at the little people – – you have no rights
>. >. > Taxation without representation – – or today’s no representation. Period
Did people vote for the taxes?.? Did the people vote for the WARS?.? WERE THEY ASKED – – IN ANY WAY?.? The debt crisis?? Who spends the money?.? Was that Voted On??
It’s because the fuckers want to rule over people and not lead. They couldn’t give two shits about human rights. Deceitful spineless pricks.
These digusting britcunts who pay no tax, help corporate companies avoid everything & anything. Pally up too millionaires and get cushdee deals for as little as 1% tax in an off-shore tax haven should be hung drawn & quartered. They litterally are the personification of evil two faced scum. Like that hillary-wicked-witch of the west, they say one thing & then do another.
Fuck the uk-elitists who push terrorism excuses to steal from the public purse for their own pursuits in megalomania. The frankly ridiculous thing is these same scumbags are giving huge sums of money to mi5/mi6 vile scum too create terrorism world wide. Just like usa_naziland with its 99% of homeland terrorist issues were entrapment operations.
You should know that the 7/11 bombing in london was a false-flag attack. The regular bus never takes a detour & the secret-service knew what was happening. Whilst the ‘government’ were by chance… having a exercise just for the very same thing…a bombing!
GCHQ are a bunch of pedo’s & work for satanic-british-scum. If you work for that outfit you are a enemy of humanity.
I would like to see The Intercept do something with this story: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/porn-scandal-top-prosecutor-releasing-raunchy-emails-34984265 This is the business end of universal surveillance – the part where people start getting purged over little slices of nothing. I would like to hear just how FLIMSY the reasons are for driving these people out of government… especially when you consider that Pennsylvania has a reputation for extraordinary corruption, “Kids for Cash” to private prisons that are STILL EXPANDING. It’s the state where Jimmy Hoffa went to die, where Mafia membership is the golden road to getting a license to run slot machines nobody else is allowed to. But goodness no, nothing dirty in an email!
Give the British a taste of what they have to look forward to.
The conclusion of her special team on the length of time it took to investigate and try Sandusky found that there were no political foot (or feet) dragging going on… hah! But she did find a bunch of e-mails. Yay!
I don’t know, porn for private citizens, I think you’re right it’s a little slice o nothing; but, is the argument that public persons expose themselves (pun intended) to blackmail or exploitation when they engage in sexual misconduct, whatever that may mean, or however that may be embarrassing to that person?
It’s a tool to be used against the public office and she is actually showing how effective the tool is, I guess.
There was a movie “Inside Job” (I think) and Elliot Spitzer talks about how prosecutors were not at all zealous about using or exploiting wall street vices to get people to talk about the 2008 crash; but, they were very eager to use his personal vices against him.
I think Theresa May’s quote was more enlightening: “There should be no area of cyberspace which is a haven for those who seek to harm us to plot, poison minds and peddle hatred under the radar.” I mean, they talk about “terrorists, pedophiles, and criminals”, but what they mean is “criminals” defined as anyone with the ‘wrong’ ideas. These clearly are the allies of al-Sisi in every sense of the word.
It appears Britain needs rid of these politicians and their proposals more than it needs a building.
Ministry of thought control.
Somebody send her a copy of 1984.
Although my avatar may appear old fashioned, I’m actually visiting from the year 2100. As always, I’m struck by what a bunch of whiners humans were in the 21st century.
In the 22nd century, we have ocular implants that download continuously to a central database. The results are then processed and instructions are sent back to a control chip implanted at the base of the brain stem that directs our motor functions. We are basically just spectators of our own lives. As such, we envy the almost unlimited freedom you enjoy in 2015 and your petty concerns about surveillance on the internet are trivial and absurd.
Of course, we live much longer and more productive lives, so I suppose everything balances out.
It’s actually a very good idea to keep the Brits properly surveilled for the following reasons:
1)They love surveillance. Hardly anyone speaks up for Mr Julian Assange, poor chap.
