Spy chief: We risk a police state - Dame Stella Rimington, the former head of MI5, has warned that the fear of terrorism is being exploited by the Government to erode civil liberties and risks creating a police state. Source: The Telegraph [17th Feb 2009]
Government plans travel database - The government is compiling a database to track and store the international travel records of millions of Britons. Computerised records of all 250 million journeys made by individuals in and out of the UK each year will be kept for up to 10 years. Source: BBC News [8th Feb 2009]
Integrated EU blacklist of 'criminals' is here - Have you paid a parking fine recently? Got three points on your licence? Been formally warned by the council for your bin protruding on the footway? (yep, I have had the £1,000 fine threat on the last one) Been suspended from your Sunday football league for rough tackling? (yes, seriously) Congratulations! Your records could soon be added to a pan-European database of subversives. Source: Raedwald Blog [29th Jan 2009]
British ISPs censor Wikipedia over 'child porn' album cover - Six British ISPs are filtering access to Wikipedia after the site was added to an Internet Watch Foundation child-pornography blacklist, according to Wikipedia administrators.As of Sunday morning UK time, certain British web surfers were unable to view at least one Wikipedia article tagged with ostensible child porn. And, in a roundabout way, the filtering has resulted in Wikipedia admins banning large swaths of the United Kingdom from editing the "free encyclopedia anyone can edit." Source: The Register [7th Dec 2008]
Cops Taser Drowned Dad's Distraught Son - California cops tasered a distraught son whose father was drowning after he and his brother complained that police were not doing enough to rescue their dad, while authorities prevented the two sons from making any kind of rescue effort themselves. Source: Prison Planet [5th Dec 2008]
Schoolboy, 15, held as terror suspect after taking photos of railway station for GCSE project - A schoolboy was held as a terrorist suspect by police support officers - for taking photographs of a railway station on a geography field trip.Fabian Sabbara, 15, was dressed in his school uniform when he was stopped by three police community support officers for taking photos of a station on his mobile phone. Source: Daily Mail [2nd Nov 2008]
John le Carré: Britons have been 'stripped' of civil liberties - In a rare public intervention, the spy author criticised ministers for voting to extend the time limit that terror suspects can be held without charge to 42 days. His comments come only weeks ahead of a key vote in the House of Lords that could see peers throw out the Government's controversial 42-day proposals.The writer, who admitted he has a reputation as "an angry old man", said he was furious that the Government had been allowed to get away with a sustained attack on civil liberties."Partly, I'm angry that there is so little anger around me at what is being done to our society, supposedly in order to protect it," said the 76-year-old in an interview in Waterstone's magazine. "We have been taken to war under false pretences, and stripped of our civil rights in an atmosphere of panic. Our lawyers don't take to the streets as they have done in Pakistan. "Our MPs allow themselves to be deluded by their own spin doctors, and end up believing their own propaganda." Source: The Telegraph [23rd Sep 2008]
Terror inquiry proves a nice little earner - Britain’s biggest anti-terrorist investigation was a £5 million overtime bonanza seized on by police as the chance to pay for Caribbean holidays, plasma televisions and nights at The Savoy. The Times has seen e-mails circulated to officers across Thames Valley Police offering “premium rates” of pay to those “with a raging credit card habit”. Volunteers were told that night shifts, believed to be paid at £300 each, would give them time to “read a good book, take up botany or ornithology, study for your sergeant’s exam [or] work out the compound interest on a rest day’s pay”. One message, which was marked “108 shopping days to Christmas”, sought officers for Saturday shifts and said that the payments “could buy the joy and admiration of your children on Christmas morning . . . is that not priceless?” The internal e-mails were sent to officers across the force at the height of a big search in King’s Wood and Fennels Wood near High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The work was part of Operation Overt, the inquiry into an alleged terrorist plot to blow up transatlantic airliners. Source: The Times [19th Sep 2008]
Terror Plan Would Give F.B.I. More Power - The Justice Department made public on Friday a plan to expand the tools the Federal Bureau of Investigation can use to investigate suspicions of terrorism inside the United States, even without any direct evidence of wrongdoing.Justice Department officials said the plan, which is likely to be completed by the end of the month despite criticism from civil rights advocates, is intended to allow F.B.I. agents to be more aggressive and pre-emptive in assessing possible threats to national security. It would allow an agent, for instance, to pursue an anonymous tip about terrorism by conducting an undercover interview or watching someone in a public place. Such steps are now prohibited unless there is more specific evidence of wrongdoing. Source: The New York Times [13th Sep 2008]
War on Terror boardgame branded criminal by police - It may not be fun for all the family – well, not in the same way as Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit or Mousetrap, say. The themes of empire building and terrorist-style attacks on opponents would probably provoke an outbreak of spluttering over the Christmas sherry. It is rare, however, for a board game to be seized by the police. This week that distinction befell War on Terror: The Boardgame; a set was confiscated from climate protesters in Kent. Source: The Independent [19th Aug 2008]
