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UK drops 'spy clause' for scanning encrypted messages, admits not 'feasible'

theregister.com

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Re: UK drops 'spy clause' for scanning encrypted messages, admits not 'feasible'

#2
I've read six of these "Oh no we didn't back down" stories this morning.

What worries me is the appearance of wishful thinking around the language of "technically feasible".

Follow this road far enough and we'll have government ministers with marketing credentials defining what is "technically feasible", instead of scientists.

https://cybershow.uk #016 | S2 | Special | UK Online Safety Bill Published on Friday 01st Sep, 2023

Re: UK drops 'spy clause' for scanning encrypted messages, admits not 'feasible'

#3
They really didn't!

The bill went through it's third reading in the Lords with literally no changes yesterday!

These stories are going to make people complacent that this terrible, terrible bill has gone away. It hasn't, it passed, more or less unchanged (except to make the age verification piece a little bit worse).

Re: UK drops 'spy clause' for scanning encrypted messages, admits not 'feasible'

#4

I've read six of these "Oh no we didn't back down" stories this morning. What worries me is the appearance of wishful thinking around the language of "technically feasible". Follow this road far enough and we'll have government ministers with marketing credentials defining what is "technically feasible", instead of scientists. https://cybershow.uk #016 | S2 | Special | UK Online Safety Bill Published on Friday 01st S…

The bigger picture of why UK is hell bent on surveilling their citizens, communities is that the number one problem is that governments are losing control over society.

Off course the whole point of democracy is that governments should fear their citizens, rather than vice versa.

Re: UK drops 'spy clause' for scanning encrypted messages, admits not 'feasible'

#5
post #4

I've read six of these "Oh no we didn't back down" stories this morning. What worries me is the appearance of wishful thinking around the language of "technically feasible". Follow this road far enough and we'll have government ministers with marketing credentials defining what is "technically feasible", instead of scientists. https://cybershow.uk #016 | S2 | Special | UK Online Safety Bill Published on Friday 01st S…

The bigger picture of why UK is hell bent on surveilling their citizens, communities is that the number one problem is that governments are losing control over society. Off course the whole point of democracy is that governments should fear their citizens, rather than vice versa.

Are they losing control, or are they becoming control freaks who want more control than they've traditionally had and have any right or business having? Both would manifest as the government thinking it has insufficient control, but the cause is very different.

Re: UK drops 'spy clause' for scanning encrypted messages, admits not 'feasible'

#6

I've read six of these "Oh no we didn't back down" stories this morning. What worries me is the appearance of wishful thinking around the language of "technically feasible". Follow this road far enough and we'll have government ministers with marketing credentials defining what is "technically feasible", instead of scientists. https://cybershow.uk #016 | S2 | Special | UK Online Safety Bill Published on Friday 01st S…

The thing is it is always technically feasible, even for end to end encryption ( you just do the scanning before encrypting on the device, or upload the plain text copy of all the messages to a government service.)

I’m worried that it won’t offer any protection in the end.

Re: UK drops 'spy clause' for scanning encrypted messages, admits not 'feasible'

#7
post #4

I've read six of these "Oh no we didn't back down" stories this morning. What worries me is the appearance of wishful thinking around the language of "technically feasible". Follow this road far enough and we'll have government ministers with marketing credentials defining what is "technically feasible", instead of scientists. https://cybershow.uk #016 | S2 | Special | UK Online Safety Bill Published on Friday 01st S…

The bigger picture of why UK is hell bent on surveilling their citizens, communities is that the number one problem is that governments are losing control over society. Off course the whole point of democracy is that governments should fear their citizens, rather than vice versa.

> The bigger picture of why UK is hell bent on surveilling their citizens

It's just their culture. It probably won't change till they get rid of the anachronistic monarchy.

Re: UK drops 'spy clause' for scanning encrypted messages, admits not 'feasible'

#8
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The bigger picture of why UK is hell bent on surveilling their citizens, communities is that the number one problem is that governments are losing control over society. Off course the whole point of democracy is that governments should fear their citizens, rather than vice versa.

Are they losing control, or are they becoming control freaks who want more control than they've traditionally had and have any right or business having? Both would manifest as the government thinking it has insufficient control, but the cause is very different.

Theyre authoritarian control freaks. The UK is undergoing progressive Russification with bipartisan support (Labour under Starmer and the Tories are both on board with it).

Protesting is now effectively illegal thanks to a new law criminalizing it if it's a "nuisance".

You're still technically allowed to hold up a blank piece of paper but the police will threaten to arrest you if you write something on it. That happened during the coronation.

I'm fairly sure theyre going to borrow a whole lot more from Putin's playbook in the next few years - especially now that British oligarchs have managed to hammer the two previously opposing parties back into ideological alignment.

Re: UK drops 'spy clause' for scanning encrypted messages, admits not 'feasible'

#9
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The bigger picture of why UK is hell bent on surveilling their citizens, communities is that the number one problem is that governments are losing control over society. Off course the whole point of democracy is that governments should fear their citizens, rather than vice versa.

Are they losing control, or are they becoming control freaks who want more control than they've traditionally had and have any right or business having? Both would manifest as the government thinking it has insufficient control, but the cause is very different.

I think it’s very much this latter.

The multiplying force of technology has made it extremely difficult to overthrow a government by force. I do not think it is possible in the West.

Governments have never had so much control over money and information. They’re not losing control, they just keep tightening their grip.

I don’t know if this Democratic experiment can survive in that environment. I certainly hope it does, but bills like this give me doubts.

Re: UK drops 'spy clause' for scanning encrypted messages, admits not 'feasible'

#10
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are they losing control, or are they becoming control freaks who want more control than they've traditionally had and have any right or business having? Both would manifest as the government thinking it has insufficient control, but the cause is very different.

Theyre authoritarian control freaks. The UK is undergoing progressive Russification with bipartisan support (Labour under Starmer and the Tories are both on board with it). Protesting is now effectively illegal thanks to a new law criminalizing it if it's a "nuisance". You're still technically allowed to hold up a blank piece of paper but the police will threaten to arrest you if you write something on it. That happe…

Yes, it is, in fact, illegal to pray in many locations of the U.K., and people have been arrested and charged for it.

Think about it: prayer, an interior orientation of the mind to God; not even any audible speech is necessary to commit a heinous, treasonous act.

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