2) Many of their citizens have joined ISIS, which they need to detect and control before they take flight.
3) They have lots of refugees and immigrants with questionable morality that need to be monitored.
4) Many in GCHQ are addicted to dixpix and may be in danger of committing suicide as a result of depression if their privilege is withdrawn.
5) They will be better able to catch American terrorists since FBI/NSA are getting handicapped by new laws that restrict their ability to combat domestic terror.
6) They can safely extend their expertise to activities in Russia, China and Germany who are constantly conspiring to harm us.
7) They can train our allies like the Saudis in the fine art of deceptive surveillance and make some money in the bargain.
8) We need the Brits to keep an eye on the Israelis who are tending to become adversarial these days.
So overall Ms May’s bill may not solve all the problems that we have today, but definitely it is a step in the right direction. Amen.
quote”So overall Ms May’s bill may not solve all the problems that we have today, but definitely it is a step in the right direction. Amen.”unquote
When 4th gen warfare overtakes the entire planet where human beings have to pick up weapons to survive, you will become a prime target ..because..you have no empathy for survival. Fuck you. btw..fuck you again.
You seem to be genetically prone to terroristic tendencies. People like you need constant monitoring.
quote”Under the new law, it would be illegal for anyone to even ask questions in court about whether or not evidence was obtained through bulk surveillance, or to talk to anyone about a surveillance warrant received—much like the U.S. policy about national security letters issued to companies by intelligence agencies.”unquote
There it is. The very nature of the totalitarian mindset that has been perpetrated as “law” since mankind has been on this earth. Law is only a weapon of mass control, be it manifested in 1000 soldiers bearing weapons to contain domestic outbreaks of anarchy or labor unions demanding justice and equality. In this case..the Oligarchy are scared shitless, and are trying to use “law” to subjugate those masses that are fearful enough, to stop protesting the way their world is manifesting itself. On the other hand, the Oligarchy fail to see, a modern wave of worldwide recognition that the Corporation government model will suffer the same remedy as France and other revolutions through out history. Do you really think the digital age will solve the worlds problems enough to stop world wide revolution ? I’d submit, one of these days, mothers and females will rise up and kill every mother fucking piece of shit male tyrant on the planet. cause.. children.
The British have no sense of democracy and rights. There is too much inbreeding on that little island, mostly among the ruling class. For them, it’s all the Queen and her Corgis, horses and jewels. Because they were raised with allegiance to that clown show, they have no sense of decency.
“Prime Minister David Cameron has said terrorists should have no “safe space” to communicate online”………. and either should the vast majority of law abiding citizens. The GRIFT continues, here and there.
Most Brits are like that fellow Blair. They deserve whatever they get, perhaps they should get more of it.
Do you have any evidence for this. I am a brit and I am nothing like that Fuck-Head Bliar. You are not wrong about deserving what we get. Too many of my fellow countrypeople have been too quiet for too long and we are allowing the ruling class to run over our rights and sense of worth. I guess we have it coming….
It might be a tad unfair to say British have no sense of democracy and rights when the American founders were essentially British traitors or terrorists.
And re GreatNothing’s comment below that “You are not wrong about deserving what we get.” I don’t think that the American founders would be too pleased with today’s American citizenry for allowing the U.S. gov to run roughshod all over our rights – the very thing that defines American’s as U.S. citizens… we also deserve what we get. I just hope history recognizes Ed Snowden’s contribution – supposing that American experiment persists..
I agree completely. I hope he is looked at with favour, when it comes to the history books and maybe even his trial if he returns (Which I hope he gets to do)
Be happy that you are not in Isisland with Baghdadi lording over your impending departure to meet Allah.
Our countries are great because our snooping is intended to catch criminals and reform them long before any crime is committed, unlike the tag team of Johnny Jihadi and Baker Baghdadi who are out to get you regardless of your inclinations towards crime and terror.
