Monday 4 May 2009

Internet Spying - A Licence For Blackmail

Jaqui Smith had better watch her step. When she performed a volte face on GCHQ having a single database of spied-on information from all our internet communication and told all our internet service providers (ISPs) that they should record all of our communications instead, she may have wished for more then she bargained for. Perhaps her husband might have been up to more than just watching porn films via Sky.

The what ifs are too many to calculate, but perhaps an unscrupulous employee at an ISP might find out that Ms. Smith's husband had been downloading porn and decided to to make a few bob. Papers pay a lot for nice stories like that but perhaps the husband might pay more. The possibilities are endless.

GCHQ has issued a statement that it it will not spy on us for the sake of it but will 'act only when it's necessary'.

We have already seen Local Authorities check up on people putting bins out on the wrong day or watching if parents live in the area of the schools they put their kids' names down for by using security cameras. This has been extended to using these cameras which were originally put in to help protect us from violence, crime and terrorism, are increasingly being used to further the agendas of Government departments who now have rights to use them if they think some sort of 'crime', however trivial, has been perpetrated.

This new step, putting the onus on recording all internet communication on ISPs, is almost farcical. These companies make money so if they can make a few bob watching us 'legitimately' going about our private business, regardless of what that may be, then they will not hesitate to do so. And lots of external agencies will claim they should have access to it in the interest of their 'security' agenda.

The whining do-gooders who go on about privacy have a good case here. No longer is our private information and actions our own business - it's all in the public domain. Just watch out, Jacqui, your hubby could yet be your downfall.

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