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January 06, 2009
Police Look to Hack Citizens' Home PCs
Police look to hack citizens' home PCs
'Very intrusive powers – as intrusive as someone busting down your door'
Police and state intelligence agencies from several countries may soon be working together to secretly hack into private citizens' personal computers without their knowledge and without a warrant.
According to a London Times report, the police hacking process, called "remote searching," enables law enforcement to gather information from e-mails, instant messages and Web browsers, even while hundreds of miles away.
Furthermore, the Times reports, a new edict by the European Union's council of ministers in Brussels has paved the way for international law enforcement agencies to begin remote searching and sharing the information with each other. According to the Times, the United Kingdom's Home Office, the nation's lead government department for immigration, drugs and counter-terrorism enforcement, has already quietly adopted a plan that would enable French, German and other European Union police forces to request remote searching be done on UK citizens' computers.
The Home Office's plan has drawn immediate protest.
"These are very intrusive powers – as intrusive as someone busting down your door and coming into your home," said Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, a British civil liberties and human rights group.
"The public will want this to be controlled by new legislation and judicial authorization," Chakrabarti told the Times. "Without those safeguards it's a devastating blow to any notion of personal privacy."
According to the report, a remote search can be granted if a senior police officer believes it is necessary to detect a serious crime, and unlike searching a suspect's home, a remote search does not require a warrant under Home Office policy.
Richard Clayton, a researcher at the University of Cambridge's Computer Laboratory, told the Times that remote searches had been possible since 1994, but usually involved covertly breaking into a suspect's home to access the computer. By installing a key-logging device on the computer, police could track the suspect's every keystroke.
"It's just like putting a secret camera in someone's living room," Clayton said.
A spokesperson for the UK's Association of Chief Police Officers told the Times that hacking into private citizens' computers is sometimes necessary in investigating cybercrimes such as child pornography, identity theft and terrorism.
Further, the ACPO spokesperson said, the surveillance is directed under the UK's Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, a law passed in 2000 governing the interception and disclosure of communications.
To authorize remote searching, the ACPO spokesperson said, "The officer giving it must believe that when it is given it is necessary to prevent or detect serious crime and [the] action is proportionate to what it seeks to achieve."
Wild Thing's comment........
With Hussein and his fellow democrats in charge, this type of thing is concerning.
Obama is not going to like some of the names I have titled images of him. But gosh with all the graphics I use I ran out of ideas, one can't label every photo with his name. So there are some that titled jerk Obama etc. An yes some with no so nice titles. heh heh
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at January 6, 2009 03:55 AM
Comments
But the liberals were all pissy about FISA, right? Mad he voted for it?
I suppose I could be labeled an infidel for all my pet names, too.
You know, just typing that and considering someone would read my computer and decide about me based on that really bugs me.
Posted by: Eden at January 6, 2009 06:34 AM
WT, Not to worry...they (Obama's Goon Squad) can shoot us both while I yell the "Pledge of Allegiance".
Posted by: Steve Gaston at January 6, 2009 07:36 AM
Sie old East German STASI days, ja? Loved Katarina Witt...WOW! SCORE: 9 9 9 8.5 9!
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at January 6, 2009 10:20 AM
Another one of their '1984' ideas is implants for children. They already use them in dogs and cats. Logically, people are next. Afterall, they must control the 'little-people' for we know not what we do...'I don't know...( in Unison) Thirdbase'.
Posted by: Mark at January 6, 2009 01:09 PM
It's just like the DNA bank, how long before it's used to select who gets to procreate, who gets euthanized, or who gets medical attention for geneticly carried illnesses? In the left's haste to step back to the New Deal it's not far fetched for them to reinstate the draconian forced sterilization and lobotomies performed in the '30's, 40's and '50's by America and Germany. Remember Rose Marie Kennedy? And they call Republicans Nazis!!!
Posted by: Jack at January 6, 2009 02:45 PM
We all know that Barack Obama and his administration would never participate in or use information from such an activity even if it would prevent a terrorist slaughter of thousands of "innocent civilians". Not the same as hacking citizen's computers but just as insidious is the Obama supporting founders of Google who are actively removing images that are negative and critical of Barack Obama from it's search site.
Posted by: Les at January 6, 2009 03:14 PM
Eden, heh heh I guess if they do this I will have to have every other sentence how wonderful Obama is. Let's see....
Obama is a plant paid for by Soros.( men in black at my doot and me offering them cookies and milk)
Obama is wonderful a real Messiah.(safe one) haha
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 6, 2009 06:21 PM
Steve Gaston, giggle, I will be right at your side in that you bet.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 6, 2009 06:23 PM
Darth, hahahaa yes she was really good.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 6, 2009 06:24 PM
Mark, sheesh, I hope parents put their foot down on that one.
Your right thought too, we adults will be next too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 6, 2009 06:26 PM
Jack, thank you so much for the link, the Kennedy's are the most disgusting, vile, pos horrible family our country ever has had.
They destroyed the life of Rose Marie, simply because they did not want to bother with her.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 6, 2009 06:31 PM
Les, exactly well said thanks. That is just what this is all about, it is not about terrorists.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 6, 2009 06:35 PM
Oh crap - I suppose I'll be off to the re-education camps sooner than later...
Posted by: yankeemom at January 6, 2009 10:27 PM
