Archive | July, 2017

UK Snoopers Charter to be challenged in court

It’s become clearer than ever in recent months that this law is not fit for purpose. The government doesn’t need to spy on the entire population to fight terrorism. All that does is undermine the very rights, freedoms and democracy terrorists seek to destroy.

The Register: Civil rights warriors get green light to challenge UK mass surveillance »

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Autonomous surveillance vehicles now to be deployed

Last month, Privacy News Online wrote about the first arrest by UK police using an automatic facial recognition system mounted on a vehicle to scan people in a crowd. But things move quickly in the world of surveillance technologies: the police in Dubai have announced that they will be deploying facial recognition systems mounted on autonomous vehicles by the end of 2017.

Glyn Moody @ PNO » Our surveillance future: pervasive, continuous facial recognition from wandering robo-cars and hovering drones »

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UK: Go to prison – for a joke?

“Scottish comedian and YouTuber Markus Meechan, better known as Count Dankula, is facing a year in prison for recording and uploading a video where he taught his girlfriend’s pet dog how to “seig heil” on command. As Heat Street reported earlier this year the viral video did not amuse Scottish police, prompting his arrest.” (…)

“On Wednesday, Meechan posted an update about his case. “Legal aid application was rejected,” he posted on Twitter. ‘I’m fucked.'”

Heatstreet: Scottish YouTuber Who Faces Prison Over a Joke Can’t Get a Lawyer »

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One wiretap order – 3.29 million calls intercepted

US authorities intercepted and recorded millions of phone calls last year under a single wiretap order, authorized as part of a narcotics investigation.

The wiretap order authorized an unknown government agency to carry out real-time intercepts of 3.29 million cell phone conversations over a two-month period at some point during 2016, after the order was applied for in late 2015.

ZDnet: With a single wiretap order, US authorities listened in on 3.3 million phone calls »

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