[BleepingComputer] UK Passes the Most Extreme Surveillance Law in the History of Western Democracy

[parityboy]

The law passed yesterday by both UK legislative houses (the House of Commons and the House of Lords), and officials expect the Royal House to sign it into law by the end of the year.

Here is just a small list of all the new surveillance regulation included in the IP Bill's approved version:

• Internet Service Providers must log every user's web browsing history for a year.
• Police and other law enforcement agencies can access this data through a specialized interface and search for suspects or general profiles.
• Security services can access and analyze public and private databases.
• Government agencies can still collect communications data in bulk, just like through RIPA.
• Police and other law enforcement agencies can, under certain circumstances, hack into users' devices.
• Communications operators must remove their side of encryption and help state agencies access data or devices.

For the past years, human rights groups, tech companies, politicians, and regular UK citizens have criticized the new law, which grants the UK government the same powers Chinese authorities have.

Source

 

[ANDARIAL]

Time for a VPN

 

[andicole0]

Time for a VPN

Lol just what went through my mind.
Andi.

 

[Twirlywoos]

So much for freedom.

 

[Hotwired]

Internet Service Providers must log every user's web browsing history for a year.

 

[Overlag]

If its done for the right reasons i dont mind... But i bet it aint.

 

[DragonQ]

The intention doesn't matter. ISPs keeping vast records on everyone for a year...the amount of money that'll be offered for that data will make it a prime target for hackers. Device manufacturers being forced to build in security "backdoors", which'll be exploited by malware and malicious actors far more than the government. Encryption rendered useless by "disabled" on the server side upon request. No protection for whistleblowers who expose illegal activites by government agencies.

Ridiculous law that makes users and their data less safe, whilst giving the government far too much power. Protesting against government actions? You're going on a list mate.

 

[Armageus]

I don't agree with it, but realistically what difference does it make to the average person.

Sure someone somewhere may now be able to view my porn habits or see that I spend an unhealthy amount of time on OcUK's forums, but what difference does it make?

 

[andicole0]

I don't agree with it, but realistically what difference does it make to the average person.

Sure someone somewhere may now be able to view my porn habits or see that I spend an unhealthy amount of time on OcUK's forums, but what difference does it make?

+1.

 

[shamus21]

If you think we live work and play in a Democracy and are Free you are sadly misguided.

 

[Rroff]

Maybe I should just setup something to spider inordinate amounts of filthy porn, conspiracy theories and anarchy/protest material so anything else is lost in the noise

 

[edscdk]

Time for a VPN

If I were a security agency id be looking at anyone using a VPN

probably be setting up loads of free / cheap VPN services as well

 

[D3K]

I don't agree with it, but realistically what difference does it make to the average person.

It's a step in the wrong direction. By relaxing the constraints upon governments to spy on us, we are opening the floodgates.

First it will be a year, then 5, then your entire lifetime.
It will start with website URL's then it will become everything typed into the site, everything clicked.
Big data and analytics will build a complete visual portfolio of who you are. Data prediction will determine what you're likely to do, and where you'll be.

Then at worst we get on to the sci-fi stuff like Minority Report, Big Brother, etc, but it won't seem so much like fantasy in the future.
At best we get our portfolios sold to healthcare companies and marketing agencies.

 

[Armageus]

It's a step in the wrong direction. By relaxing the constraints upon governments to spy on us, we are opening the floodgates.

First it will be a year, then 5, then your entire lifetime.
It will start with website URL's then it will become everything typed into the site, everything clicked.
Big data and analytics will build a complete visual portfolio of who you are. Data prediction will determine what you're likely to do, and where you'll be.

Then at worst we get on to the sci-fi stuff like Minority Report, Big Brother, etc, but it won't seem so much like fantasy in the future.
At best we get our portfolios sold to healthcare companies and marketing agencies.

Again - honestly I'm still not seeing a problem for an average person?

 

[D3K]

Again - honestly I'm still not seeing a problem for an average person?

I have no idea what your definition of average is, but I don't consider myself as part of the great sheep masses, if such a thing exists.

We all have secrets, skeletons, things we don't want others knowing about. How are you going to contribute to those anonymous "confessions" style drama threads that everyone consumes with glee if you know it's being documented?

edit: this is just an example.

 

[Rroff]

I have no idea what your definition of average is, but I don't consider myself as part of the great sheep masses, if such a thing exists.

We all have secrets, skeletons, things we don't want others knowing about. How are you going to contribute to those anonymous "confessions" style drama threads that everyone consumes with glee if you know it's being documented?

edit: this is just an example.

Not just about secrets, its very easy to make an incorrect judgement/assumption about someone based on partial data and get the completely wrong impression - and we all know that down the road access to the data collected will become increasingly wider and less secure. Some people like their privacy just from being judged by others.

The way it has been pushed through shows just how rotten at the core the whole thing really is.

 

[D3K]

Not just about secrets, its very easy to make an incorrect judgement/assumption about someone based on partial data and get the completely wrong impression - and we all know that down the road access to the data collected will become increasingly wider and less secure. Some people like their privacy just from being judged by others.

The way it has been pushed through shows just how rotten at the core the whole thing really is.

Absolutely. Looked at barelylegal? Must be a pedo.

It honestly hasn't surprised me since it was that hag May that originally tried to push it through (or something similar). I've no idea how this has escaped the same condemnation as it did previously. (admittedly i havent seen much news this weekend).

 

[Armageus]

I have no idea what your definition of average is, but I don't consider myself as part of the great sheep masses, if such a thing exists.

A normal person who doesn't have anything to hide - not involved in drugs, people trafficking, terrorism, pedophilia etc. The kind of things that *may* get picked up by this. But if that makes me a sheep, then I'll happily baa baa away

A certain cross section of people already disclose far more information about themselves than this will recover via their social media streams - that in itself is probably more worrying, but yet no-one bats an eyelid that that is publicly available and routinely monitored.

We all have secrets, skeletons, things we don't want others knowing about. How are you going to contribute to those anonymous "confessions" style drama threads that everyone consumes with glee if you know it's being documented?

That's a far leap to go from being logged to being publicly available to all though?

 

[DragonQ]

Again - honestly I'm still not seeing a problem for an average person?

What if you ever want to run for political office? What if you ever join a pressure group or charity or become a lobbyist? What if you work at a government agency or as a journalist and find some dirt on the government? If the government doesn't like what you're doing to them, they can easily find dirt on you and shut your speech down.

Freedom of speech is essentially non-existent when the government has so much power over its citizens, whether their intentions are good (for now) or not. Also remember that governments change. In the US, many people may have trusted Obama with mass surveillence and drone programmes but now Trump will have that same power. Do those same people still think it was a good idea?

That's a far leap to go from being logged to being publicly available to all though?

Not that the information being publicly available is the main issue, but did you not hear about the TalkTalk hacks?

 

[Rroff]

Absolutely. Looked at barelylegal? Must be a pedo.

It honestly hasn't surprised me since it was that hag May that originally tried to push it through (or something similar). I've no idea how this has escaped the same condemnation as it did previously. (admittedly i havent seen much news this weekend).

Mixture of being pushed through when people are distracted by other issues and ineffective/non-existent opposition especially since people savaged the lib dems - GG electorate.