No Hiding Place

April 20, 2001 7:33 AM

No Hiding Place "According to most experts in the field, a police state with powers of control and surveillance beyond the wildest dreams of Hitler or Stalin could now be established in Britain within 24 hours" Here's how...
posted by hmgovt (4 comments total)

There's nothing particularly new in that article. I thought it did a good job of linking together the various ways in which our privacy is being erroded. What really scares me, more than anything else as a UK citizen, is the sheer apathy shown by by compatriots on this issue. The RIP bill is scary in it's powers. To be able to jail somebody for not divulging a private key goes against the whole "innocent until proven guilty" idea. Why is there not a mass outcry at the passing of this act? Where are the backbenchers willing to stand up and say this is wrong?

The Register often covers stories like this. It often takes the line, (which I agree with) that politicians and the media are using the threat of paedophilia and terrorism to increase their own powers. The argument is that if you oppose these new measures you are helping the criminals. This strikes me as eerily similar to the "The Guilty Have Nothing to Fear" attitude of the police state.
posted by salmacis at 8:01 AM on April 20, 2001

That requires a high-level warrant, and is only used on about 500 people known to be dangerous - criminals, animal rights activists, terrorists

SELECT description FROM agitators a, priority b WHERE a.bogeymanvalue = b.maxvalue
posted by lescour at 11:35 AM on April 20, 2001

There was an episode of, if I remember right, "On The Inside" on the Discovery channel a year or two ago about this. Unfortunately, I can't find it. "On The Inside" doesn't seem to have a website. And I can't find the episode or homepage anywhere on the Discovery channel's website or store.

Finding stuff I remember seeing on The History Channel or A&E is really easy. I don't think this it though.

But even those brief descriptions aren't as good as the sites PBS puts up to go along with what they play on TV. Someone else see that show? If it's like most other Discovery channel stuff they got it from BBC or Channel 4.
posted by redleaf at 8:59 PM on April 20, 2001

salmacis summed this whole thing up really well, this isn't particularly 'new'. Simply, unless something is hurting their bank balance, their animals, or their children, the British aren't going to complain about it.

I couldn't care so much about the loss of privacy in this country. I don't take drugs, I'm a pacifist, etc etc.. the only criminal offences I may have partaken in could possibly be a little speeding on the roads. Big deal.

Fighting for privacy rights in the UK is pointless. I wrote letters to my MP about RIP and IR35, and while my views were supported, the bills were still passed. To be honest, I don't care. I'll give away my passwords to the authorities, I have nothing to hide.

If you want to get away from the surveillance, move to Nepal, Greenland, Nunavut or a lovely Greek island and live out your days with fun and frolick.. but just realise that complaining in this country is a pointless exercise, indifferent British citizens aren't going to back worthwhile causes. (Just look at the fuel crisis BS - the public supporting a most idiotic protest there)
posted by wackybrit at 7:48 AM on April 22, 2001