UK Hackers Face Antisocial Behaviour Orders

ukhackster writes "The UK government has proposed that suspected cybercriminals could be banned from the Internet or have their PCs seized, even if they've not been convicted. These so-called Asbos have typically been used against teenage hoodlums or small-time crooks, but now they're gunning for organised criminals." From the article: "Asbos give the courts almost unlimited powers when imposing conditions on the person receiving the order. Under the Home Office proposals, the courts would have almost unlimited discretion to impose the order if they believe it probable that a suspect had 'acted in a way which facilitated or was likely to facilitate the commissioning of serious crime.' In a civil court, hearsay is admissible evidence, and the burden of proof is lighter than criminal courts."

Comments

To my U.K. Bretheren...

[eno2001]

...sorry to hear about the fascists coming your way too. We're locked up tighter than a drum here in the U.S. if we don't support Bush or the war in Iraq or anti-gay legislation, or anti-middle and anti-lower income tax breaks. I guess the terrorists did win. The elections that is...

Re:More New Labour thuggery from the Home Office

[ettlz]

So, really, this isn't the thing that should be getting you upset.

It's just that this is in the subset of upsetting things that are relevant to this particular forum and discussion. The UK government's apparent general crackdown on liberty does upset me, greatly. It upsets me that the British public are too stupid, too content to suck down intellectual junk-food like EastEnders and Big Brother and Jeremy Kyle, to care. They don't value what freedoms they have left. They take them for granted and think "this will never affect me". It's time to wake up.