George Orwell would be most amused to hear about the latest development in the EU. Ten countries of the European Union have agreed to help develop computer programs that monitor the internet and CCTV images, according to Telegraph.co.uk. Just like in the novel,1984, the EU's project aim is to detect any abnormal behavior on forums, peer-to-peer networks and even individual computers. The ultimate goal is to try to presage possible conflicts or acts of terror. Philip K. Dick, the author of Minority Report, would also be very amused. Project Indect is not only an attempt to scour the internet for strange behavior, the European Union is calling for a more unified law-enforcement system, across the European states. Police officers in the UK will be trained in European affairs over the course of the remaining 50 months the project.
The five-year initiative already began on January 1st, 2009. Now the EU has decided to increase the budget by 13.5 % to nearly 1 billion Euros ($1.4 billion). Especially in the UK it has caused an outcry. Since the British citizens are already feeling oppressed by an abundance of CCTV cameras, many have sounded off their protest.
Shami Chakrabarti, the director of human rights group Liberty, describes this whole project as positively chilling. "Profiling whole populations instead of monitoring individual suspects is a sinister move for any society", she said.
Stephen Booth, Analyst at Open Europe, who has thoroughly assessed this program, has definitely recognized the Orwellian nature of it. To him it would mean less personal freedom for the citizens of the European Union. They will meddle with their privacy and the citizens should ask themselves, whether the EU shouldn't spend tax money on something else.
No matter where this leads, the only hope is that it doesn't spiral out of control. An abundance of control becomes only an obstruction when everyone forgets what it's for. That's why, within this Project Indect, there is a special board for ethical issues. This could be the beginning of an effective EU "secret service".
that would be rediculous.
Dude. Seriously? It's UTTERLY. We're not dealing with cows here. lol
LOL
What a stupid idea this is. Might as well not use the internet at all :/
Stupid European Union.
this is insane ... something will have to give way sooner or later ... Viva la Revolution (no pun intended)
anything... there that clear enough?
for them, e.g. posting bomb tutorial on 4chan ;p
Against a government's ideals.
So these things depend a LOT on how crazy your government is.
Prevention of terrorism seems to be the excuse for everything these days.
Ha-Ha-Ha, boom-boom!
Although you might want to think twice before posting nuclear weapon delivery system designs...
Although you might want to think twice before posting nuclear weapon delivery system designs...
Did you not read the part where it mentioned personal pc's?
How would they do that, other than through your isp?
Where have i seen that before?
Interesting.
Interesting.
don't be a hater.
that should shut up those punk kids on youtube and stupid women who put videos of themselves dancing!
How unfortunate yet true.
I am totally in favor of this.
All they'll end up doing is keeping an eye on specific sites of interest, which police do ANYway.
All they'll end up doing is keeping an eye on specific sites of interest, which police do ANYway.
The ready legal justification for targeted abuse is scary all by itself. Add in traditional government ineptitude, & you have partial solutions that don't work intruding in your every day life. For example, while people feel the reasons behind it are worthwhile, no person going through an airport in the US doesn't absolutely loath the security, not to mention the often idiots employed to enforce it.
Ironically most of this anti-terrorism security seems based on the premise that any terrorist or law-breaker is a total moron.
It really isn't a big deal. George Orwell can **** off.
It really isn't a big deal. George Orwell can **** off.
You sure put a lot of trust in the lack of corruption in governments.
People you don't even know, people you may not even have voted for.
It doesn't take a terrorist to feel threatened by random people knowing every step you take, and taking note of this because you're opposed to some government ideas.
It really isn't a big deal. George Orwell can **** off.
I am guessing you have never worked for any government entity. The whole thing runs on corruption (yes i am a civil service employee).
It really isn't a big deal. George Orwell can **** off.
I am guessing you have never worked for any government entity. The whole thing runs on corruption (yes i am a civil service employee).
fair enough
Often it's not the politicians we elect, but the bureaucracies that may/may not do their bidding. Often enough they have no qualification requirements, no oversight, & are almost feudal systems where every step down the ladder you have some people trying to express their power over those under them. As citizens we're at the bottom of this food chain. You can run into it whenever you, as a citizen, deal with any part of the government -- even at the Post Office.
As far as retribution for thinking differently than government, consider the case of Humana, a health care organization in the US. Based on an official Congressional budget report, they wrote members to say proposed changes in US health care laws might cause cuts in service. Politicians in Congress didn't like this, so they slapped them with a gag order, & launched an investigation, which is plain terms at the least means harassment, at worst damaging the company itself, maybe fatally.
Alas, this may be where we're heading in the US as well, with some advocating on-line censorship, not just of sites, but anything *you* post, like me typing this now. There are some advocating a tell-on-your-neighbor approach. And while I generally favor net neutrality, new rules just proposed take away any incentives for cell carriers or broadband providers to build out & maintain networks & service. While none of that may actually happen, there are folks pushing for it, & unless they get pushed back, it very well could.
Now some folks say monitoring everyone is not bad (perhaps even evil), & maybe it's not -- that's a subject for another debate. What isn't debatable is governments universally muck things up & some government employees abuse their power. Always.
Shami Chakrabarti is a woman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shami_Chakrabarti
Last edited by max84 on 24 Sep 2009 - 16:52
People should not be afraid of their Government, Government should be afraid of their people.
They have no power otherwise. They want the power, and they don't want the people to be able to think for themselves, because if they do than they might lose what little power they have left.
There's much worse going on. They're not worried about terrorism, they want to be ready to impose martial law for when the economic decline of the western world gets worse. They want to be ready for the domestic terror and rioting by the unemployed and disenfranchised, not the religious terror--which has always been nothing but a diversion.
Their only solution to the economic problems is war. The global elite will never relinquish power willingly.
Getting on my bike and going to live in the mountains in the middle of the highlands where no one can find me. No phone, no internet, no money and then I'll be safe.
Until a satellite somewhere tales a photo of me and i end up on Google earth :p
Seriously though this is nothing new, there are already multinational programs to monitor communications... Yea some deny that yes, but some nations confirmed their part in it so...
Last edited by DATmafia on 25 Sep 2009 - 04:14
Then now, it gives itself the right to monitor the internet forums which people make to talk about stuff, a right which it don't have even in "physical" forums, and it goes far to even monitor our personal computers, a right which it can't do with our physical files, and to punish us !!!
OK, so what's "my" point here ? we can't do anything, we are only waiting until they take the next step, make accessing the internet and using computers require "official passport" instead ip address
LOL i'm sure the terrorist will do
I don't recall that happening in 1984. Bleh. Hate such references when they're completely invalid!
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