UK government to impose Orwellian-style surveillance

Discussion of the latest Peak Oil news (please also check the Website News area below)

Moderator: Peak Moderation

Kieran
Posts: 1091
Joined: 25 Jul 2006, 19:40
Location: West Yorkshire

Post by Kieran »

I've been using scroogle for years. It feels faintly subversive and has funny pokes at google on it's search screen.

Sadly, Vortex is probably right in it being a complete waste of time in avoiding surveillance.

Bummer :(
User avatar
biffvernon
Posts: 18538
Joined: 24 Nov 2005, 11:09
Location: Lincolnshire
Contact:

Post by biffvernon »

Writing your secret message on the back of a picture postcard and popping it in the letter box would probably be pretty good privacy. Who ever bothers to read a postcard?
User avatar
sam_uk
Posts: 382
Joined: 20 Oct 2008, 15:02

Post by sam_uk »

"1. Because you are advertising that you (may) have something to hide."

Well I don't have anything of significance to hide anyway. But how do you think this 'advertising' is going to happen?

"2. Because it would take a whole lifestyle change to avoid surveillance, not just use of a couple of software tools."

To avoid CCTV etc true, I am not talking about 'all' surveillance I am talking about avoiding some of the most routine and automated stuff.

I assume that there are automated upstream services that just look for packets containing www.google.com/search. Next to this are your search terms in plain text, with your IP address in the same packet. Why give this away if you don't have to?

"3. Because some of these so-called protective tools can contain taps placed by criminals or security services."

For "some" services this may be true. In the case of scroogle it's not going to be any worse than the default situation; all your searches are unencrypted and subject to spying anyway.

"4. Because some of these tools can 'leak' data such as your IP address."

But these tools don't, to the best of my knowledge, you have not presented any evidence that they do.

"5. Because these tools can give you a false sense of security leading to your sending/writing material which you would never dare to send via ordinary insecure channels."

True, fair point

6. Because these tools can give you a false sense of security leading to your sending/writing/viewing/accessing material which leads to your true identify.

My view is that of course if the security services actually want to investigate you they have the resources to do so, the trick is to not come onto their radar in the first place. I believe that avoiding google search is one way to stay 'below the radar'

7. Because RIPA can get you whatever happens.

Death will get you in the end, does that mean you should give up on life?
Post Reply