Unmanned spy planes to police Britain - The Government is drawing up plans to use unmanned "drone" aircraft currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan to counter terrorism and aid police operations in Britain.The MoD is carrying out research and development to enable the spy planes, which are equipped with highly sophisticated monitoring equipment that allows them to secretly track and photograph suspects without their knowledge, to be deployed within three years. Source: The Independent [6th Aug 2008]
Shock Bracelet Considered For Airline Passengers, Border Control - In order to enhance the security of air travel and to help manage illegal immigration, the Department of Homeland Security has solicited a proposal from a Canadian security company to develop a passenger stun bracelet. Like the pain collars featured in the classic Star Trek episode The Gamesters of Triskelion, Lamperd Less Lethal's electro-muscular disruption (EMD) bracelet is intended to incapacitate wearers on remote command. Source: Information Week [6th Aug 2008]
Bruce Schneier on the ineffectiveness of CCTV Cameras - Pervasive security cameras don't substantially reduce crime. There are exceptions, of course, and that's what gets the press. Most famously, CCTV cameras helped catch James Bulger's murderers in 1993. And earlier this year, they helped convict Steve Wright of murdering five women in the Ipswich area. But these are the well-publicized exceptions. Overall, CCTV cameras aren't very effective. Source: Crypto-Gram Newsletter [18th Jul 2008]
The war on photographers - you're all al Qaeda suspects now - When you hear the phrase "helping police with their inquiries", does an image of dedicated selfless citizenry instantly spring to mind? Or do you wonder whether the reality is not slightly more sinister?How about "voluntarily handing over film to the police". Source: The Register [25th Jun 2008]
Anti-terror unit loses surveillance powers to deflect Stockwell criticism - Scotland Yard’s anti-terror unit has been stripped of its control over covert surveillance teams in an attempt to ward off further criticism over the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, The Times has learnt.Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, ordered the overhaul of undercover policing, despite stiff opposition from inside the force. Senior sources are concerned that the loss of dedicated counter-terrorism surveillance units, which can be deployed anywhere in the country, might undermine future security operations. Source: The Times [19th May 2008]
Binmen in Muslim areas ordered by terror police to snoop in residents' rubbish bins - Police chiefs ordered binmen to act as spies by sifting through rubbish to look for pamphlets produced by Islamic terror groups. Town halls responsible for areas with large Muslim populations were summoned to London and told to get their refuse collectors to search bins for discarded documents or material that might identify and incriminate Islamic extremists. Source: Daily Mail [20th Apr 2008]
Innocent photographer or terrorist? - Misplaced fears about terror, privacy and child protection are preventing amateur photographers from enjoying their hobby, say campaigners. Source: BBC News [18th Apr 2008]
Council admits spying on family - A council has admitted spying on a family using laws to track criminals and terrorists to find out if they were really living in a school catchment. A couple and their three children were put under surveillance without their knowledge by Poole Borough Council for more than two weeks. The council admitted using powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) on six occasions in total. Source: BBC News [11th Apr 2008]
Who are the men in blue? Chinese paramilitary team protects Olympic flame - They wear bright blue tracksuits and Beijing Olympic organizers call them "flame attendants." But a military bearing hints at their true pedigree: paramilitary police sent by Beijing to guard the Olympic flame during its journey around the world. Source: CBC News [9th Apr 2008]
Police seek electronic access to council cameras - Police forces are seeking electronic transfers of data from local authority cameras to police forces, according to Nick Garvan, assistant chief constable of Thames Valley Police. Source: KableNet News [25th Mar 2008]
Heathrow fingerprint plan probed - Plans to fingerprint passengers at Heathrow's new Terminal 5 are being probed by the data protection watchdog. Source: BBC News [23rd Mar 2008]
Camera 'looks' through clothing - A camera that can "see" explosives, drugs and weapons hidden under clothing from 25 metres has been invented. Source: BBC News [10th Mar 2008]
Arrested, caged and DNA tested - for using MP3s - A commuter was arrested at gunpoint and had his DNA and fingerprints taken simply for listening to his MP3 player while waiting for a bus. Darren Nixon was surrounded by armed police after his music player was mistaken for a gun. Source: The Metro [14th Feb 2008]
Not content with the Big Brother surveillance state in the US and UK, Video surveillance is coming to Kabul, Afghanistan - The U.S. Government is contemplating a massive video surveillance project for the country of Afghanistan that would establish surveillance over all major thoroughfares in Kabul, the capital city, as well as all U.S. and multinational camps, traffic circles and Afghan ministry compounds. The surveillance apparatus would provide a 24/7 command and control system that would be enable authorities to track personnel and identify vehicles with the use of license plate recognition systems. Source: Government Security News [13th Feb 2008]
