The Police are now allowed to hack into your private computer

[wraggster]

The power of anti piracy organizations is constantly growing and latest news from Great Britain sounds somehow scary: The Home Office has quietly adopted a new plan to allow police across Britain routinely to hack into people’s personal computers without a warrant.

The move, which follows a decision by the European Union’s council of ministers in Brussels, has angered civil liberties groups and opposition MPs. They described it as a sinister extension of the surveillance state which drives “a coach and horses” through privacy laws. The hacking is known as “remote searching”. It allows police or MI5 officers who may be hundreds of miles away to examine covertly the hard drive of someone’s PC at his home, office or hotel room. Material gathered in this way includes the content of all e-mails, web-browsing habits and instant messaging.

Under the Brussels edict, police across the EU have been given the green light to expand the implementation of a rarely used power involving warrantless intrusive surveillance of private property. The strategy will allow French, German and other EU forces to ask British officers to hack into someone’s UK computer and pass over any material gleaned.

A remote search can be granted if a senior officer says he “believes” that it is “proportionate” and necessary to prevent or detect serious crime — defined as any offence attracting a jail sentence of more than three years. The authorities could break into a suspect’s home or office and insert a “key-logging” device into an individual’s computer. This would collect and, if necessary, transmit details of all the suspect’s keystrokes. The Home Office said it was working with other EU states to develop details of the proposals.

http://www.lucidlan.com/article.php?id=1605

[mike_jmg]

Bulllllls.....

[Auriman1]

The inevitable repercussion? Make the general population hate the police even more.

[irishwhip]

We members of the tinfoil hat brigade don't sound so silly now, do we.

Use your vote wisely at the next election.

[yakumo]

Sad...

[pkmaximum]

Wow this doesn't even effect me yet because I live in the USA. But damn this is complete bull $#@!, I can't even believe how far they will go to stop piracy unbelievable......

[Darth_Rience]

jesus what next hacking into are pcs an lookin at al ur private wrk doc's an photos.

[cal360]

Akeylogging program seems to go too far, though if it's to prevent crime it is useful, though I still believe it may be too far as to secretly hacking peoples computers.

[cornervizion]

Well I'm sure there will be one use of this to track potential terror suspects and child pornographers but what about the people who don't fall into any or either category? I know some people will say "Nothing to hide, nothing to fear" But still the average persons privacy needs to be safeguarded.

[zillion94]

This is utter bulls__t! Yeah, of course the pervs won't trade pics of the hottest private family photos themselves as THAT is ok. We do live in a prison planet (there is a website of such a name with hauntingly accurate information), though most of us have leashes too long to notice.

I also hate when people equate privacy with secrecy... THEY ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT! To those who say "I have nothing to hide" I ask if they close their blinds at night after they get home from work. When they say "Yes" I ask if it is due to doing something "wrong" or "naughty" like having sex on the kitchen counter... of course it's usually just watching TV or having dinner, but then they understand privacy. No one needs joggers outside stopping to look in our windows for the latest football scores, nor seeing us check our love handles in the mirror any more than we should one day allow police to interrupt our dinners just to have a look around.

I guess it's fine for the police to peruse our documents but if another officer reads over his shoulder THAT will be considered rude and impolite.