Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
8 January 2011
19:3988252The big story in internet circles tonight is that the US officials have subpoenaed Twitter to release all details about Julian Assange of Wikileaks and several other cohorts of his including an Icelandic MP. The US pursuit of Wikileaks is relentless and I wouldnt bet against them nailing Assange for some offence or other. If he is extradicted to the US he will be facing many years in jail. The charges are bound to be heavy ones.
Although the news has broken about Twitter, it was only released by accident. it is also surmised that Facebook and every other major website have also been subpoenaed in this way. There is no comment from Facebook tonight as all these major websites have been legally bound with a secrecy element to this as I understand it.
I think the days of people feeling anonymous on the world wide web where they can post what they like may be coming to an end.
No matter what part of the internet you lurk in they can find you and they most certainly monitor everything as is clear tonight.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
8 January 2011
19:4288254to think we used to think the old soviet union was the great suppressor of free speech.
the current american administration make them look liberal.
i am sure that they have a series of offences lined up that they can fit him up with.
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
8 January 2011
19:4588257Ah the spooks are on a fishing trip again I see
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
8 January 2011
19:4688259Yes they can legally acquire all records now.. so if you speak to your mother in madagaskar or your buddhist in bohemia they are on to you.
But of course we often wonder dont we, how the authorities are able to bust up potential terrorist attacks long before they take place... you can guess now cant you.
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
8 January 2011
19:4988261To be honest Paul - they have been doing this for years - the whole point of places like GCHQ
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
8 January 2011
19:5788264Ah yes indeed Ross. But nevertheless for years there was a kind of cosy anonymity to posting on the web. A sort of imagined immunity from reality. I myself used to be amazed when I went out and about when people would refer to something I had written. I think it was something to do with the fact that you did it all in your own home kind of thing...but its all out there. And the authorities have got much better equiped to deal with it and are now hugely wary about this new fandangled thing called the internet...particularly now that Facebook is on the scene.
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
8 January 2011
21:0688273Reminds me Paul of the secret radio operator in the last war, thinking all is well till the Gestapo knock on the door, as you`ve been tracked down by an army unit with a tracking device. Same thing but just 70 years later technology.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
9 January 2011
07:4588306The thought police are next.
Roger
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
9 January 2011
12:4188329roger,well read,that phrase comes from the 1984 novel by whats his fase chap.[cant remember the gezzers name at the mo.]
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
9 January 2011
12:4488330it was george orwell brian.
what makes the whole thing worse is that there is no attempt at subtlety, just a sledgehammer approach from a nation's government that thinks it is exempt from criticism.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
9 January 2011
12:4888332howard,thanks for reminding me.kept thinking it was orsan wells for a while.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
9 January 2011
13:1788335In fact one can criticise State policies in most countries, in particular in the West, and freedom of speech and expressing one's views is allowed; but private rings running anonymous schemes on internet are potentially dangerous.
A few weeks ago someone launched an anonymous harassment campaign against my online articles, it went on for days, and the result was that I considered freedom of information to be threatened, because an anonymous person can actually make one feel threatened, when you are being targeted. But I did not give in.