Big Brother
Corporate Watch
Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:34 EST
The culture of fear and distrust that has grown up around this century's terror culture and its associated wars has created vast new markets for anything that can be branded with the words security or defence. In April 2010, London's Kensington Olympia will play host to a Counter Terror Expo, put on by DSEi's infamous events' organiser, Clarion, and sponsored by French arms company, Thales. Officially supported by a plethora of military, police and private security associations, the expo will showcase over 250 security, surveillance and specialist logistics companies; state agencies including NATO and the MoD; and anyone else claiming to provide protection against terrorism for both the armed forces and civilian populations. Joining the fray are a number of corporations involved in creating identity verification technologies. The biometrics and database management companies whose invasive products, based on the recognition of physiological characteristics, are finding voice as futuristic 'solutions' in, what is deemed, an 'increasingly dangerous world'.
Charlotte Gore
The Guardian
Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:28 EST
The internet is such a huge part of life that Mandelson's plans to cut people off for copyright breach is a clear restriction of liberty
At 33 years old I'm more Generation X than Generation X-Box. I'm too old to be one of the new wave of "digital natives" who've never known life without the internet, but I'm just about young enough (and geeky enough) to consider myself an enthusiastic immigrant. I moved in about 13 years ago, and if I could swear an oath of allegiance to some Head Of The Internet State, I wouldn't hesitate.
Sadly there is no president of the internet, which is a shame because it means I'm stuck with my British passport instead. And relations between Britain and the internet have been strained of late.
Lord Mandelson is seeking to grant himself significant powers in the fight against copyright infringement - the ability to do just about anything so long as it's in the interest of protecting copyright, and without having to go through parliament.
SpyBlog
Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:10 EST
Although we are slightly relieved that no Communications Data Bill has been sneaked into the Queen's Speech, as originally threatened by the disgraced former Labour Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, this Labour Government simply cannot resist producing some more useless and repetitive legislation, as a public relations diversion to hide their failure to control aspects of modern technology.
Chris Williams
The Register
Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:24 EST
Peering inside your packets
Ofcom has held talks over a monitoring system that would peer inside filesharing traffic to determine the level of copyright infringement, in preparation for new laws designed to protect the music, film and software industries.
The Digital Economy Bill, to be published by Lord Mandelson tomorrow, will require the communications regulator to measure how filesharers who exchange copyright material respond to a regime of warning letters.
If the overall level of infringement is not cut by 70 per cent in a year, further provisions will be triggered, compelling ISPs to impose speed restriction after warnings. Internet access will be suspended for the most persistent infringers.
Philip Giraldi
Antiwar.com
Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:07 EST
© BEE FREE - PGrandicelli
It is ironic that President Barack Obama would travel to China and speak against government control over the internet. If the American Department of Homeland Security has its way new cybersecurity laws will enable Obama's administration to take control of the internet in the event of a national crisis. How that national crisis might be defined would be up to the White House but there have been some precedents that suggest that the response would hardly be respectful of the Bill of Rights.
Many countries already monitor and censor the internet on a regular basis, forbidding access to numerous sites that they consider to be subversive. During recent unrest, the governments of both Iran and China effectively shut down the internet by taking control of or blocking servers. Combined with switching off of cell phone transmitters, the steps proved effective in isolating dissidents. Could it happen here? Undoubtedly.
Once the laws are in place a terrorist incident or something that could be plausibly described in those terms would be all that is needed to have government officials issue the order to bring the internet to a halt.
Ernesto
Torrent Freak
Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:04 EST
Tomorrow morning Lord Mandelson will present the Digital Economy Bill to the public, which among other things is aimed at reducing illicit file-sharing. According to parts of the bill that leaked today, the legislation could lead to jail terms for file-sharers and unprecedented power for the entertainment industries.
Over the past months the UK government has tried to tackle the issue of online piracy. This has resulted in a proposal from Lord Mandelson, who plans to disconnect alleged file sharers without any judicial process.
Tomorrow the exact text of the bill is expected to be made public, but according to early reports, the legislation will open all doors for a digital police state where alleged pirates will be crucified by private companies.
Judging from some of the plans that leaked earlier today, the endless lobbying efforts of the entertainment industry by anti-piracy outfits including IFPI and the BPI have definitely paid off.
Nathan Barker
Gouverneur Times
Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:39 EST
© Gouverneur Times
Gouverneur, New York - The computerized voting machines used by many voters in the 23rd district had a computer virus - tainting the results, not just from those machines known to have been infected, but casting doubt on the accuracy of counts retrieved from any of the machines.
Cathleen Rogers, the Democratic Elections Commissioner in Hamilton County stated that they discovered a problem with their voting machines the week prior to the election and that the "virus" was fixed by a Technical Support representative from Dominion, the manufacturer. The Dominion/Sequoia Voting Systems representative "reprogrammed" their machines in time for them to use in the Nov. 3rd Special Election. None of the machines (from the same manufacturer) used in the other counties within the 23rd district were looked at nor were they recertified after the "reprogramming" that occurred in Hamilton County.
Tom Young
Computing.co.uk
Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:20 EST
Complications surround strategy to monitor electronic communications, says Tom Young
There have been several conflicting reports on the government's interception modernisation programme this week, ranging from "UK web snooping plans: Full steam ahead" to "Legislation to access texts and emails on hold".
The confusion over the progress of plans to tighten law enforcement agencies' power to monitor communications has arisen for two reasons.
First, although the government has said it wants to press ahead with the plans, it will not introduce them before the next election. And second, the government is still not sure what it actually wants to do.
Ann Widdecombe
The Daily Express
Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:18 EST
On Monday this paper reported a proposal by Government for inspectors to check homes for adequate child safety including smoke alarms, window locks and stair gates.
In addition to state snoopers, GPs and midwives are encour- aged to report lack of safety which they may have observed when visiting.
Recently a woman was reported to social services because she had wallpaper hanging off her walls. She says she was decorating but even if she were not what possible business is the dilapidation of her wallpa- per to anybody else?
If such a mother has not much money is she not better spending what little she can muster on food, clothes, warmth and toys for a child than on replacing wallpaper? How do these snoopers suppose parents manage who are both renovating old properties and raising young children?
Steve Doughty
The Mail Online
Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:05 EST
© Mail Online
Health department inquisition
Parents of five-year-olds starting school have been sent an 83-point questionnaire that probes personal details of their lives.
It asks whether their children tell lies or bully others, and if they steal at home or from shops.
Parents are questioned over whether they have friends, if they can speak freely with others in their family and how well they did at school themselves.
The form also delves into family routines, questioning whether they eat takeaways and if the children drink water with their meals.
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