Stueyb

Just thought you peeps should know about the government trying to erode our right to privacy and a fair trial. Basically it boils down to the government want your encryption keys (failure to surrender them is an imprisonable offence) and the right to detain terror "suspects" for up to three months. If we dont stand up to tony b liar and the cronies we will become a police state soon enough.

Those that surrender liberty for safety deserve neither! As often qouted.

To read the piece check it out here

If like me you feel strongly, I suggest you write to your mp here

Also another point to bear in mind is if encryption is made criminal, only criminals will use it.

Think about it. Your rights are being eroded whilst we stand by.

CoobyS

"Sorry Guv, I can't remember my passphrase to the file encrypted using 256-bit AES"

Surely you can't go to prison for that?

In the days of DES it was ok because NIST knew how to crack it. Rumours even about 3DES being realistically crackable with correct (i.e. gove held) computers.

boomer

...and demanding encryption keys is only one step away from brain scans, sucking out your every thought for perusal by the "administration" - be afraid, be VERY afraid

mb

MattN

I don't have an encryption key?? Can they use car keys and the like aswell?

boomer

Technically you would have to disclose your bank PIN to a police officer if requested (or risk 2 years in jail)!!!

The RIP bill makes us all suspects

mb

unclebuck

"Instead of wasting hundreds of millions of pounds on compulsory ID cards, let that money provide thousands more police officers on the beat in our local communities"

These are the words of Tony Blair, in a passionate speech against Identity Cards to the 1995 Labour party conference in Brighton.

Ten years later and he not only wants an ID card himself, but wants us all scanned, fingerprinted and registered on the largest biometric database in the world.

The man has lost it completely and should be removed from power as soon as possible.

GCollier

From the article you have linked it appears to be the police and security services who are asking the government for the extra powers so they can do their job better. But typical NSR to portray this as a personal Tony Blair &Co vendetta against your civil liberties.

Personally I think 3 months detention for terrorist suspects sounds reasonable. Certainly 14 days is woefully inadequate when you consider the enormity of the investigation after, say, July 7th.

And I have to laugh at people getting all uptight about use of encryption, and the possibility that they may have to surrender their keys to the police. I guess you're sitting there with a copy of PGP on your machine and a 4096 bit key which you use for your MS Money files and Doom 3 saved games.

In short these are simply two proposals which will make absolutely no difference whatsoever to the life of any regular law-abiding citizen.

Gary.

Stueyb

So Gary, you'd be happy if you were detained for 3 months by the thugs that are our goverment (prolly with no access to anyone outside, possibly even solicitors) and then after your life has been wrecked because your job is gone, the mrs has buggered off etc and tony b liar says "ohhh im sorry, false alarm. Sorry n all that"

As for encryption I should have the RIGHT to protect MY information from a dodgy and corrupt police force.

I do use encryption, after all the stuff I deal in is highly confidential in a number of respects, not least some of the services I provide (noooo not like that ) need to be absolutly secure because this could destroy peoples lives if the wrong people got hold of it.

I can imagine all the boys in blue peeking in all my files that have nothing to do with national security, but just to get their jollies.

And lastly, I should have the right to be free and do as I wish. Not fingerprinted and shot at by goons who call themselves police officers lol.

GCollier

No I would not be happy to be detained for 3 months. But I'm more than happy to take the chance of that happening if it gives the police enough time to carry out necessary lines of enquiry on suspects in a large and probably international investigation.

The proposals around encryption keys would make it an offence for suspects under investigation to withold them. I doubt the police will require you personally to lodge your encryption keys, your IP address and a remote login to your machine so they can browse at their leisure. This is simply the information age equivalent of demanding the keys to someone's lock-up, and needed because modern encryption is to all intents and purpose uncrackable without the keys. I don't see how your privacy will in any way be affected by this unless you are under suspicion of a crime.

Gary.