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Australian Police Given Power To Use Spyware
reek writes "An Australian newspaper has reported> that the contentious Surveillance Devices Act has been passed. The act will (according to the article) allow Federal Police to obtain warrants to secretly install spyware onto users computers enabling them to "monitor email, online chats, word processor and spreadsheets entries and even bank personal identification numbers and passwords.""
As long as they need to obtain a warrant first, I don't see the big deal.
What doesn't kill you only delays the inevitable
I think simply having Linux would make yourself (at least for now) immune.
liqbase
I think simply having Linux would make yourself (at least for now) immune.
Please keep in mind that these are the police. They are not some random script kiddy, and would focus much more strongly on your computer. It also means that they probably already got a warrent to search your house and will have physical access to your computer. And my guess is that they will be able to take control of your computer in as much time as it takes to boot (not saying how to not encourage moron kiddies). And since you think your so secure, you wouldn't even think to check.
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
Someone please tell me ... that having software
that (knowingly or unknowingly) blocks or removes
this spyware isn't a crime...
Well, of course it would count as a crime! Probably as simple as "tampering with evidence", but it wouldn't surprise me if they invented a special category of crime, over which we have no control, to deal with (for example) AdAware detecting and removing such software.
But... Why on Earth would you want to remove it?
Just fake it out, and you have carte blanche to commit whatever crimes you want, with the state's own "evidence" of your whereabouts to clear you at any given time...
"And how do you suppose my client committed this crime, when your own activity logs show him viewing... Um... homoerotic goat porn??? at the time of the crime?"
As an aside relating back to my first paragraph, I personally run AntiVir for precisely that reason... As a German company, they treat a US government sponsored virus (such as the FBI's Magic Lantern) the same as any other virus - Namely, they detect it, quarrantine it, and kill it. Unlike both Norton and Mcafee, which have publically stated that they will not detect any virii such as ML.
Sure, I will take that bet....
.1% of those that make a decision about what OS they use will make that decision based on whether the government will spy on them.
I am willing to bet that less than 1% of those that are surveyed will even be aware of it.
I am willing to bet, that less that
If they have a warrant, and access to your computer, what the fuck are they messing around keeping it running for anyway, why haven't they just arrested you?
There is no secret piece of cross platform software available that can give 100% systeminfo without detection and be transparent to a clued up user.
There are however 100s of Windows only programs that can get so far inside the backdoor that even goatse is jealous, and STILL not be detected by a user ("Oh it was running a bit slow" they say as you nod slowly and sip your coffee whilst waiting for Adaware to finish its scan.)
btw, im a Windows user, not Linux - I merely pointed out the usual flaw in the plan.
liqbase
Now this spyware issue, the banning ceremonial swords and toy guns, crime rates rising, and the security camera epidemic. How much freedom are the citizens of these countries willing to give up?
This guy is way out there
Answer: It doesn't.
So it's now illegal in the UK to possess a street map of London?
After all, such a map could be very useful to a terrorist intent on terrorizing some place.
I was over there a few months back, and I saw lots of street maps for sale at the airport. I wonder if those vendors have been arrested yet?
Those who do study history are doomed to stand helplessly by while everyone else repeats it.
Indeed, the UK has effectively banned all knowledge.
In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
If I forget my passphrase, no matter how pissed the cops ge, it doesn't really make a difference.
There's this thing called 'contempt of court'.
Prosecutor : "Well, would you please tell us the passphrase to your files."
You: "I forgot it (grin)."
Prosecutor : "But our surveillance shows you opened that file yesterday, and 5 times last week. And yet, you forget?"
Magistrate : "Defendant, it is obvious that you know your passphrase. Please reveal your passphrase to the court."
You : "I forget (grin)."
Magistrate : "Very well. Three months in jail for contempt of court. This session will resume at a later date."
You are in a twisty maze of processor lines, all alike.
There is a lot of hype here.