Stop snooping says Berners-Lee

The marketing issue is an irritation. Far more serious, and extremely widespread and on a massive scale, is government monitoring.

What most internet users fail to realise is that it takes about 10 clicks of the mouse for any government agency to get a copy of all your emails, monitor all your surfing, and check exactly what you do online. It happens on a vast scale, and there's very little we can do about it. It's all just software.
 
Arthur said:
What most internet users fail to realise is that it takes about 10 clicks of the mouse for any government agency to get a copy of all your emails, monitor all your surfing, and check exactly what you do online. It happens on a vast scale, and there's very little we can do about it. It's all just software.
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Yes, and the only protection we have at this stage is that the average government worker has no clue how to click a button on a mouse! :D

that... and their workstations break down every 9 clicks. :p
 
Garyvdh said:
Yes, and the only protection we have at this stage is that the average government worker has no clue how to click a button on a mouse! :D

that... and their workstations break down every 9 clicks. :p
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But the people in the snooping agencies are not reg'lar guavamint employees.

Of course this monitoring will never get a mention in any court case. Once they know what someone's up to online, it's easy to get 'em without disclosing how they knew in the first place.

(Good gracious, I'm sounding like a paranoid. Heaven forfend!)
 
Arthur said:
What most internet users fail to realise is that it takes about 10 clicks of the mouse for any government agency to get a copy of all your emails, monitor all your surfing, and check exactly what you do online. It happens on a vast scale, and there's very little we can do about it. It's all just software.
Click to expand...

Arthur, for someone who normally posts well thought out, carefully constructed posts, that's a bit of a wild statement. ;)

Explain for example how our local government, within the local legal framework, is going to get your e-mails or surfing habits with a few mouse clicks.

Or are you counting mouse clicks as e-mails requesting subpoenas?
 
vodacom3g said:
Arthur, for someone who normally posts well thought out, carefully constructed posts, that's a bit of a wild statement. ;)

Explain for example how our local government, within the local legal framework, is going to get your e-mails or surfing habits with a few mouse clicks.

Or are you counting mouse clicks as e-mails requesting subpoenas?
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No, no. I don't mean any and every government dept that want to. That is patently ridiculous. I mean Government with a Big G, ie intelligence and surveillance agencies tasked specifically with that mission. BTW, this does not require any cooperation from commercial enterprises.

Without saying too much, we must remember the legal framework exists only within the paradigm where normal laws and procedures obtain, and of course there is due process in that paradigm. But it's most certainly not the only one.

Every binary digit that moves into and out of SA goes through a very small number of pipes, either copper, fibre or RF. Do you seriously think no-one's listening?
 
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Vodacom3g, to clarify further: there is of course absolutely no way local enterprises (such as Vodacom, for example) give up any data that they are not legally obliged to give up, and then only after due process in each and every particular case. For normal police and police intelligence work, there are many laws, precedents, and rules to protect citizen privacy and stop government encroachment. Every SA cistizen can be sure that our good companies earnestly protect their dta and privacy.

Snooping happens at an entirely different level, and it's not used to get court orders.
 
Arthur said:
Vodacom3g, to clarify further: there is of course absolutely no way local enterprises (such as Vodacom, for example) give up any data that they are not legally obliged to give up, and then only after due process in each and every particular case. For normal police and police intelligence work, there are many laws, precedents, and rules to protect citizen privacy and stop government encroachment. Every SA cistizen can be sure that our good companies earnestly protect their dta and privacy.

Snooping happens at an entirely different level, and it's not used to get court orders.
Click to expand...

;)
 
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