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Spy Drones Take to the Sky in the UK

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the shoo-fly dept.

Novotny writes to tell us The Guardian is reporting that the UK's has launched a new breed of police 'spy drone'. Originally used in military applications, these drones are being put into use as a senior police officer warns the surveillance society in the UK is eroding civil liberties. In the UK, there are an estimated 4.2 million surveillance cameras already, and you are on average photographed 300 times a day going about your business. Is there any evidence to suggest that this increasingly Orwellian society is actually any safer?"

4 of 529 comments (clear)

  1. To quote a recent movie... by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 5, Informative

    "ENGLAND PREVAILS!" (V for Vendetta in case you're curious...)

    --
    Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
  2. Re:Is there any evidence that's what this is about by ookabooka · · Score: 4, Informative

    everyone photographed hundreds of times a day

    What they didn't mention is that with all those video cameras each frame counts as an individual photograph, so standing in view of a 30fps camera for 4 seconds counts as 120 individual photographs. Not as scary once you do the math.

    --
    If you are about to mod me down, keep in mind that this post was most likely sarcastic.
  3. Add compulsory reporting by Misch · · Score: 4, Informative

    Is there any evidence to suggest that this increasingly Orwellian society is actually any safer?

    The UK is adding laws requiring compulsory reporting of people who might be criminals.

    It really is falling into order, comrade. This is doubleplusungood.

    --

    --You will rephrase your request for me to go to hell. Goto statements are not acceptable programming constructs
  4. Re:Wait... by daveschroeder · · Score: 4, Informative

    "The man who would choose security over freedom deserves neither." ~Thomas Jefferson

    Ugh. Where to begin.

    First of all, you got the quote wrong. It's:

    "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

    Second, it's Benjamin Franklin, not Thomas Jefferson. (Wow.)

    Anyway, note essential liberty...a little temporary safety.

    Not that it's somehow never right to sacrifice any liberty for any amount of safety - we do it every day. It's called the rule of law and is necessary for collectively maintaining order and stability in society.

    I can't believe how much this quote is bastardized and misinterpreted as it is continually trotted out in opposition to anything the "government" does in a free society in an attempt to fulfill its obligation to its citizens.

    You kind of topped them all by completely misattributing it, though. Good job.