UK News UK Government to monitor social networking sites

[TheDamien]

Privacy campaigners expressed alarm today over government plans to monitor all conversations on social networking sites in an attempt to crackdown on terror.

A Home Office spokesman said that the internet eavesdropping plan, which would be set out in the next few weeks, would cover any social network that allows people to chat to one another, including Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and Twitter as well as internet calls on Skype.

He said the proposal would update existing plans to store information about every telephone call, email, and internet visit made by anyone in the UK on a central database.

"We have no way of knowing whether Osama bin Laden is chatting to Abu Hamza on Facebook. Or terrorists could be having a four-way chat on Skype," he said.

Home Office defends proposal to track social networking movements

• Facebook and MySpace could be required to hold data about every person users chat with • Privacy campaigners condemn 'centralised snooping'

www.theguardian.com

 

[WolSHaman]

at least when the US infringed on our privacy and such they were able to flaunt 9/11 and claim that "if we don't do this the terrorists are gonna kill us." What a letdown this is

 

[Wiseman_2]

They flaunt 7/7 over here. Actually, they don't do that, they just use "Terrorism" as a catch-all reason for any new policy introduction which intrudes on people's lives.

They come up with all these schemes when the preachers of hate flooding our streets with bile get police guards to make sure nobody attacks them. It's bullshit.

terrorists could be having a four-way chat on Skype

When they could just use their own jihad websites, which the government hasn't bothered to shut down?

"We have no way of knowing whether Osama bin Laden is chatting to Abu Hamza on Facebook.

It is laughable that they say this. I remain pretty confident that someone would already have noticed if bin Liner and Captain Hook were using Facebook to talk to each other.

This, along with their plans to monitor virtually all internet activity, and phone calls, AND log it all on a gigantic database, will surely be enough to send the government to hell in the burning ruins of their shitty "New Labour".

 

[DDRtists]

If you're not talking about drugs, terror, or something you're going to get busted for, what does it matter? I highly doubt that they're going to care enough to read about how you hooked up with some chick at the party last night, so unless it's bad, this isn't going to matter. Just my two cents, however.

 

[Romek]

I'm sure they'll use the information gathered in some other way.

Anyway, how would they intercept the terrorists on the websites?
They'll have to read the content for any potential terrorism messages.

 

[Wiseman_2]

If you're not talking about drugs, terror, or something you're going to get busted for, what does it matter? I highly doubt that they're going to care enough to read about how you hooked up with some chick at the party last night, so unless it's bad, this isn't going to matter. Just my two cents, however.

It's the petty things they will do with it though. And the extremes to which I have no doubt they would go. They would use it as evidence for all sorts of crimes, not just terrorism.

It's the right to privacy which is rapidly being eroded which I do not like. Everyone has a vice of some sort; I wouldn't want a faceless government drone knowing what that might be. Especially given their track record for keeping such data safe.

Basically if you lived here you would probably be able to comprehend more why we do not like what they are doing.

 

[phyrex1an]

If you're not talking about drugs, terror, or something you're going to get busted for, what does it matter? I highly doubt that they're going to care enough to read about how you hooked up with some chick at the party last night, so unless it's bad, this isn't going to matter. Just my two cents, however.

I disagree with this post in so many ways that it's silly. Well, your comment and mine have been carefully noted by the National Defence Radio Establishment of Sweden. It's now being processed by one on the top 10 super computers in the world (2007) along with the rest of my communication for the last few months. I'm hoping that the result is that my communication doesn't fall outside of the defined boundaries for "normal". If that's not the case then you will probably not hear from me in a while alternatively I'll end up in a government database and being stopped from travelling to my study trip to the US next year for reasons that I'll never hear.

Everything you say can be used against me. :nuts:

 

[BANANAMAN]

most likely the terrorists would learn how to talk in code..

 

[Romek]

> most likely the terrorists would learn how to talk in code..
Most likely the terrorists won't even use myspace or bebo to plan terror attacks.

 

[Jindo]

People are complaining about privacy violation...

They clearly said that they're only going to check who you speak to, they couldn't care less about what you get up to, and if you care about these people seeing your profiles, then why the fuck do you make them in the first place for the world to see?

 

[phyrex1an]

who

And from where and when. Also, I guess you forgot that the profile isn't public "for the world to see"?

What data and for what purpose they want to gather is meaningless for me, the government shouldn't have it unless I'm under suspicion of a crime or gave it to them myself.
Some people are brining up arguments alone the lines of "the government doesn't care what you do so why should you care", they do care what I do and the proof for that is that else they wouldn't want to collect my data in the first place.

 

[Monsterous]

As an englander (is that even a word?), here be my view.

Personally; i dont give a damn - i dont use those kind of networking sites.
...on a lighter note ~ place your bets for when they catch one - a real one - not one thats been held up for 28 days or so who is innocent. (Though without the jailers knowing.)

