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It was bound to happen. Home office to snoop social networking sites

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    It was bound to happen. Home office to snoop social networking sites

    Police state to move one step closer. This government knows no concept of privacy. Suggest you take your details off now.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7962631.stm

    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.

    'Overkill'

    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.
    "Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny. "


    Thomas Jefferson

    #2
    Pondlife is currently planning covert terrorist activities and should be done by the weekend. (comment)


    Pondlife <wall post> Fellas see you outside the starbucks on the high st. Don't forget your rucksacks. (Post on Pondlife's wall)

    Pondlife is attending Mayhem 2009 in Cardiff on 28th March 09 (invite others)


    I can see how this might work

    Comment


      #3
      It's got to be the worlds worst al-Qaeda or similar group who'd use Facebook or Bebo as a method by which to communicate with each other and, frankly, if they are that dumb then the Rozzers should be able to catch them by other means.

      We are becoming a more surveilled society than ever and Ms Smith and Mr Brown are responsible for the feelings of a majority of the electorate who are beginning to follow the line from "V For Vendetta":

      "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Menelaus View Post
        "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."
        WHS

        The fact is, our intelligence services can get a warrant to monitor specific people already. They have no need to monitor everyone.

        1984
        Originally posted by cailin maith
        Hang on - there is actually a place called Cheddar??

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by FSM with Cheddar View Post

          1984
          Is not a manual!
          ‎"See, you think I give a tulip. Wrong. In fact, while you talk, I'm thinking; How can I give less of a tulip? That's why I look interested."

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Moscow Mule View Post
            Is not a manual!


            Excellent!

            Comment


              #7
              Aie, until some crims do a bank job and shoot up some kiddies at the same time, and then the evidence that they were all on cahoots is deemed inadmissable because they communicated on an SNS. Then you'll be moaning that the police let the killers walk.

              Phone records have been available for years. Cant see how email records, IM records etc are any different.

              "Dont use the blower harry, rozzas 'ave got that covered. Get me on that there facebook"
              The Mods stole my post count!

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Pickle2 View Post
                Aie, until some crims do a bank job and shoot up some kiddies at the same time, and then the evidence that they were all on cahoots is deemed inadmissable because they communicated on an SNS. Then you'll be moaning that the police let the killers walk.

                Phone records have been available for years. Cant see how email records, IM records etc are any different.

                "Dont use the blower harry, rozzas 'ave got that covered. Get me on that there facebook"
                When was the last time a bank job involved the shooting of kids, accidental or intentional, in the UK?

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Menelaus View Post
                  When was the last time a bank job involved the shooting of kids, accidental or intentional, in the UK?
                  Exactly!
                  The Mods stole my post count!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Pickle2 View Post
                    Aie, until some crims do a bank job and shoot up some kiddies at the same time, and then the evidence that they were all on cahoots is deemed inadmissable because they communicated on an SNS. Then you'll be moaning that the police let the killers walk.

                    Phone records have been available for years. Cant see how email records, IM records etc are any different.

                    "Dont use the blower harry, rozzas 'ave got that covered. Get me on that there facebook"
                    Dude you have got WAY too much trust in government.
                    "Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny. "


                    Thomas Jefferson

                    Comment

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