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Utility Box Exposed As Spy Cabinet In the Netherlands

Posted by timothy on from the all-an-elaborate-dream dept.

First time accepted submitter thejezus writes "A spy cabinet has been exposed on a public road in The Hague, the Netherlands (Google translate here). The cabinet was disguised as telecom-cabinet and was detected by the maintenance crew of Ziggo (a triple-play provider) because it was not listed as a property of the company. Upon opening, it was revealed the cabinet contained a camera and UMTS equipment. Later that day, the cabinet disappeared. 1984 much?"

5 of 179 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Weird by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Who would be spying on the Netherlands? Someone after the secret to wooden shoes, perhaps?

    This "Schilderswijk" where the cabinet was discovered is a notorious low-income suburb. It's more likely to be native intelligence spying on locals in fear of extremists.

  2. pictures of inside by xatr0z · · Score: 5, Informative

    Some pictures of the cabinet are found here: http://tweakers.net/nieuws/88635/providerwijkkast-haagse-schilderswijk-zat-vol-spionageapparatuur.html

  3. Re:Weird by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 5, Funny

    This "Schilderswijk" where the cabinet was discovered is a notorious low-income suburb.

    It's settled, then. Someone pinched the stuff and sold it to make a bit of money on the side. Has the spy agency tried scouring the local pawn shops?

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  4. Re:I could be wrong but.... by iggymanz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    you think "1984" was to be interpreted literally? We have instead government tapping all internet and phone systems, data mining social media, warring against people who never attacked us in the name of "peace", able to legally "disappear" people who are considered threats without warrant nor oversight, a privileged powerful and wealthy few with government in their pockets engineering the media, social and economic systems for their benefit......we're there

  5. Re:I could be wrong but.... by icebraining · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yes, there must be some similitude to justify the comparison, obviously.

    In 1984 the surveillance wasn't hidden, it was overt. And this is actually important, because the main concept in the novel wasn't the surveillance, but the state of mind of the Party members*, which both enabled and was enabled by the conscience of full and complete surveillance, among other things.

    People who compare this to Orwell's work either didn't read it or completely missed the point.

    * The society in 1984 didn't actually have full surveillance; in fact, only 15% of society were spied on. Winston is just part of those 15%.

    --
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