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Great Britain: Police set to step up hacking of home PCs
The Times (U.K.) ^ | January 4, 2009 | Dave Leppard

Posted on 01/05/2009 7:31:35 AM PST by Stoat

Under the Brussels edict, police across the EU have been given the green light to expand the implementation of a rarely used power involving warrantless intrusive surveillance of private property. The strategy will allow French, German and other EU forces to ask British officers to hack into someone’s UK computer and pass over any material gleaned.

A remote search can be granted if a senior officer says he “believes” that it is “proportionate” and necessary to prevent or detect serious crime — defined as any offence attracting a jail sentence of more than three years.

 

 

(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: bigbrother; bigbruv; britain; england; greatbritain; hacking; police; security; uk; unitedkingdom
My apologies for the severe editing of this article....this was done in order to remain in compliance with Free Republic rules regarding the posting of articles from the UK Times.  Please click on the main article link to read the full story.

 

1 posted on 01/05/2009 7:31:36 AM PST by Stoat
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To: Stoat

When Obama and his crew decide to start this here, will those who opposed Bush’s wiretapping of terrorists even open their mouths?


2 posted on 01/05/2009 7:37:47 AM PST by raybbr (It's going to get a lot worse now that the anchor babies are voting!)
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To: rdb3; Calvinist_Dark_Lord; GodGunsandGuts; CyberCowboy777; Salo; Bobsat; JosephW; ...
See also http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2158849/posts?page=1


3 posted on 01/05/2009 7:40:20 AM PST by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: raybbr
When Obama and his crew decide to start this here, will those who opposed Bush’s wiretapping of terrorists even open their mouths?

You're right of course, but the cynical side of me says that free rein will be given to The Messiah because he's a Fellow Traveler, and so of course everything and his 'administration' does is in the best interests of the nation, is oozing with benevolence, and anyone who dares suggest otherwise should be prosecuted for engaging in Hate Speech.....

4 posted on 01/05/2009 7:41:16 AM PST by Stoat (Palin / Coulter 2012: A Strong America Through Unapologetic Conservatism)
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To: Stoat

and people complain about the Patriot act..


5 posted on 01/05/2009 7:41:52 AM PST by babubabu
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To: Abathar; Abcdefg; Abram; Abundy; akatel; albertp; AlexandriaDuke; Alexander Rubin; Allerious; ...
THE Home Office has quietly adopted a new plan to allow police across Britain routinely to hack into people’s personal computers without a warrant.



Libertarian ping! Click here to get added or here to be removed or post a message here!
6 posted on 01/05/2009 7:42:03 AM PST by bamahead (Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master. -- Sallust)
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To: Stoat

Well, lots of luck. Are they going to be any more competent than all the hackers already out there, sending malware via email?

Meantime, they’ll probably be more successful at trashing people’s computers than learning any of their secrets.

But I must say it’s typical of the new UK and the new EU. Spy on your citizens with remote cameras and every other gadget, but don’t come to their aid if they are robbed or mugged. And throw them in jail if they dare to defend themselves.

And, no doubt, these new techniques will be forbidden to be used against Muslims.


7 posted on 01/05/2009 7:42:17 AM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: Stoat

Man, ain’t Brit freedom grand?? Thank God we beat their butts and got away from them, or we would be under their stupidity now. We are close enough, but at least we are armed and can fight back.


8 posted on 01/05/2009 7:43:25 AM PST by RetiredArmy (Great patriotic stuff at www.patriotstore.us.)
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To: Stoat; All

will UK authorities be allowed to hack compututers OUTSIDE the UK or EU?

seems the “just because” authority would cover them anywhere they want.


9 posted on 01/05/2009 7:44:03 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Stoat

Sales of firewalls to explode in Britain!


10 posted on 01/05/2009 7:47:32 AM PST by relictele
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To: relictele
Sales of firewalls to explode in Britain!

My understanding is that developers of all encryption software sold in the USA are currently required by law to submit a key to a Government agency (I'm not sure which one...perhaps the NSA?), and this may also be the case for firewalls.  If  also true in the UK, then they will be of little use in the UK or anywhere else to protect against Government intrusion

11 posted on 01/05/2009 7:54:34 AM PST by Stoat (Palin / Coulter 2012: A Strong America Through Unapologetic Conservatism)
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To: Stoat

That’s not necessarily true. The government wanted software manufacturers to provide one, but many told the government no.

The governmnet has NO business doing this sort of thing. And this coming from the birthplace of the Magna Carta. Maybe we should have just let Schicklgruber take ‘em after all. We save their butts twice and this is what they do......


