How many terrorist attacks have there been in Sweden?

[Happy Face 29]

Sweden's parliament has approved controversial new laws allowing authorities to spy on cross-border e-mail and telephone traffic.

 

The country's intelligence bureau will be able to scan international calls, faxes and e-mails.

 

The measure was passed by a narrow majority after a heated debate in the Stockholm parliament.

 

Critics say it threatens civil liberties and represents Europe's most far-reaching eavesdropping plan.

 

"By introducing these new measures, the Swedish government is following the examples set by governments ranging from China and Saudi Arabia to the US government's highly criticised eavesdropping programme," said Peter Fleischer, of Google.

 

Checks and balances

 

But those who support the plans say such measures are needed to protect national security from those increasingly using such technology to plan attacks.

 

The government insists that it will filter out domestic communication and monitor only international calls, faxes and messages.

 

Some experts insist that it is impossible to differentiate between domestic and international traffic.

 

Under the new law, Sweden's intelligence bureau will no longer need a court order to begin surveillance, unlike the police.

 

The former head of the country's intelligence agency, Saepo, said the law failed to safeguard individual rights and should be scrapped.

 

"I think the law needs to be re-written. It is not enough to create a few checks and balances... It is the law itself, there is something wrong with it," Anders Eriksson told Swedish radio ahead of the vote.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7463333.stm

 

Victory Gin on sale soon at a store near you.

[Park Life 71]

Sweden's parliament has approved controversial new laws allowing authorities to spy on cross-border e-mail and telephone traffic.

 

The country's intelligence bureau will be able to scan international calls, faxes and e-mails.

 

The measure was passed by a narrow majority after a heated debate in the Stockholm parliament.

 

Critics say it threatens civil liberties and represents Europe's most far-reaching eavesdropping plan.

 

"By introducing these new measures, the Swedish government is following the examples set by governments ranging from China and Saudi Arabia to the US government's highly criticised eavesdropping programme," said Peter Fleischer, of Google.

 

Checks and balances

 

But those who support the plans say such measures are needed to protect national security from those increasingly using such technology to plan attacks.

 

The government insists that it will filter out domestic communication and monitor only international calls, faxes and messages.

 

Some experts insist that it is impossible to differentiate between domestic and international traffic.

 

Under the new law, Sweden's intelligence bureau will no longer need a court order to begin surveillance, unlike the police.

 

The former head of the country's intelligence agency, Saepo, said the law failed to safeguard individual rights and should be scrapped.

 

"I think the law needs to be re-written. It is not enough to create a few checks and balances... It is the law itself, there is something wrong with it," Anders Eriksson told Swedish radio ahead of the vote.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7463333.stm

 

Victory Gin on sale soon at a store near you.

 

 

Right, holiday in Sweden cancelled.

Edited June 20, 2008 by Park Life

[Lazarus 0]

Lots of countries are in the middle of an information race - an 'info-race' (you heard it here first!) if you like.

 

the Americans can take a copy of hard drives now if you take a laptop into the usa as well.

[Ketsbaia 0]

Lots of countries are in the middle of an information race - an 'info-race' (you heard it here first!) if you like.

 

the Americans can take a copy of hard drives now if you take a laptop into the usa as well.

 

I hope you and Jimbo aren't planning to travel there anytime soon. They'll think you're some kind of sexual miscreants

[Happy Face 29]

the Americans can take a copy of hard drives now if you take a laptop into the usa as well.

 

Bloody Romans!

[sweetleftpeg 0]

I thought the Swedish were quite liberal, free love and all that. Well, the films I've watched from there anyway.

[Meenzer 15873]

I thought the Swedish were quite liberal, free love and all that. Well, the films I've watched from there anyway.

Aye, this is why my mam said she was Belgian when she first came over.

[Fop 1]

Councils warned over spying laws

Cameras and e-mail surveillance are used by councils

 

Councils in England have been urged to review the way they use surveillance powers to investigate suspected crime.

 

Under laws brought in to help fight terrorism, councils can access phone and e-mail records and use surveillance to detect or stop a criminal offence.

 

But Local Government Association chairman Sir Simon Milton has written to councils warning overzealous use of the powers could alienate the public.

