Civil liberties
Now 'Big Brother' targets Facebook
Minister wants government database to monitor social networking sites
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Millions of Britons who use social networking sites such as Facebook could soon have their every move monitored by the Government and saved on a "Big Brother" database.
Ministers faced a civil liberties outcry last night over the plans, with accusations of excessive snooping on the private lives of law-abiding citizens.
The idea to police MySpace, Bebo and Facebook comes on top of plans to store information about every phone call, email and internet visit made by everyone in the United Kingdom. Almost half the British population – some 25 million people – are thought to use social networking sites. There are already proposals under a European Union directive – dating back to after the 7 July 2005 bombs – for emails and internet usage to be monitored and added to a planned database to track terror plots.
But technology has moved on in the past three years, and the use of social networking sites has boomed – so security services fear that that has left a loophole for terrorists and criminal gangs to exploit.
To close this loophole, Vernon Coaker, the Home Office minister, has disclosed that social networking sites could be forced to retain information about users' web-browsing habits. They could be required to hold data about every person users correspond with via the sites, although the contents of messages sent would not be collected. Mr Coaker said: "Social networking sites, such as MySpace or Bebo, are not covered by the directive. That is one reason why the Government are looking at what we should do about the intercept modernisation programme because there are certain aspects of communications which are not covered by the directive."
In exchanges with the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Tom Brake, he insisted: "I accept this is an extremely difficult area. The interface between retaining data, private security and all such issues of privacy is extremely important. It is absolutely right to point out the difficulty of ensuring we maintain a capability and a capacity to deal with crime and issues of national security – and where that butts up against issues of privacy."
Facebook boasts 17 million Britons as members. Bebo, which caters mainly for teenagers and young adults, has more than 10 million users. A similar number of music fans are thought to use MySpace.
Moves to include the sites in mass surveillance of Britons' internet habits has provoked alarm among MPs, civil liberties groups and security experts.
Mr Brake said: "Plans to monitor our phone and email records threaten to be the most expensive snooper's charter in history. It is deeply worrying that they now intend to monitor social networking sites which contain very sensitive data like sexual orientation, religious beliefs and political views. Given the Government's disastrous record with large IT projects and data security, it is likely that data will leak out of every memory stick, port and disk drive when they start monitoring Facebook, Bebo and MySpace."
Isabella Sankey, policy director at Liberty, said: "Even before you throw Facebook and other social networking sites into the mix, the proposed central communications database is a terrifying prospect. It would allow the Government to record every email, text message and phone call and would turn millions of innocent Britons into permanent suspects."
Richard Clayton, a computer security expert at Cambridge University, said: "What they are doing is looking at who you communicate with and who your friends are, which is greatly intrusive into your private life."
Chris Kelly, Facebook's chief privacy officer, said yesterday that it was considering lobbying ministers over the proposal, which he called "overkill".
A Home Office spokeswoman said the Government was not interested in the content of emails, texts, conversations or social networking sites. She added: "We have been clear that communications revolution has been rapid in this country and the way in which we collect communications data needs to change so law enforcement agencies can maintain their ability to tackle terrorism and gather evidence."
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Comments
MONITOR THIS...............P!SS OFF!
MONITOR THIS......P!SS OFF!
SUREL, THERE ARE A FEW REAL TERRORISTS, BUT THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF EVIDENCE THAT PROVES THAT TERRORISM IS LARGELY AN ENGINEERED FRONT BY THE GLOBALISTS TO THEN GIVE THEM AN EXCUSE TO TAKE OUR FREEDOMS AWAY! - Those who are willing to give up their freedom for security deserve NEITHER! - But when those are TRICKED into doing so, it becomes apparent who the REAL terrorists are. You KNOW I'm not a terrorist, but I'm STILL being watched! DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED! THE ESTABLISHMENT KNOWS WE ARE WAKING UP TO THEIR LIES AND MANIPULATION, AND THEY KNOW THE PEOPLE HAVE THE REAL POWER! - THEY FEAR US! - DO NOT FEAR THEM! CriticalUnity(DOT)Org !
it's unlikely that your average terrorist would have his own facebook page- oh I don't know
If they give me their email address, they can have a copy of everything I send. Bloody Stupid.!!
Its about time we the general public started to wake up.
The state is all powerful and all knowing. The state knows what is best for you.
The new state salute will be rolled out soon. Watch for it, practice it, know it, use it! Failure to comply will result in you being investigated. All are guilty until proven innocent.
Is this how governments are evolving in the 21st century? It appears that some would have it that way, pandering to fear and uncertainty. Is this what you want...the type of environment you want to live in? I hope not.
It was said many years ago that those who would trade freedom for security deserve neither. It was true then and is true now.
Education, opportunity to grow, freedom to live free from poverty...these are how you combat terrorism and extremists. By becoming a police state with national surveillance you encourage and support the very terrorist you are trying to eliminate. A fools errand at best.
Have these people gone insane?
Do they honestly believe terrorist are going to use facebook to plan their next attacks!!!
Okay people heads up on not using those keywords in your messages.