12 posted on 01/05/2009 7:59:20 AM PST by Emperor Palpatine ("I love democracy. I love Free Republic")
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To: Stoat
This is why we had a revolutionary war, and why the bill of rights was added to constitution.
There is NO bill of rights in GB, and they can search you house with out a warrant, so I don't see why they could not hack your computer with out a warrant.
13 posted on 01/05/2009 8:04:46 AM PST by Colvin (Harry Reid is a sap sucking idiot.)
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To: Emperor Palpatine
Maybe we should have just let Schicklgruber take ‘em after all. We save their butts twice and this is what they do.

Funny how the US only entered WWII after getting half its pacific fleet sunk at Pearl Harbor. Almost as if America was content to let the free world go hang until it was itself attacked.

And as for 'saving' anyone - did Hitler give up on Operation Seelowe because he was scared of American intervention - or was it because he couldn't beat the Royal Navy? Here's a hint: Hitler gave up on the invasion before America entered the war.

In contradistinction: when America was attacked on 911, Britain (and Australia) stepped up right away. We didn't wait for two years waiting to see what would happen.

And what's this 'twice' business? America was barely present in WW1. Italy was a more important ally!

If your post is an accurate reflection of the state of American historical knowledge, no wonder the US is about to repeat 1929 in every excruciating detail.

14 posted on 01/05/2009 8:06:48 AM PST by agere_contra (So ... where's the birth certificate?)
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To: Stoat
You're right of course, but the cynical side of me says that free rein will be given to The Messiah because he's a Fellow Traveler, and so of course everything and his 'administration' does is in the best interests of the nation, is oozing with benevolence, and anyone who dares suggest otherwise should be prosecuted for engaging in Hate Speech.....

I know what you mean. There's Freepers that feel that way about Booosh.

15 posted on 01/05/2009 8:39:00 AM PST by Still Thinking (Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?)
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To: raybbr

You can bet that, when the Fuhrer takes over power, “his” goons will be hacking our computers and watching FR every second. Freedom bye bye.


16 posted on 01/05/2009 8:57:24 AM PST by ExTexasRedhead
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To: raybbr
When Obama and his crew decide to start this here, will those who opposed Bush’s wiretapping of terrorists even open their mouths?

You can bet your backside that he will try that here, and you can also bet that they won't say squat. Virtually every statist trick tried in the EU seems to find its way to the US.

I feel a hint of fascism in the air...

17 posted on 01/05/2009 9:31:11 AM PST by meyer (We are all John Galt)
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To: Stoat
My understanding is that developers of all encryption software sold in the USA are currently required by law to submit a key to a Government agency (I'm not sure which one...perhaps the NSA?), and this may also be the case for firewalls.

That's about what Al Gore wanted, but he didn't get his wish. I don't believe this is the case now. And it's pretty much impossible if you use popular open source encryption and firewall software.

18 posted on 01/05/2009 11:10:03 AM PST by antiRepublicrat
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To: antiRepublicrat; Stoat
>> My understanding is that developers of all encryption software sold in the USA are currently required by law to submit a key to a Government agency (I'm not sure which one...perhaps the NSA?), and this may also be the case for firewalls.

I don't think so. I'm sure that's not the case with PGP.

> That's about what Al Gore wanted, but he didn't get his wish. I don't believe this is the case now. And it's pretty much impossible if you use popular open source encryption and firewall software.

I think Joe Biden was in on that failed requirement also. Allegedly, Phill Zimmerman (author of PGP) made his code public specifically because of a bill Biden introduced, back in the early 90's.

I use PGP for encryption -- free, easy, open-source, and about as uncrackable as anything out there. If you pick a long enough key length you're good for years, maybe decades.

19 posted on 01/05/2009 7:44:36 PM PST by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!)
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To: relictele; Emperor Palpatine; antiRepublicrat; dayglored
Stoat said:

My understanding is that developers of all encryption software sold in the USA are currently required by law to submit a key to a Government agency (I'm not sure which one...perhaps the NSA?), and this may also be the case for firewalls.  If  also true in the UK, then they will be of little use in the UK or anywhere else to protect against Government intrusion

Emperor Palpatine said:

That’s not necessarily true. The government wanted software manufacturers to provide one, but many told the government no.

antiRepublicrat said:

That's about what Al Gore wanted, but he didn't get his wish. I don't believe this is the case now. And it's pretty much impossible if you use popular open source encryption and firewall software.
 

dayglored said:

I don't think so. I'm sure that's not the case with PGP.

********************************************

Thank you ALL, and I humbly stand corrected  :-)

I thought that I had heard that this had passed into law but it's obvious that I was WRONG.

We stoats try our best to keep on top of things but sometimes we fall behind...computer keyboards aren't made for furry paws and sometimes it's hard to keep up on everything  :-)

Cheers to all and thank you  :-)

 

 whisky

20 posted on 01/05/2009 10:01:41 PM PST by Stoat (Palin / Coulter 2012: A Strong America Through Unapologetic Conservatism)
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