 

[Samael88]

Damn it, these things are coming in every country it seems.

In Sweden we got FRA-law and soon to be IPRED to disassemble our privacy.
phyrex1an, you should know what I mean. They are against piracy, but they are still about the same thing

They are just using the terrorist as a weapon, just like hitler used the jews
They never think about the "civilian" casulties when it comes to catching the "bad guys"

 

[Wiseman_2]

They clearly said that they're only going to check who you speak to, they couldn't care less about what you get up to, and if you care about these people seeing your profiles, then why the fuck do you make them in the first place for the world to see?

I made my Facebook so I could keep in touch with old friends. I keep it private and I do not wish for the government to know the details of who I am in contact with.
And what use would it be if they were only checking who? They would have to know the details of a conversation to be able to use it in a prosecution.

It's not so much the invasion of privacy as what the potential next step is. Even the smallest word against the government could have you done on some trumped up charge.
One thing I have noticed, for example, is how every time someone is arrested on explosives related incidents, they almost always attach a child porn charge to the case.
They are not Asian (so terrorism isn't a good excuse), so in order to instill loathing of the criminal amongst the population, they have to inflate the case.

This government is corrupt and bloated and will not last much longer; if Brown doesn't call an election when it's due, for whatever reason he cooks up, there will be hell to pay.

 

[CaptDeath]

well idk about you people but I don't care one bit cause I act online like I would in front of my parents.
[del]Any ways the recordings are triggered by key words so unless your screaming/or typing[/del]
Nvm they record ALL but still they probably search for the following

AMERICA/England/The Infidels MUST DIE
MUHHHAAAMAD!!!
ALLAAH WINZ!!!!
I AM A TERRRORRIST FEAR MEH!!!

and if you are saying/typing things that you wouldn't want the government to know what is it? lol
its not like there going to read Mikes blog and see OMFG HES SMOKES MARIJUANA LETS GET HIM or <genericOnlineName> Likes his neighbor and wants to rape her Let Get HIM!!!!!!!

no they are looking for
Hey muhhammed_tehzTerrorizt go do a car bombing itll be funny
or w/e you get the point

 

[DDRtists]

I disagree with this post in so many ways that it's silly.

Note, I don't support or like this idea, but if it did happen is what I was talking about.

 

[Jindo]

And from where and when. Also, I guess you forgot that the profile isn't public "for the world to see"?

Where and when is true, but what I'm saying is that they don't look at your profiles on these sites for fun or privacy violation, which is what some people are worried about, for whatever reason.

As far as I know, anyone who is logged in to a social networking site is allowed to see your profile, unless you make it private - those are the people who can complain. If you have a public profile, anyone who visits the site can potentionally stumble upon it.

 

[Varine]

Okay well this is a little excessive, although I kind of thought they were already doing it after the announcement of that phone database thing. I want Blaire back over there, I liked him.

AMERICA/England/The Infidels MUST DIE
MUHHHAAAMAD!!!
ALLAAH WINZ!!!!
I AM A TERRRORRIST FEAR MEH!!!

Or alternately they can develop a system that, since it's essentially going to be recording everything that it comes across, will track IP's and locations and transfer the information picked up on things like minor drug talk revolving around marijuana or underaged drinking and smoking to local police forces, who will then have reason to search people. I don't know if that's what's going to happen, I'm just saying it's a reasonable possibility given the advancement of technology recently.

I, however, live in the US where I'm out of their jurisdiction and I doubt the US is going to be concerned with that because first off we can't afford to and secondly we have the wonderful city of Detroit to deal with still. Although I suppose Obama could just put it all on his credit card and make the next president worry about it like everything else he seems to be planning, I don't know.

 

[Darthfett]

My 2 cents:

1. There's practically nothing that's going to matter 'if the government sees it'. They don't care about anything unless you're doing something illegal, which you shouldn't be doing in the first place.

2. I don't think this is going to be very effective against terrorists. The only way they'd be able to monitor the massive amounts of traffic that happen on the site, would be to have computers calculating and analyzing everything that's happening. They're not going to pay attention to what everyday citizens are doing because they don't have the manpower. They're just going to take a closer look at suspicious things.

 

[Varine]

1. There's practically nothing that's going to matter 'if the government sees it'. They don't care about anything unless you're doing something illegal, which you shouldn't be doing in the first place.

That's not the point, people jokingly will say something and the way this database is being set up that's not going to be taken into account.

2. I don't think this is going to be very effective against terrorists. The only way they'd be able to monitor the massive amounts of traffic that happen on the site, would be to have computers calculating and analyzing everything that's happening. They're not going to pay attention to what everyday citizens are doing because they don't have the manpower. They're just going to take a closer look at suspicious things.

It's far from impossible to do what they are intending on doing. The computers can simply scan and transfer information appropriately, and do pretty quickly and effectively.