I have an interesting acquaintance who refuses to let me bring my phone into his home. “Spy chips” is his term for all wireless phones. I’ve laughed at him. Until I didn’t.
Exhibit 1: from the New York Times
Police Are Using Phone Tracking as a Routine Tool
WASHINGTON — Law enforcement tracking of cellphones, once the province mainly of federal agents, has become a powerful and widely used surveillance tool for local police officials, with hundreds of departments, large and small, often using it aggressively with little or no court oversight, documents show.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/us/police-tracking-of-cellphones-raises-privacy-fears.html
Already being done? Routine tool? No court oversight?
This is Big Brother.
Read the article and notice who’s collecting fees for betraying you: your provider!
Exhibit 2: from Naked Security, Sophos.com
UK government plans to spy on email, web and internet phone use
The British government is proposing new legislation which would allow the police and secret service to monitor internet users’ email and web activity.
Unsurprisingly, privacy campaigners are up in arms about the plan which would force internet service providers to give British intelligence agencies’ real-time access to electronic communications.
However, the authorities argue that it is necessary for national security and to fight terrorism, online child abuse and organised crime.
http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/04/02/uk-government-spy-plans/
I have a sneaking suspicion that if they’re talking about it publicly, they’re already doing it. Like the USA.
None of this makes me feel proud – or free.