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Irish GSM Providers Asked to Track Users' Web Use
With the disclaimer "I'm both Irish and work for the EU Commission," reader VShael writes "The head of the Irish police force has requested that Irish cell phone providers (Vodafone, 02, Meteor, 3) retain detailed information on the web pages that people view over their handheld devices. This information would be held over for 'possible future criminal investigations', but would be gathered without a warrant, probable cause, or without the citizen being suspected of a crime. This request goes way beyond the European Union's data retention directive, which never included retention of web-based email. Representatives of Vodafone, O2 and 3 discussed the letter at a meeting with Mr Davis (6th November 2008) and questioned the legal basis under which they could retain this data. It is their understanding that the content of calls or e-mails, or details on webpages browsed, are excluded from the EU directive. As such, any retention or disclosure of that information would be a violation of existing EU data protection legislation."
And you hear the same complaint from people around the world, oddly enough usually with little to no evidence. You can always contact the Garda Ombudsman if you have a complaint.
No you can't. If you're trying to reduce the level of harassment you're suffering then best keep quiet and get on with your life.
How do you gather evidence of the Gardai knocking to your house every day and demand you drop your complaint? Or spending the night getting kicked up and down a police station? When the only witnesses are other Gardai it's literally your word against theirs and that never works out in your favour. If they weren't careful and left a mark sure, he fell down the stairs, your honour. Got his hand caught in a door. Tripped over his shoelaces.
You hear the same complaint from people around the world because ALL police forces are heavy handed and act with impunity. I'm not lying - I have no reason to. I've been beaten. My friends have been beaten. Other friends have had their houses raided with unsigned warrants. Someone I know had a large amount of cannabis planted on him (or rather thrown near him - this is a matter of public record - the case was dismissed as laughable).
This shite goes on every single day.
At least the Mayday Bank Holiday protesters a few years ago had video evidence of disgraceful Garda behaviour but I don't carry recording equipment with me at all times so when one of them calls me a fucker because he doesn't like long haired guys in T shirts there's not a fucking thing I can do but walk away and pound impotent rage out of a wall or into a bottle.
It doesn't happen any more - I'm older now (old, fat and affluent looking, if still long haired and T shirt clad) and could be earning any sort of money to fight them in court but young men are still being beaten and harrassed for no better reason than they're young men - sure, youngfellas are always up to no good, especially around here.
I'm sure I'll hear about bad apples now but fucked if I've ever met a good one.