Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Backlash Against British Encryption Law

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the feel-the-love dept.

gardenermike writes "The BBC is reporting on some backlash against the British Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) that came into force in 2000, which makes it a criminal act to refuse to decrypt files on a computer. Not surprisingly, the bugaboos of child pornography and terrorism, while unquestionably heinous, are being used to justify a law which does little to protect against either. Lord Phillips of Sudbury is quoted 'You do not secure the liberty of our country and value of our democracy by undermining them, that's the road to hell.'"

3 of 409 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Lord Phillips by Triskele · · Score: 4, Informative
    Because when I want somebody's ideas on what comprises a democracy, I ask somebody with a peerage.
    He's a Life Peer not an inherited aristocrat (we've mostly got rid of those, thank you). You can find the details of what lead to his nomination here.

    The closest parallel I can think of would be one of your Chief Justices... They provide some oversight on Parliament's legislation, tend to be less bound by party politics and rarely bothered by winning votes.

    Personally, given the parlous state of your nation, I'd think twice about throwing jibes around about democracy.

    --

    --
    USA: home of the world's largest terrorist training camp.

  2. Re:Heinous? by plague3106 · · Score: 4, Informative

    The 1st amendment only applies to free expression and art that middle class Christians approve of!

    Um, what? This thread is about a UK law, and thus has nothing to do with the American First amendment.

  3. Re:Why is child pornography as bad as terrorism? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    That was in 2002. The PROTECT Act which among others makes obscene drawings of fictional children illegal was passed in 2003.