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Australian Police Ask Facebook For Police Alarm Button

littlekorea writes "The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has requested social networking site Facebook install a law enforcement representative in Australia and introduce some sort of button in which users can immediately report online crime to the police in a single click. It is National Cyber-Security Awareness Week in Australia, so the AFP is on an all-out offensive — announcing it is also investigating whether Google committed offences under Australia's Telecommunications Interception Act when it harvested Wi-Fi data." Something like this has been in the works for a while.

7 of 237 comments (clear)

  1. Online Identity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    With the use of facebook, many online identities have been progressing towards being just as anonymous as a citizen walking down the street. The fact that other sites can link to your signed-in profile is almost like walking around a mall with your ID card taped to your forehead.

    "Police buttons" like this will only work when the identity of the user is known, sort of like how 911 works...

    I for one don't particularly like this trend, and much prefer to remain anonymous on the web.

    In other words: donotwant

  2. I thought I'd seen this before... by slimjim8094 · · Score: 4, Informative

    And I did, but it was just for the UK.

    http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=10/03/12/0149233

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    I have developed a truly marvelous proof of this comment, which this signature is too narrow to contain.
  3. Re:By any chance do they specify the button detail by TheJokeExplainer · · Score: 4, Informative

    Amber lamps, for those who didn't know, is a reference to Thomas Bruso (aka Epic Beard Man)'s African-American ghetto punk arch enemy whom he encountered in a bus ride.

    See video.

    After talking smack to Epic Beard Guy, harassing and then hitting him, Epic Beard Guy hit back at Amber Lamps, thus making Amber Lamps say "I need an amber lamps" because of his bleeding nose.

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  4. Re:I'm starting to wonder by Thing+1 · · Score: 2, Informative

    You don't need porn, just a heart bio-feedback monitor, for a short period of training. After a little practice, you'll be able to increase your heart rate by thinking about it, and then some things just magically happen. (It also helps to visualize the opening of certain valves. I'm totally serious.)

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    I feel fantastic, and I'm still alive.
  5. AFP is like the FBI by DiSKiLLeR · · Score: 4, Informative

    Just as a note,

    The AFP or Australian Federal Police is not just the 'Australian Police' like the title misleads you to believe. They are known as 'the feds' and would be most similar to what Americans know as the FBI. And then there's ASIO which is the Australian Security Intelligence Organiasation and is akin to the CIA and NSA.

    So yeah, the AFP ain't your local cop shop.

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    You can tell how powerful someone is by the magnitude of the crime they can commit and be able to get away with.
  6. 1800 1234 00 by beaverdownunder · · Score: 2, Informative

    This _is_ a country that has a toll-free snitch line to report 'suspicious activity', and frequent advertisements to remind everybody it exists -- "Be alert, but not alarmed..."

  7. Re:What the hell, Australia? What the hell? by indiechild · · Score: 2, Informative

    Australia has always been on the conservative side in culture, religion and politics, despite the national stereotype of being open and fun-loving. In that sense, we've got a lot in common with the US. I'll go so far to say that Australia is a real prude these days.