General, sir, I understand the sentiment but disagree 1000%. The British Empire fell apart, arguably it’s no longer great. America largely fell into the role of being the dominant super power by accident – not undermining anyone’s or any families horrifying sacrifices made during American wars. All of this happened before electronic surveillance. The two ‘British Empires’ were never great because they snooped on their people. I doubt we’ll read Niall Ferguson opining about surveillance and how it made Brits and Americans great.
Regarding the accident that I am fortunate enough to live in the U.S.: yes sir, there’s no doubt that I would not want to live in most countries in the middle east. In a word: scary. And, I would be a really poor subject under any caliphate – I have an innate problem with authority and especially authority that contradicts itself. I was born to be free, I think; that includes freedom from my government surveilling me.
Wouldn’t this be grounds for the US executive to impose sanctions against the United Kingdom, such as those put in place on Mynamar in 1997, Sudan in 2002 or Cuba in the Year One?
Always supposing of course that ours here in the US is a sane, rational, democracy-oriented government.
“Always supposing of course that ours here in the US is a sane, rational, democracy-oriented government.”
Please google FightGangStalking dot com. And hope that it never happens to you or anyone you love.
Thanks for the link, anonymous. The organization is news to me, but certainly not its focus subject.
No doubt you understood my supposition was tongue-in-cheek.
Thanks for taking a look at the site. I hope that many others will, as well.
I don’t know where to begin with this entire nightmare. Today I have read many articles from blogs to large scale news sites and it seems the blogs and online journalists are the only ones really examining the full scope of these horrendous new powers.
The BBC have been shameful in their skin deep coverage. Obviously trying to placate the British masses. It’s clear that with the BBC charter under renewal by the UK govt. next year the corporation isn’t going to rock the boat by upsetting the Tories.
So today I found out that these new powers will extend to doctors and nurses in our health service. They are being asked to spy on any colleagues and patients in hospitals who display anger at the government or follow ‘critical journalists’ online using the hospitals wi-fi network amongst other ‘new guidelines’.
Our health staff are under huge pressures in difficult circumstances and now they are being asked to circumvent doctor-patient confidentiality and report suspicions to the police.
I’m utterly ashamed of our government and media.
Thanks Jenna for your article.
The BBC was rendered ball less by Thatcher, a long time ago. I know as I listened by short wave since I was a kid (also long time ago). The Brits are just implementing the “insider threat” that Obomber activted here in the USG quite a while ago. That should drive any conscientious and capable people left, out of government service. We’ll be left with the likes of Kerry, Schumer, Feinstein and Clinton, all pond dwellers. The Rethugs barely deserve a mention.
Here, the HIPPA law on medical record confidentiality is probably violated by our own FBI-CIA-ETC thousands of times a day. At least the librarians stood up to the FBI spying, and set a good example for the rest of us.
And this part of this article is really true:
““It will hurt U.K. businesses, create new vulnerabilities for criminals to attack, and ride roughshod over the right to privacy,” she wrote. “It will be possible to paint an incredibly detailed picture of a person’s hopes, fears and activities, and will create a data pool rife for theft, misuse or political persecution.””
and therefore this british Government must be stopped with all methods even with arresting Cameron and all his GCHQ-spies everywhere worldwide!! We must get them arrested by courts and withdrawn from our countries and GB needs to be removed from Europe!!
What London does here is illegal, it violates the UN-Civil-Pact, it violates the UN-Human Rights Charta and it also violates the EU-Basic-Rights Charta!!
So we have to do everything we can to push GB out of the European Union and get Cameron and his complete government filed with charges everywhere inside Europe!! And we also have to push out arresting-warrents against them and agains their spies worldwide!!
Excuse me but would you mind laying off with the pushing GB out of Europe stuff please. Some of us don’t want to leave. Yes we’ve had some bad governments for some time but we’re working on that. Lets not punish everyone for the actions of a government that barely got a majority and most people didn’t vote for it.