 

They should not be used for "trivial offences" such as dog fouling, he adds.

 

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), part of the government's anti-terror drive, gave councils the power to use the surveillance and to access phone and e-mail records.

 

It could be said that perhaps some of the offences being investigated were too trivial to be using surveillance techniques

Sir Simon Milton, LGA chairman

 

But concerns have been raised about the way some councils have used the powers.

 

Recent examples include a family in Dorset followed for several weeks to see if they really did live in a school catchment area.

 

Other uses have included examining rubbish to monitor household waste.

 

In his letter, Sir Simon said: "Parliament clearly intended that councils should use the new powers, and generally they are being used to respond to residents' complaints about fly tippers, rogue traders and those defrauding the council tax or housing benefit system."

 

Sir Simon identifies dog fouling and littering as examples of two offences in which the act's powers were not "necessary and proportionate".

 

'Public concern'

 

Wyre Council in Lancashire has used hidden cameras to catch people who let their dogs foul public places - an action the chief executive Jim Corey said was justified.

 

"Certainly the reaction from the local population about the work has been nothing but complimentary," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

 

"Dog fouling is at the top of their list in terms of issues they want the council to be tackling on the ground, so I know the public are only too pleased to see us catching people."

 

 

They brought these laws in to deal with terrorism, but they seem to have been used to spy on dog-walkers. Then they wonder why so many people object to 42 days

 

David Potts, Grayswood

 

 

But Sir Simon urges councils to use the powers only for complaints about more serious matters.

 

He told BBC Breakfast: "I don't think councils are abusing their powers, but there have been one or two instances which have attracted public attention and comment where it could be said that perhaps some of the offences being investigated were too trivial to be using surveillance techniques."

 

He said it was "very important" that councils preserved the power to use surveillance, but warned that misuse could lead to it being lost altogether.

 

And he suggested that every council should carry out an annual review to gauge the support of the public for its use of the act.

 

'Change the law'

 

Figures released by councils under the Freedom of Information Act show that thousands of people have had their telephone and e-mail records accessed.

 

COUNCILS USING SPYING POWERS

Littering - Bolton Council

Misuse of a disabled parking badge - Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London

Dog fouling - Bolton, Derby City, Gateshead and Hartlepool Councils

Working while claiming sick pay - Conwy Council

Durham County Council was the biggest user of the act - 144 times in the last 12 months

(Source: Press Association)

 

Spy law 'used to fight dog fouling'

 

It is estimated that about 3,000 people have been targeted in the last year, for alleged offences that included dog smuggling, storing petrol without permission and keeping unburied animal carcasses.

 

A survey of fewer than 10% of councils, carried out by the Press Association, showed that spying techniques were used 1,343 times.

 

Civil rights group Liberty has welcomed the new advice but says it wants the government to reform the law, so that only a judge - not a town hall official - can authorise use of the most intrusive powers.

 

Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti said: "We just hope that central government now follows the Local Government Association lead and really gets a grip on a law that needs to be updated, a law that is ripe for abuse and in particular, a law that doesn't have an important enough role for judges in authorising this kind of intrusive surveillance."

 

Conservative local government secretary Eric Pickles said there was "real public concern about the threat to privacy and liberty" from the potential misuse of anti-terror laws by councils.

 

"We need stronger checks and balances against the potential abuse of such powers to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens from Labour's growing surveillance state," he said.

 

 

 

 

 

Amazingly councils (never mind MI5) already have the power to monitor e-mails and phones in the UK.

[Happy Face 29]

I love the "If you're doing nowt wrong you shouldn't have a problem with it" argument.

 

Would these people welcome cameras into their homes as a deterrent against child abuse?

[Fop 1]

I love the "If you're doing nowt wrong you shouldn't have a problem with it" argument.

 

Would these people welcome cameras into their homes as a deterrent against child abuse?

 

 

Basically it's "If you're doing nowt wrong you shouldn't have a problem with it, and we'll be looking at your e-mails, listening to your phone calls and monitoring our hidden cameras in your house just to make sure".

 

 

 

 

Plus I think local councils are the very, very worst place for these sort of powers to be, as there is very little/no effective accountability in local government, both officially and unofficially in the context of the media watching things.

Edited June 23, 2008 by Fop