'Terrorist' group who turned out to be the president's men - Diplomats have made a humiliating apology to six Pakistani men close to President Pervez Musharraf's ruling elite after they were wrongly arrested at Gatwick on suspicion of terrorist activity, interrogated and held for 21 hours. Source: The Guardian [9th Feb 2008]
UK Police seize amateur photographer's film - A spokeswoman for the force told Amateur Photographer: 'Camera film was seized by Humberside Police following a complaint from members of the public about photos being taken in the area of Prospect Centre, Hull. 'An investigation is now underway and we are aware of complaints made by the man [Steve Carroll] which will be thoroughly investigated.' Source: BoingBoing [18th Dec 2007]
Police stop and search 14,000 since terror attack on airport - Anti-Terror police have carried out more than 14,000 random stop and searches in Scotland in the wake of the Glasgow Airport attack, triggering an unprecedented warning from a government minister of a serious threat to civil liberties. Source: The Scotsman [16th Dec 2007]
In the UK, Possession of the Anarchist's Cookbook Is Terrorism - "Back in the midsts of time, when I was a lad and gopher was the height of information retrieval I read The Anarchist's Cookbook in one huge text file. Now it appears the UK government considers possession of the book an offense under the Terrorism Act 2000 and is prosecuting a 17 year old boy , in part, for having a copy of the book. 'The teenager faces two charges under the Terrorism Act 2000. The first charge relates to the possession of material for terrorist purposes in October last year. The second relates to the collection or possession of information useful in the preparation of an act of terrorism.'" ... (The Anarchist Cookbook is still listed by Amazon.co.uk - Ed.) Source: Slashdot [8th Oct 2007]
Two disabled men seized by the police for having a lunchtime drink in Bournemouth - A lunchtime pint at their local pub took a more sinister turn on Wednesday [26th Sep 2007] when two disabled men found themselves at the centre of a police search operation. Bob Hamlen, 47, and Michael Burbidge, 31, were stunned when they were surrounded by uniformed officers as they sat on a bench outside the Westcliff Tavern in West Cliff Road, Bournemouth. Source: Bournemouth Echo [4th Oct 2007]
Military spy planes monitor terror suspects - The intelligence agencies are using military aircraft equipped with sophisticated surveillance equipment to eavesdrop on and monitor the movements of suspected terrorists. Source: The Guardian [3rd Oct 2007]
US judge rules Patriot Act provisions unlawful - Parts of the United States' anti-terror Patriot Act are unlawful because they allow warrants to be granted without the need for the government to show probable cause, a judge ruled Wednesday. Source: AFP [27th Sep 2007]
Big Brother is watching us all - The US and UK governments are developing increasingly sophisticated gadgets to keep individuals under their surveillance. When it comes to technology, the US is determined to stay ahead of the game. Source: BBC News [16th Sep 2007]
Links to third-party websites
Database State: The UK's Electronic Prison - Part One The gathering and holding of information has permeated into every facet of life in Great Britain and no one batters an eyelid. It's time to reveal what's really going to happen in the UK. Source: Info Wars [20th Apr 2006]
Mass Spying means Gross Errors The United States government either currently has, or soon will have, new technology that makes mass surveillance possible. The next question for citizens and other policy makers is whether and when to use this capability. Source: Wired [Jan 2006]
Police tell Christian couple view on gays 'close to hate crime' POLICE questioned a retired couple for 80 minutes about their 'homophobic' views after they asked their local council if they could display their Christian literature next to gay rights leaflets. Source: The Times [23rd Dec 2005]
DVLA sells your details to criminals The Government is selling the names and home addresses of motorists on its drivers' database to convicted criminals, a Mail on Sunday investigation has revealed. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) tells would-be wheel-clampers there is "no problem" with them buying drivers' home addresses - even if they have a criminal record. Source: The Mail on Sunday [27th Nov 2005]
Reagan official warns America could be a police state within 1 year. - This video is a radio broadcast interview of Paul Craig Roberts, he was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. This is NOT some conspiracy theorist/some guy off the street. People laugh at the worries of some people that Bush is being given too much power, but this guy is saying the US is in danger of becoming a police state within one year. Source: Don't Fear The Truth (22nd Aug 2007)
Cleric airs 'police state' fears - The Archbishop of York has warned that the government's anti-terror measures are in danger of moving Britain "close to a police state". Source: BBC News (5th Feb 2007)
Police 'not fit to beat crime and terrorism' - Many police forces are unfit to deal with the problems of the 21st century, according to a damning report which says that organised crime is flourishing and drug abuse more widespread than commonly acknowledged. Source: The Times (17th Sep 2005)
Beware of the thought police Britain has a proud tradition of free speech but say what you think today and you can find yourself on the wrong side of the law, says John-Paul Flintoff. Source: The Sunday Times
