Oppose the "Snooper's Charter"!

[mysterious_cities_of_mold]

The Investigatory Powers Act or "Snoopers Charter" has been passed this week by the UK government.

The new surveillance law requires web and phone companies in the UK to store everyone’s web browsing histories for 12 months and give the police, security services and official agencies unprecedented access to the data.

Please sign the petition at the following link to show your opposition to the act.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/173199

[al**bear]

been using VPNs on my comp and phone for years

America is drowning in Metadata, they have been for many many years

(the UK will be the same in a very short time with this new all encompassing sweep)

it doesn't 'prevent' terrorism - as shown with 9/11(when they had a fraction  of what they collect now), they had tons of stuff on many of the culprits

But it is no use if it just sits there

It is spying for spyings sake - the Authorities should concentrate on Terrorists, but loads of the UK spying is about other things - usually financial

[cee-dee]

OK, so tell us all about your VPN, what it is, how it works and whether it slows things down?

[cee-dee]

Oh-oh, they're on to you "A network investigative technique (Nit), can be used by law enforcement to help identify people browsing the web anonymously."

[jh-middlesex]

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@al**bear wrote:

Encrypt your data and use VPNs

Make it as hard as possible for them to spy on You

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I dont need to as i dont have anything to hide!

[rightgrand]

Yes, it's far simpler just to stop doing whatever it is that you think might make you a target.

Unless you're an MP of course, in which case none of the authorities are allowed to look at anything they're doing, so just carry on regardless.  Us and them.

[bankhaunter]

When they bring in the mandatory blocking that you have to opt out of, that will reduce the number of those they may deem are worth the trouble.

Ostensibly the blocks operate against porn but they also block a lot of other stuff, it was discovered that a similar block system used by schools had blocked websites that were pro unionist but not those for independence, in the period before the Scottish referendum.

[fallen-archie]

If what you suggest is true then surely those responsible should be held to account. I know there were some dirty tactics used during the Scottish independence referendum but if what you suggest has any substance why is it not the subject of an inquiry in the way that Brexit is?

[bankhaunter]

It may not have been intentional, it could just have been the result of the way the algorithm works, the actual words the block picks up on for example.

There have been reports of such as charities helping drug addicts or mental health being blocked, it's quite random.

We are entering into a world of censorship with very ambiguous laws over what we can or cannot see and what we can or cannot post on social media, post valid criticism of the wrong person and bingo, you have a criminal record.

[fallen-archie]

I was not aware that such censorship existed in the U.K., That is to say I can understand certain things being restricted for reasons of age or content which might be defamatory but for heavens sake this is meant to be a free country where freedom of expression and democracy are the cornerstones of our establishment, where has it all gone wrong?

[cee-dee]

It's all gone wrong because of the Politically Correct mentality!

[fallen-archie]

the avoidance of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against.
That all seems fine to me but it is how one interprets it that is at fault.

[bankhaunter]

We are fast getting to the situation where to offend someone is a criminal offence, it's already sufficient to get a person kicked off Facebook or Twitter if you offend the wrong person.

The fact you cannot give offence but can only take it, is neither here nor there.

Laws are always misused if it suits a person's agenda, remember the heckler who was subjected to a section 44 stop and search form under the Terroism Act.

[cee-dee]

It's not necessarily what you say, but often how you say it. You can come right out and call someone an idiot which will probably land you in trouble and/or cause people to react strongly or you can use different terminology which means the same thing which will "clear the censors"....

The thing is though, you have to also be careful how you say something as sometimes people get the wrong end of the stick and not only that, it's easy to say something to which someone reacts when no offence was either implied or intended.

Some people are very thin-skinned and boy, will they take off if you put a foot wrong. As we're using the written word out on public view, there's no going back in circumstances as above?

[mysterious_cities_of_mold]

The petition is now approaching 175000 signatures!

[bankhaunter]

Some people are very thin-skinned and boy, will they take off if you put a foot wrong.

And how much notice is taken of them will depend on their position on the 'oppression' ladder, whether they are higher or lower than you.

Just a hint, white straight men are on the bottom rung.

[mysterious_cities_of_mold]

200,000 signatures!

[fallen-archie]

And what do you propose we do about the Russians and chinese who seem hell bent on creating anarchy in the west. 

[bankhaunter]

How much of your freedom are you willing to give up for more hoped for security?

Don't forget that laws are always used to their fullest extent even if some purposes for which they are used, were not their original intention.

[cee-dee]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38390150

[jd.linklater]

Liberty and other civil rights campaigners must be rubbing their hands together with glee, I'm sure terrorist groups are too.