As secure as a metal bowl full of holes...

[Mike]

Maybe that camera is for people on the internet to watch the people watching the public. . . . it could all get very confusing. Is it better than when no body was watching anybody and rebellions happened up and down the kingdom?

[johnriley1uk]

Yes it was much better when the populace was revolting...

[Mike]

They still are (on a general level)

[Mike]

Did you know that you could tell a phone's location to within 3km at any time and any place where you make or receive a call or text message? I did not know that. Neither did I know that 100,000 of us have been tracked using this method to see how human beings travel around. I wonder who signed their data protection act forms for them?

[BarcelonAl]

Yeah, fundamental to the way the GPS network works is that it triangulates your position all the time from the nearest three masts (hence signal strength varying from one room to the next in some places as you move around, the masts you use change). This is all kept by the phone companies.

This is how the police can pin-point roughly where people were when they're investigating crime. You can say you were one place, but one form of technology or another will track you down eventually!

[Mike]

All you need then is an accomplice who will make a phone call from 100 miles away about the time of the crime to build a defence for you! For example you could (if very clever) construct a situation where your other half takes your phone for the day and they would never remember if questioned!

[johnriley1uk]

So what happens if you have two phones and divert one to the other? If you receive a call it goes presumably to phone A and then redials out to phone B, so which one registers? I would assume we would only know about phone A and that is the one that would be located. Hmm....

[Mike]

The surveillance from governments and public broadband providers is increasing with the introduction of a 'joint agreement' to target customers with large downloads per month in a bid to tackle global piracy. It is interesting that they have managed to 'lean' on six broadband providers to make them sign up to this agreement. They are classed as the six largest in the country which is interesting too. I wonder what induced them to care? It is just more administration for them more than anything.

Also, I wonder how they prove that a large download per month is actually related to privacy? They surely would not be able to tell until they come and arrest you and confiscate your equipment for testing. Surely this breaches the UK law principle that you are innocent until proven guilty.

[Mike]

Oh the six companies are BT, Virgin, Orange (surprised by that one), Tiscalli, BSkyB and Carphone Warehouse. BSkyB do not deserve to be in that list, they were by far the worst ISP I have ever had the displeasure to deal with.

[stimpsonslostson]

BSkyB do not deserve to be in that list, they were by far the worst ISP I have ever had the displeasure to deal with.

One word. No arguments.
Orange!
p

[Mike]

Exactly, I am amazed that people are willing to put up with such rubbish services! I mean I know they are cheap but come on, O2 is not that expensive and could be much cheaper still! Funny old world isn't it. The companies that advertise the most get the most customers irrespective of their quality.

[johnriley1uk]

The music companies send an IP address to the ISP and ask them to ask their customer to stop illegally downloading. The ISP is unable to reveal the identity of the user because of data protection laws, so they write to them to advise that they shouldn't download illegally.

There is no way to prove who is a guilty party because several people might use a single IP address.

So said one of the ISPs when interviewed today on Radio 4.

[Mike]

So what is the point? It generates a bit of media interest, the real serious downloaders who are being targeted know this and will not be too bothered!

[johnriley1uk]

The ignorant will be scared after they get the letter and will stop?

[Mike]

The innocent will be really annoyed that they are being watched and suspected of piracy!