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171 Comments
- Ninh, on 05/23/2009, -0/+79Britain seems to turn into an experiment on how far a population can be taken under surveillance before a revolution breaks out.
- mattswain123, on 05/22/2009, -4/+82It's really shocking that the majority of British citizens don't care that this is happening, or even welcome it.
- StusGhost, on 05/25/2009, -0/+37The war protester who has been put on the "watch list" is the absolute perfect example of how this monitoring power can be abused by those IN power. You risk giving the government too much control over your lives, to the point where dissent becomes nearly impossible. In the US, our country was founded on dissent, and it's an absolutely essential part of a democracy.
As one of our founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin said:
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. - juhache, on 05/25/2009, -2/+37Yeah, we get a say.
We can vote Labour, who are in favour of endlessly creeping surveillance society.
We can vote Conservative, who are in favour of endlessly creeping surveillance society.
We can vote Lib Dems, who are in favour of endlessly creeping surveillance society.
We can vote Green, who are in favour of melting down all the cars in the country and turning them into one giant wind turbine
Or we can vote BNP, who will kill anyone who wasn't born within 8 miles of Dorset. - Dreeon, on 05/25/2009, -1/+29WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH - quarkde, on 05/25/2009, -0/+27This comes as no surprise because the UK ranks as the 5th most electronically monitored nation.
And as usual, people don't seem to care about the incremental steps toward a police state. - deeptroll, on 05/25/2009, -0/+21I am from the UK, I've talked to many people & I've not met a single person who welcomes this, they are all fed up with this *****, it's just not pumped into the media - so people think nobody cares, but they do.
- Rob8, on 05/24/2009, -3/+24A new low for new labour facism! This potentially violates articals 12,13 and 18 of the UN bill of human rights.
- maclauk, on 05/24/2009, -0/+20This is yet another dreadful infringement on civil liberties here in the UK. Before long this government will be kicked out at an election and we must ensure that their replacements will undo the damage.
- Elliuotatar, on 05/25/2009, -1/+20That's not a very good experiment. British people are too polite to revolt. They should have done the experiment in France.
- rnawky, on 05/25/2009, -0/+18How long till they spread them out on highways and use them to give 100% automated speeding tickets.
- inactive, on 05/25/2009, -0/+18Yeah maybe they should put up cameras that monitor the parliamentarians seeing as they're the ones who've been committing the most crime recently.. a nice camera that makes sure they don't suddenly build an extra wing on their mansion or one watching the stables to make sure they don't suddenly buy 5 extra horses.
- DangerCollie, on 05/25/2009, -0/+18Do the voters not get any say in this endlessly creeping surveillance society, or are you okay with it?
I remember when Tampa was going to try the facial recognition software in the entertainment district. The district lost business and the software didn't work. That project attracted a lot of negative attention. - rolf, on 05/25/2009, -3/+21Wow. Just wow. Reading that made me throw up in my mouth a little.
- prompel, on 05/25/2009, -0/+17I, for one, welcome our new ... no, wait I dont.
- juhache, on 05/25/2009, -2/+19It's the British pheonomenon of "someone else will say something"
- P5ycHo, on 05/25/2009, -0/+17Britain. Almost ready for the NWO. Congrats.
- localzuk, on 05/25/2009, -0/+16Yup. ANPR is a bitch, especially if you're a protester at any point. I've been in cars pulled due to ANPR even though they've never been involved in crime - simply because the owner has been at a march or somesuch.
- morel42, on 05/25/2009, -3/+18 Wow.. And I though the US was *****..
Good luck to ya my British Friends... :( - kelmaster1, on 05/25/2009, -0/+15haha, funny. That's why I love living in Montana. Some cities (small ones) tried to put cameras at stop lights and the state legislator told them 'no'. Privacy and civil liberties are important.
- notoneofus, on 05/25/2009, -0/+13I'm sure you never do anything that's the slightest bit illegal and never intend to. Just remember that what's illegal changes over time, and you could find yourself on the other side someday and be a "criminal" too. You might find it embarrassing then.
- spriggig, on 05/25/2009, -0/+12If they CAN monitor it they WILL monitor it. The list of what's "wrong" is DRIVEN BY the ability to monitor. This was one of the central warnings in Orwell's "1984".
In the US ALL of our phone lines are tapped and our government can listen to and record what ever it wants without a warrant.
http://www.eff.org/ - remma, on 05/25/2009, -0/+12god but I HATE my ***** country, this ***** keeps getting worse and worse.
nothing that joe average on the street can do about it either - Nollie2, on 05/25/2009, -0/+12It's interesting that despite all this monitoring Britain is one of the worst, if not the worst country within the EU when it comes to crime.
"It is the most burgled country in Europe, has the highest level of assaults and above average rates of car theft, robbery and pickpocketing. Only Ireland has a worse record." - (Daily Telegraph) http://tinyurl.com/5kewfy - mickstephenson, on 05/25/2009, -2/+13FinalSolution - You're an idiot, France has a very brave and capable Army, they surrendered in 1940 because both they and the British were overrun by the German blitzkreig, the British escaped back to Britain at Dunkirk while the French Army held back the advancing German army, after that surrender was the logical course of action.
How about this all those thousands of American soldier that died fighting in Vietnam... they were cowardly pussies because they didn't win. Does that comment disgust you? Yeah well your comment disgusts me. - SumoSniper, on 05/25/2009, -1/+12Maybe, but on the other hand, just because a lot of people agree doesn't mean that they're all just being sheep. Often it does, but not always.
Correlation != causation. - desotohawk, on 05/25/2009, -0/+11even more expanding power coming to a police state near you!
