Dear UK. WTF are you doing ?

[ChaoticLegion]

Just to put this out there, as several people have highlighted things similar to this:

This act came into force in 2000, the most recent amendment was made by PaCE in 2009, this is late to the party fear mongering. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Charli]

It's been said already but this law has been around for quite some time and it hasn't been enforced in any major or high profile cases as a conflict yet.

So obviously there is more wiggle room and required evidence than 'this guy says you got X-Bad thing hidden in these files, PROCURE THE KEY IMMEDIATELY!'

 

[Daveman]

I dunno, makes sense to me. Don't you have to already if the police are investigating you, otherwise it's obstructing the course of justice.

 

[Madgamer13]

Greets!

Reading that article reminds me of fox news reports on what to have for dinner. Silly fear mongering and domineering of thought, I choose not to think as I am told.

I could only ever see this law coming into play if the individual being charged already has lots of evidenced charges against them and the police need access to important information that is known to be held inside blatantly encrypted files. Not that it matters, police may be more likely just to crack that stuff open. Even then, it could only ever be a secondary charge, something to support a case, not ride entirely on its own to conviction.

This thread is also very much Lol. The figurehead queen? Pledge alligence to the queen? Do you think the UK is like America? Psh.

 

[fletch_talon]

So you would argue that if the government had the power to probe your mind to determine your guilt in the manner of some crime, but required a password to do so, it could be compelled to demand the password to determine your criminality directly from your memories?

That certainly would change our conception of jurisprudence, wouldn't it. So you're saying that the government has the rights to anything of yours, in a judicial matter, as long as it requires a key?

I can't say I would agree with that assessment.

Provided they had sufficient reason to suspect me of a crime in the first place (and therefore have optained a warrant) then yes.
Yes I would definitely support a 100% foolproof way of speeding up the legal process and ensuring that criminals are caught whilst innocent people are not wrongly convicted.

Of course I don't want people knowing the personal contents of my head or my computer, but if there was a legitimate reason to think I have committed a crime or am in some substantial way involved with a crime then when the police come I will open my doors, unlock my safe (if I had one), log on to my computer and any websites they need. I will cooperate 100%, the only reason not to do so would be if I had in fact done something wrong.

Nobody here is suggesting your personal private information be made public for the whole world to see. What is being said is that in the rather unlikely event that you are suspected of a crime you should be required to help (or more accurately put, not to hinder) the police, regardless of whether it proves your guilt or innocence.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Last I checked, it was illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to have alcohol. And a parent breaking that law is guilty of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. I suppose in England, nothing would have happened to her?

No, nothing would have happened apart from a caution. The punishment she received is not even remotely proportionate to the crime.

Crossing the street when not in a designated crosswalk. But that's a safety thing so you don't get run over, and generally cops won't do anything other than tell you to knock it off.

It's reasons are obvious, but that doesn't make it less ridiculous.

That's not true. It's not easy to legally buy a gun. Illegally is another matter entirely.

It is easy to buy a gun. There are stores on the street, even Walmarts in some states sell them. Not to mention that even a child can easily take a weapon from their parents' arsenal.

For breaking copyright laws, yes. And it went a little too far, admittedly.

Yes it did. US Lawmakers and Judges kowtow to corporations left, right and center because of their lobbying power and tax dollars. Can a nation still claim to be democratic when her laws and actions are dictated by corporate businesses?

That's a thing they do in school to promote patriotism. WTF is up with pledging allegiance to a Queen?

You know where else they promoted patriotism? Caesar era Rome and WW2 era Germany. We don't "pledge alleigance" to the Queen, a flag, the govmt or anything for that matter. That's why we think you so crazy.

And yet you still have a figurehead Queen.

Keyword there is figurehead.

And TV ads over there...my word they're relentless. Only in the US have I seen a show cut away to adverts with only the final 60 seconds left.
And how pharmaceutical companies barrage you with their products incessantly.
And the healthcare system that means people can be refused or not provided treatment because their insurance doesn't cover it. And worse, when the President tries to create a free healthcare system he gets branded a communist. The NHS may not be great, and in some ways I will admit it falls short, but no one here will ever go without any treatment they need or have to pay for it, even if they aren't a native.

Oh and to touch briefly on the topic of encryption that brought this pointless debate up, this is what a US corporation does for the US law enforcement agencies [http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145318/microsoft_helps_law_enforcement_get_around_encryption.html]. Yup, that's right, Microsoft actually gave US agencies backdoor access to entirely bypass Bitlocker.

 

[userwhoquitthesite]

Woo! break out the guy fawkes masks and black capes!
raise orwell's ghost! he'll wanna see this go down!

 

[oktalist]

Pretty sure that law is irrelevant. You can just claim that the law is against your human rights and when the judgement goes to Brussels you'll be laughing.

The human right defence is really a get out of jail free card in the UK at the moment.

Produce one genuine example.