[Kosh]

http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/07/02/20/1344200.shtml

"With the largest density of CCTV cameras in the world, and an increasing network of automatic number-plate recognition cameras on main roads, Britain has long been a pioneer for the surveillance society. Now new official figures reveal that UK agencies monitored 439,000 telephones and email addresses in a 15 month period between 2005 and 2006. The Interception of Communications Commissioner is seeking the right for agencies to be allowed to monitor the communications of Members of Parliament as well, something which has been forbidden since the 1960s. It must be that it is bringing their numbers down: on the law of averages they should be monitoring at least 5 of the MPs."

1984 anyone?

[vyper]

****ing socialists.

We need rid of this lot now.

[aldo_14]

Heh, presumably they're worried about the Downing Street 'secret email system'?

[NGTM-1R]

The government there needs to be watched more closely. Look at what happened when nobody was paying attention.

[Fineus]

People were paying attention, but nobody stood up and said "no".

[aldo_14]

People were paying attention, but nobody stood up and said "no".

I did.

I got a patronising letter back.

[Rictor]

Re-elect Zombie Churchill -  he'll get rid of the surveillance measures and put down that pesky uprising in Mesapotamia.

[IPAndrews]

Never before in the field of data collection, was so much known about so many by so few

[aldo_14]

Our only hope is now government incompetence.













Oh, so we're ok then.

[Flipside]

Can't remember who it was, but someone went round Milton Keynes with a group of clowns and then under the data protection act, wrote and demanded footage of himself. When the council replied that they couldn't identify him from their footage, he responded that if they couldn't identify a man with a group of clown on the footage, how the hell did they expect to catch criminals with it?

[Fineus]

I did.

I got a patronising letter back.

Really? Got some details for that, I wouldnt mind hearing the story?

[aldo_14]

I did.

I got a patronising letter back.

Really? Got some details for that, I wouldnt mind hearing the story?

It's not as exciting as it sounds; I signed one of those petition things.   I think.

The mass outcry of protest led to...spam email.  From His Divine Holiness, Beloved Leader Tony Blair himself (well, the work office boy who makes his tea on Wednesdays).  Which basically said "you're wrong, you're wrong, you're sooo wrong, this complaint is wrong, this complaint is also wrong, we like these figures so we're not listening to sensible rational ones, oh, and we're going to do it and you can't stop us muwhahahaha"

Well, technically it was a wee bit more patronising.  But no less insulting.

[IPAndrews]

This would be Congestion charging then. Apparently we're all supposed to walk to work. Since the affect of congestion charging on those using road based public transport is likely to be worse than on those driving piggin' cars! Or maybe we should all move to London and use the underground. Someone please stop me here before I really get started.

[aldo_14]

This would be Congestion charging then. Apparently we're all supposed to walk to work. Since the affect of congestion charging on those using road based public transport is likely to be worse than on those driving piggin' cars! Or maybe we should all move to London and use the underground. Someone please stop me here before I really get started.

Nah, it was an ID card petition.

Which, considering the oyster card thingies used in London, is probably the same thing.....

[IPAndrews]

ID cards are fun too. "Can I buy these groceries?", "Sure, I just have to scan your ID card".

[aldo_14]

ID cards are fun too. "Can I buy these groceries?", "Sure, I just have to scan your ID card".

"Hmm; our system shows you purchased a turnip last week.  Under the Vaguely Imagined Terrorist Threat From Suspicious Turnip Purchase Act of 2008, I'm afraid I will have to call MI5 to arrest you.  You'll get your turnip once you complete the 90-day detention period.  Oh, and you'll miss the election... but I wouldn't worry about that, our profile states you're a Lib Dem voter and, frankly, I'd be more concerned about the tumour our records show you've been waiting to have treated on the NHS since last year."

[Fineus]

And you make it sound so innocent.

The one I really find amusing is the proposed "tax people for how much they drive". No, not the existing tax on fuel, or road tax.. but the totally new one they're thinking of doing.

I wonder how far they can push the system before people just stop showing up to work.

[IPAndrews]

You forgot "tax people for how much time they don't spend dangerously staring at the speedo". ie: safety cameras.

[IPAndrews]

Out of curiosity I just googled "pavement-tax" and turned up this. I don't have time to read through it and see if it's a joke right now though.

[Fineus]

Oh you had to bring those up.

My father got "done" by one of those recently near our home. It was a mobile camera - the sort they sneakily set up to get some extra revenue going rather than actually slowing everything down. Suffice to say he was threatened with some stupidly hefty fine and 6 points on his licence or he could plead guilty to the charge and take "only" a £70 fine and 3 points.

Then there's the tales of these mobile cameras being horribly incorrect and actually being shown to record walls travelling at 30 miles an hour.

It makes you wonder how many speeding fines are justified and how many are just shots in the dark and excellent money makers.

At this rate we're going to end up living in a country where the "average" man is also the slowest, poorest man on the road. Meanwhile those who don't abide the law and don't bother registering for road tax etc. etc. will continue to speed, pay less and generally enjoy hassle free lives.

It's really enough to make an honest man dishonest.