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German Police Allowed To Use Its Own "Federal Trojan" (helpnetsecurity.com)
An anonymous reader writes: The German Interior Ministry has approved for investigative use a spying Trojan developed by the German Federal Criminal Police (a so-called "federal Trojan"). In fact, it could end up being used as early as this week. The police will have to get a court order to use the spyware, and prove that the suspect is involved in a crime threatening citizens' "life, limb or liberty". The malware has been developed in-house, and has been available since autumn 2015. It is supposed to be used only for so-called telecommunication surveillance at the source, i.e. to read emails, chats and wiretap phone calls made by the target via his or her computer or smartphone, and not to access files, steal passwords, or set up video or audio surveillance via the device.
It can help prevent infection and pregnancy.
And given the fact that lots of governments are spying on you already, your liberty is threatened anyway.
Can most people really complain about liberties? I just recently turned 30, I can see the liberties and right my parents had. I can see things were much better for them at my age. Now I look at what we currently have, and fear that they are infringing just a little to close. However at the same time I feel that we as a culture are starting to accept some of these abuses of power due to fear of "terrorism". So my real fear is for the future generations, what little rights will they have in 30 years from now? Will they even have any, will they just be completely desensitized to the situation and not even care about civil liberties anymore?
The enlightened European citizens would never allow this to happen in the EU, unlike the silly Americans. Oh wait, you mean it is already in place and no one asked the citizens their opinion? Carry on then.
Maybe, but if the standard is really that they can already prove the suspect is involved in a crime isn't their job already done? If they can prove it, charge the person an let the courts get access to their computer / phone. Why use spyware AFTER you already have proof?
No, the European justice systems are not primarily punitive, but preventative. From that point of view, is much better to find out what else the alleged criminal and his companions are plotting, in order to avert crimes, than it is to just punish crimes after the fact.
As a German I feel discriminated against, for the new Federal Trojan will not run on my BSD machines. As if it wasn't bad enough that commercial software tends to be Windows-only, now also government-written stuff that I paid for with my tax euros.
Does somebody by any chance know a hack to still get it working?
CLI paste? paste.pr0.tips!
A Scottish military officer strolls into an apothecary shop. From
the pouch hanging from his kilt he extracts a used condom and
places it upon the counter.
The apothecary says, "Hoot man, Wat be this yur'er thrustin'
befor me".
"T'is a used condom, sir, and I've come t' ask ye; hey much to
replace it and hey much to repair it?"
"Aye," replies the apothecary, as he examines the condom.
"T'would be six pence to replace it and thra' pence, heypenny to
repair it."
"Thank ye" says the Scottish military officer as he picks up the
used condom and puts it back into his pouch as he marches out
of the shop.
The next morning the military officer returns to the apothecary
shop. He reached onto his pouch, pulls out the used condom and
tosses it onto the counter.
"The regiment has voted to repair it," he says.
THE FEDERAL RUBBER
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.