- ooblez, on 05/25/2009, -0/+10so just to recap:
they can now log where you travel via number plate recognition
they can monitor your internet activity
they take photographs of people taken in legitimate protests to record for their databases of 'to watch'
disband legitimate protests and use violent tactics on others
great. I'd put some revolutionary type comment if i wasn't 100% sure it'd be logged.
I wish thepiratebay would rename their anon internet service. Can you imagine how 'the defendant used the iPred system' is going to sound in court? - PopcornDave, on 05/25/2009, -0/+10No you don't. Spray cans and sledgehammers come to mind like other brits have dealt with speed cams in the past.
- rolf, on 05/25/2009, -0/+10At the extremes this is being taken, surveillance and crime have little to do with each other although the latter serves as a convenient and perpetual justification to the former. Except for the dumb riff-raff, any half-way smart criminal would have taken steps to know where the cameras are and just avoid them one way or another.
This is just about suppressing the general populace. - uberduger, on 05/25/2009, -0/+9This scares me, how many people honestly don't care about being monitored because they 'don't do anything wrong'.
- oenoneablaze, on 05/25/2009, -1/+10@mickstephenson it's precisely the incompetence of the politicians putting these sorts of programs that bothers me; this can often lead to poor regulation of how the system is implemented or the information is used. I can't speak for the UK, but in the US, I could definitely imagine the information being sold to corporations for marketing purposes, or who knows what else. It's a slippery slope.
- inactive, on 05/25/2009, -3/+12This is global.
- localzuk, on 05/25/2009, -1/+9That's pretty accurate, yep.
Good system over here isn't it? :) - juhache, on 05/25/2009, -4/+12Article 12
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
Article 13
1. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
2. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including their own, and to return to their country.
Article 18
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Dugg down. - mashupXXL, on 05/25/2009, -0/+8I think the real question is why do you have to have ID to show it on demand. This isn't Nazi Germany, "WHERE ARE YOUR PAPERS!!!!"
Stupid stuff going on all over the place. ***** governments. - localzuk, on 05/25/2009, -1/+9They do this already on pretty much all the main roads in the UK...
- UK31337, on 05/25/2009, -0/+8Typical Labour. Fire warning shots over their heads on June 4th by not voting for them, then send them their cards at the General Election next year.
Don't blame Jacqui Smith - this is endemic Government policy and any Labour Home Secretary replacing her will do the same damned thing. Good news is that there's rumours of a reshuffle after June 4th (in which Labour are predicted to get obliterated) and Hazel Blears will more than likely be fired. Jacqui Smith too? Quite possibly but I don't want to speak too soon.
Remove Crash Gordon and Jackboot Jacqui from office. Don't vote Labour under any circumstances if you want this to stop. If Labour win the next General Election, take to the streets - mass rioting and civil unrest will be the only way to stop this. - alexforcefive, on 05/25/2009, -0/+8You missed the part where the guy was "hotlisted" for attending a peace protest then? Which contravenes articles 9, 19 and 20 too, as I see it.
- spriggig, on 05/25/2009, -0/+8Speak up!
Locate the cameras and then hang big red flags on them.
Put up a website to take donations for big red flags.
Get on the news and tell your countrymen that you're not going to take it anymore.
If the UK has jury nullification laws, raise awareness of those laws.
Use your real name so your name is known and when you're thrown in jail the people will rally around you and demand your release. - CamoChris, on 05/25/2009, -1/+8The Lib Dems are not in favour of an "endlessly creeping surveillance society" as you put it, in fact quite the opposite. A quick google found this:
http://freedom.libdems.org.uk/the-freedom-bill/ - uberduger, on 05/25/2009, -3/+10@mr5150: Where were you when America passed the Patriot Act then?
You can't imply that another nation are being stupid by rolling over and submitting to crap like this when only a few years ago, the Patriot Act came into force. That's right, "because it's all in the name of terrorism". - WNW3, on 05/25/2009, -1/+8No wonder the UK keeps getting taken over by the Dalecks and Cybermen.
- psychadelic, on 05/23/2009, -9/+16This is depressing. I'm sure eventually - perhaps if not already- this is happening here in the United states in selected areas to test out this new "technology". What scares me is that people would actually find this harmless. Do people not understand.... that it isn't what the government IS doing currently... but what they CAN do if they decide to abuse the powers given them? ..... it does sadden me to see Britain continue its downward spiral into increasing socialism... luckily I don't live there. I'd love to visit....but not stay. I enjoy keeping what I earn and not giving it to pakistanis who are going to try to use welfare to blow me up.
- LouisCipher777, on 05/25/2009, -0/+7really sounds a lot like the political system here in the US.
- alexforcefive, on 05/25/2009, -0/+7And here's the problem: who on earth could fix this? As far as civil liberties go.. maybe the lib dems. But how are they going to get elected? They had the perfect opportunity to take the initiative with this expenses thing, and they've completely wasted it.
I'm sincerely hoping for a lib-lab coalition at the next general election, but it's not very likely and it probably would turn out horribly anyway. - torrentbits, on 05/25/2009, -3/+10*** This Just In ***
Britons victims of Mass Lethargy.
If you are not willing to fight to preserve your rights to freedom, you're not deserving to be free. - murrdpirate, on 05/25/2009, -0/+7Hmm. Are you required to have your plate visible to just humans, or also to cameras? I doubt the law even specifies.
I know that in Virginia you have to carry some form of ID on you at all times. But does that mean I can't block them from reading through my pants and wallet with an X-ray to see my ID? - paoniapbud, on 05/25/2009, -0/+6This may happen in larger U.S. cities to some extent but we are lucky there is simply too much geography to cover. If you folks get tired of the U.K. you are always welcome here! The U.S. isn't perfect but we don't have ridiculous cameras everywhere.
- skipvt, on 05/25/2009, -0/+6So, George Orwell was only off by 25 years.
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