How about instead the EU could pass some legislation binding member states to a limit on surveillance powers? Maybe try even pretending to be a democratic institution too. Then all of Europe might start moving forward… TOGETHER
Question to this article:
how can we stop the Britains from this snooping?? Is there any way how to legaly bind their hands and to get this law crushed into peaces by court-rulings or other civil methods??
And another question:
are smartphones with mozillaOS or with sailfishOS safer than android-smartphones??
A big part of the problem of restricting or holding the government at bay in the UK is that they don’t have a Constitution or such that enshrines the rights and freedoms of the people. As I understand it, the freedom and rights of the people rest on the Magna Carta and case law, (common law). Problem is, case law is notoriously malleable.
Secondly, we don’t want to lose sight of the wink and nod situation that was revealed being used to get around prohibitions against domestic surveillance in Five Eyes countries. They apparently have been surveilling each others domestic populations under their supposed right to surveil foreign populations.
Signal, the Snowden-Approved Crypto App, Comes to Android
If you’re an American? prob. unlikely in stopping the Brits from snooping on you. You’re only effective non-violent course of action would be to destroy all your internet devices and avoid buying and using more internet devices… which may be difficult since even cars and tvs are linking up to various machines outside your control.
ANother non-violent course would be to write letters; but, we should have doubts about its efficacy.
Yesterday ProtonMail tweeted about this law “In another attack on human rights, the British government is trying to ban ProtonMail”. That was a fairly strident and political comment from them, although completely accurate.
Ever since then the site has been taken down by a DDOSing attack. Hardly a coincidence I suspect. GCHQ, attacking Britain’s civil liberties since WWI.
The excuse given by the Stasi to the people of the GDR was of course almost identical. ‘Stasi exists to protect you from enemy agents and terrorists’.
At least the Stasi didn’t come out with so much humbug and deceit as their Tory fan club does to try and justify their actions today. They just said what they were doing and that was that.
And of course the British secret police or GCHQ already have (and use) most of these powers. The government just want to have it written in law to ease their consciences.
Welcome to the 21st century. The land of surveillance on demand. We have Netflix on demand, the govt has surveillance on demand with no accountability. Our civil rights are being taken away by powers we have to “trust”. Shit, is there anything we can do to keep this from happening? I’ll be dead in a few years and I personally don’t have anything to hide anymore except my thoughts of growing up safe in a time slowly eroding before our eyes. I now think that we’ve been played all along and just were kept ignorant of matters of state and powerless to do anything about it. It’s just too bad all the innocent people have to lose their lives in a game they know nothing about. I guess it’s really true, as Chomsky says, they run things and we’re powerless to stop it anymore.
Terminal disabled vet here and got that way as career Navy. WTF was I protecting and defending? These politicians took a similar oath as well and We, The People, can’t hold them to account. Thank God I don’t have any children. A self-inflicted dark age comes and it’s our own fault. [May explain why ET either never has time to find or has found us and doesn’t want to talk to us.]
This Snoopers Charter must, at all costs, be defeated before it becomes Law.
It is an outrageous attack on our civil liberty’s by the British Establishment; who are seeking to control and enslave the population at large.
hi Arthur,
you are so completely right!! But: how can we defend ourselfes from this??
I thin, the only way is to push out arrest-warrents against Camerons, against his government and against all his GCHQ-spies inside Europe and Germany as well as worldwide!!
And we have to faile claimes everywhere worldwide agains Cameron, against is snooping government and against his GCHQ-spies everywhere worldwide!! We need arrest-warrentes agains them and that immediatelly!!
And the third thing we have to do is, pushing GB out ouf the European Union and set up strict border-controles and UN-Resolutions against GB, USA, Israel and others!!
There is no other way how to deal with this!!
And the forth thing we have to do is banning their IT-products from the german and european market and set up shopping boykotts aganst USA, GB, Israel and others!!