Monthly Archives: March 2009 »
Big Brother in your car – Orwellian box to track your movements
The government is backing a project to install a “communication box” in new cars to track the whereabouts of drivers anywhere in Europe, the Guardian can reveal. Under the proposals, vehicles will emit a
Read More »Two thirds of the UK do not trust the Government with data
MORE than two thirds of the UK population no longer trust the Government with their personal data, according to a new report. The report from the York-based Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust claims to
Read More »DNA database grows by 38 per cent in two years
By Tom Young | Some 1.4 million new profiles have been added to the DNA database in the past two years – a rise of 38 per cent – according to figures released by the
Read More »Security and fundamental freedoms on the Internet
Increasingly, companies, governments, police and even criminals are seeking the greatest possible access to our private data. The internet provides a previously unimaginable level of access to information about our private lives, which
Read More »Police Invade High School in Mass Drug Raid- Find One piece of “Paraphernalia”
By Phil Leggiere | Police from various jurisdictions swarm on a Connecticut High School with police dogs, ransack over a hundred cars in the parking lot, rifle through lockers and find- rolling papers. An
Read More »Are Universities Turning into Corporate Drone Factories?
Unless we take hold of the reigns we will be cursed with a more ruthless form of corporate power wielded through naked repression. In decaying societies, politics become theater. The elite, who have hollowed
Read More »Government should offer incentives for homes to go green
By Hank Kalet | The federal government should help homeowners go green. Several states are already seeking ways to encourage homeowners to switch from dirty fuels to cleaner energy sources, kick-starting a green revolution
Read More »Obama Won’t Speed Up Iraq Pullout
In yet another instance of lowering the expectations on the campaign promised US pullout from Iraq, President Barack Obama touted the military progress in the nation but ruled out increasing the speed of his
Read More »40,000 reasons the G20 must act
By Adrian Roberts | THOUSANDS of campaigners marched through London on Saturday in the run-up to the G20 summit to demand action on poverty, climate change and jobs. Over 40,000 marchers accompanied by brass
Read More »New claim of MI5 collusion in torture
Claims that secret agents working for MI5 and MI6 watched and encouraged the torture of a second British resident held by the Americans must be investigated by the police, politicians, lawyers and human rights
Read More »British activist jailed in China for Olympics protest
A British man was sentenced to serve six months in a Hong Kong jail after being found guilty of causing a public nuisance. Matt Pearce, a teacher originally from Bristol but who now lives
Read More »Will civil liberties be eroded by eborders legislation?
By ADRIAN DARBYSHIRE | COULD Big Brother soon be keeping tabs on Isle of Man residents’ travel arrangements? That’s the fear of political lobby organisation the Positive Action Group, which is concerned about the
Read More »A golden opportunity to test Obama pledge on open government
IT is said to be the most impregnable vault on Earth: built out of granite, sealed behind a 22-tonne door, located on a US military base and watched over day and night by army
Read More »Free Expression Assault Continues at UN Human Rights Council
Freedom House condemns the UN Human Rights Council for undermining the universal right to freedom of expression by once again passing a resolution that urges members to adopt laws outlawing criticism of religions. The
Read More »New Labour’s dream is a surveillance state nightmare
The Networker There’s a delicious moment in Alastair Beaton’s satirical film, The Trial of Tony Blair, in which the former prime minister is finally arrested for war crimes on a warrant from the international
Read More »Wired editor: Google has us all in its web
Google’s new Street View service – which displays 360-degree photographs of streetscapes in 25 British towns – has made it a challenge getting pages proof-read in the Wired offices this week. First, we spot
Read More »Security services eye personal data
Privacy campaigners are already protesting the idea to use personal data to for ‘pre-emptive surveillance’. By William Maclean | CCTV cameras will play a big part in security during next week’s G20 summit, but
Read More »Government may snoop on websites
By Stefano Ambrogi | Social networking websites like Facebook could be forced to pass on details of users’ friends and contacts under government proposals to fight terrorism. Millions of Britons use sites like Facebook,
Read More »MP calling for ID card scheme to be ditched
SOUTH Derbyshire MP Mark Todd has called on the Government to abandon its plans for ID cards. Since November, ID cards have been compulsory for foreign nationals living in the UK and will become
Read More »Countries Urged to Follow Irish Lead on Guantanamo
OneWorld US | European countries should emulate Ireland’s offer to accept Guantanamo detainees who will be released by the United States but cannot return to their home countries, says an international human rights monitor. “This
Read More »UN report says Israel used boy as human shield, Israel denies
JERUSALEM/GENEVA: Israel on Tuesday slammed as “one-sided” a report by a UN human rights investigator which said its three-week war on the Gaza Strip was possibly a war crime. “Unfortunately this is a further
Read More »Privacy group urges sites to say no to Phorm
Online privacy and civil liberties organisation the Open Rights Group has urged major websites including Amazon, Google, Ebay and Facebook to opt out of Phorm’s targeted advertising system. Jim Killock, the group’s executive director,
Read More »Fresh security fears force halt to work on ContactPoint child super-database
By Leo King | Fresh security fears over the ContactPoint child database have forced the government to call a halt to its roll out. The temporary halt to work on the £224 million database
Read More »ID cards not compulsory after all, says Home Office
By John Lettice | Plans to make ID cards compulsory for UK citizens at some point in the middle distance have been officially abandoned, apparently. According to the Home Office’s revised counter-terrorism strategy document, published
Read More »Council uses spy plane to snoop on homes
They already track innocent citizens’ movements with CCTV, are in cahoots with police over speed cameras, and have been using powers supposed to tackle terrorism to put tails on people suspected of minor ‘crimes’.
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