Slashdot Mirror
Debate Postponed On UK RIP Act Amendment
Harry Morgan writes: "
The UK Government has postponed debate on,
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Communications Data: Additional Public Authorities) Order 2002
which is their attempt to expand the number of organisations entitled to demand communications data under
the original RIP act, until Tuesday 18th June. For anyone who feels strongly about this, now is the time to
do something about it. You can fax your Member of Parliament from stand.org.uk a
site which gives comprehensive information about the order and the original act.
"
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u iwant to thnamle a; the trp;;s pjt tejr fpr bprsiwmg at-1 an helponmg me get some booze. the only pronbvmlem is thtat vokda gives me gotrigvle heartbeun. [;zfxtmnks.
Have you been stalked by Seth today?
Investigative organisations like the NHS and GPO cannot function unless there is a supply of valid useable data. People hiding this sort of data will prevent them from operating.
We need a law like this to prevent terrorists from being able to hide from these groups.
Under the RIP act, if intercepted communications are encrypted, it will force the individual to surrender the keys, on penalty of jail sentences of up to two years. The government "says" keys will only be required in "special circumstances" and promises that the security services will destroy the keys as soon as they are finished with them.
Unless I'm reading this incorrectly, this reverses the burden of proof in UK law. In addition, there are stiff prison sentences if an individual who has been required to hand over keys tells a third party. Even worse is the defense for individuals who have "lost or forgotten" a key: innocent people could be jailed for innocently forgetting keys, while drug smugglers and bearded linux hippie pedophiles would happily settle for a two-year prison sentence rather than face far harsher penalties for being found guilty of the crime of which they are suspected.
For the government's take on this, check out the Home Office RIP site. Prove me wrong. I hope to holy strangled Christ that I am.
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
This should have been obvious from the 'Looks like a pretty ugly violation of privacy' pun, but unless you enjoy spelunking in Goatse cavern avoid clicking the above.
The parallels which can be drawn against Blair vs Hitler and Blair vs Saddam are astounding.... Compare many of Blair's election speeches to translations of Hitler's. Compare his delivery style to that of Hitler's. Compare his appointment styles with that of Saddam.
I can rant all day and night.
Yes, you could - but it would still be a bunch of paranoid right-wing shite. So thank you for curtailing your flamebait where you did.
Lest anyone get confused - this has got fuck all to do with the elected gorvernment of the UK. By and large such measures are proposed and driven by the civil service bureaucracy. More civil servants to snoop == bigger budgets == more status in the Whitehall machinery.
If we had a Conservative government we would have the same proposals. If we had a Lib Dem one, we'd get the same. Try and get this through your (collective) heads - 90% of all government policies would be done in any case.
Oh, and atcurtis - there's a general rule in netiquette about bringing in "Hitler and the Nazis" - don't do it. Repeating suburban myths plucked from the xenopobic little hate sheets like the Daily Mail or Telegraph is not a good substiture for critical thinking.
Anyway - write to your MP. It's not much, but governments will occasionally back down when legislation looks "controversial" In other words, there are no votes to be gained by this spook sponsored stuff, but there are plenty to be lost by civil libertarians who voted for Labour last time. Raise enough of a stink, and suddenly this bill will run out of parliamentary time, or some new, more "important", legislation will take its place.
But don't sit on your arse and complain to slashdot. It's got bugger all electoral power in the UK.
--Ng