Following examples, bomb, explosive, shoot, stab.
What other keywords could they pick out the terrorists would use? Airplane?
You know it's interesting there's a 1000 ways to communicate over the web from country to country but they seem to be targeting these social networking sites where just ordinary people go and I really doubt there looking for terrorists. There looking to see what else you and I have to say.
And maybe if Britain and the United States would stop bombing women and children for fun and profit they wouldn't have a terrorist problem.
Maybe they could stop selling weapons to the terrorist state Israel.
Seriously, embarrassing the uk in public in other countries may help a bit. Suppose Madonna or [insert names of other big stars here] went public and said they'd refuse to perform in the UK until various freedoms were restored!!
Hehe... Perhaps they could have a 'Free England' protest concert in the US or something!
:o)
i wonder, if you counted up all the life's that were lost through terrorism in this country since 9/11, and added the other victims also - the loved ones that were left behind. and put it up against the amount of lives lost to drug abuse and the victims of the thieving and murdering addicts, also since 9/11, which statisitics would suggest the biggest threat to our communities and way of live and where our real efforts should be placed?
My grandparents fought in the war to protect us from tyranny; they would be turning in their graves to see this sci-fi nightmare unfolding. This government are power crazed nutjobs; what will they think of next? Let's hope they don't cancel the elections before we get a chance to vote them out.
If you read the latest anti-terror strategy (out today) note the following line: "As Government, we will also continue to challenge views which fall short of supporting violence and are within the law, but which reject and undermine our shared values and jeopardise community cohesion"
They are ostensibly referring to terrorists, but anti-terror law can be (and has been) applied to anyone (anti-war protestors, for example). Now, who defines the "shared values"? I certainly don't share the government's values, which include sanctioning illegal invasions, lying, robbing the taxpayer to fund fatcat bonuses, suppression of the right to protest, routinely fingerprinting 2 million innocent schoolchildren (many without parental consent), and deliberate destruction of personal privacy (amongst other things).
If I am obliged to "share" their disgusting "values", I presume freedom of thought will be the next thing to go in the RFID chipped dustbin.
It is alarming that much of this anti-freedom and anti-privacy legislation seems to have its roots in EU directives. The UK seems to be ahead of other European countries in the police-state league, but I suspect that they will not be long behind us. Perhaps we are the guinea-pig state, or perhaps our government are simply more enthusiastic for the jackboots. Anyway, don't look to them for help. Mass surveillance is increasing all around the developed world. Perhaps governments are just like big children, over-excited about their technological toys? It would be nice to believe in such an innocent explanation! But is it sensible to? Until very recently, I always trusted that our government was merely stupid but benign. Now I am beginning to question that assumption.
Hmm, I wonder who is having th elast laugh now? I just don't understand how the citizens of the UK are unable in greater numbers to not only see where this is heading, but the rate at which it is going in that direction. Still other UK influenced countries will follow suit maybe 10 or so years later it will pervade other governments thinking.
Thus, television 'news' is the version of events the populace is required to believe, and the war on terror is a complete fiction, designed to keep the populace fearful and more willing to accept greater 'security'. Sure there are people who are extremely anti- Britian and teh US with considerable just cause, considering the monstrous war crimes commited by both countries in Iraq, Sfghanistan etc. -particulalry the use of so-called depleted uranium weaponry, arguably the greatest war crime in history.
There is absolutely no question that the Bush administration was party to, or actually orchestrated 9/11 as a pretext for invasions and the introduction of The Pariot Act etc. whilst conveniently getting rid of a building that had numerous problems -such as asbestos.
And here is considerable doubt that the London bombings were actually the work of so-called terrorists.
I particularly recall the section in 1984 where Winston ponders the possibility that the bombs falling on London are in fact being dropped by the government in order to 'prove' that there is a war and that privations and security restrictions are necessary.
Don't let them do this people!
Prediction - a home terrorist attack before the next election to show how necessary these measures are. The Government is trying to scare people into accepting the terrorist threat so as to first remove civil liberties and then abolish elections - because of a State of Emergency
No one gives up power voluntarily. Brown likes it, and he is a man with an addiction. Every week a new plan as to how he will save the world.
For evil to succeed, it is enough for good men to do nothing. The Good Men of England have been doing nothing for too long, it is time to take action
Are you suggesting that our government might use the security services as "agent provocateurs" and stage a terrorist attack ?
Is your final paragraph not an incitement to, what the government would call, terrorism ? be careful, if the security services are reading this you might get a visit in the night.
Vive la revolution
Signed
V
Minister wants government database to monitor social networking sites
By Nigel Morris, deputy political editor
The public has little. Who has the BIG money to create the BIG BROTHER? May be we have the rumors that are working overtime.
Then the reading is, ?Millions of Britons who use social networking sites such as Facebook could soon have their every move monitored by the Government and saved on a "Big Brother" database.
Therefore, we have no freedom at all of any nature. We would rather have the reporters tear these and not tell us. Just act on this. Make a big issue of this and let us have the freedom of press, speech and we are happy.
I thank you
Firozali A.Mulla