Slashdot Mirror
British Teen Jailed Over Encryption Password
An anonymous reader writes "Oliver Drage, 19, of Liverpool has been convicted of 'failing to disclose an encryption key,' which is an offense under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and as a result has been jailed for 16 weeks. Police seized his computer but could not get past the 50-character encrypted password that he refused to give up. And just to get it out of the way, obligatory XKCD."
Well I am not a US citizens (praise the six godesses of Rigal 7) but while the 5th amendment protects you against self incrimination, it does necessarily protect you from bearing witness against someone else does it?
For example:
"Mr. Jones, were you on the corner of 6th and main yesterday?"
"Yes"
"Did you see a car racing away from a bank?"
"Yes"
"What color was the car?"
"Not going to tell you."
"What?!"
In that situation wouldn't judge compel the witness to answer under threat of contempt of court? If so then isn't that the same as those nasty Brits passing laws to get inside your head?
And of course, the American people collectively took it up the ass during the 8 years he was there.
Not that any of that has changed much... maybe now they're getting a reach-around?
"Somebody has to do something. It's just incredibly pathetic it has to be us."
--- Jerry Garcia
The really sad part is that I've heard people say Muslims shouldn't have constitutional rights ("they are the enemy"),
I've heard people say that commodore64_love strangles kittens while masturbating.
Its this what it takes to get a "+5 insightful" on slashdot nowadays? That and Hilter comparisons equating internment with eradication? This is sad.
Citation needed please.