A dead duck? (Was RIP s22 notices SI)--->Data Retention in general

[Bettina Jodda (Twister)]

Hello

On Monday 17 June 2002 22:13, Ian G Batten wrote:
> On Mon, 17 Jun 2002, Owen Lewis wrote:
> > In countries such as ours, government is by consent. This government is
> > about to test the limit beyond which consent cannot be pushed. One hopes
> > that it is in for a rude awakening.
>
> Unfortunately, the defence of abstract rights is the province of a small
> sector of the population. 

I do apologize at first if my comment is off Topic, but this is something 
which worries me to no end: how can those few people who do value their 
rights like privacy address to people who do not?

> The vast mass believe that (a) they have
> nothing of interest to the powers that be and (b) those that do have
> something to be ashamed of.  So they aren't interested in rights either
> for themselves or others.

I think it is even worse.
Not only do they ignore the problem, as a result of this misunderstanding they 
do believe in the people caring for privacy having to fear something.
I often think there is some kind of "brainwashing" going on :-)

I would like - even if it is even more off Topic - to draw your attention to 
this letter against Data Retention (if I have done so before, I am sorry)
http://www.stop1984.com/index2.php?text=letter.txt

We have drafted it quite in a general tone so that it will be a base for 
national organisations to work with - for organisations in Germany to prevent 
Data Retention (we are on the way of getting it), for British ones to see 
that there are people worlwide supporting campaigns against Data Retention 
etc.

I would be pleased if some people from this list could have a look at the 
letter and maybe help us with forwarding it to people in the UK or whereever.

I do apologize for the off Topic-subject and I do assure you it will not 
happen again :-)

Nevertheless I think that cryptography and Data Retention are not so far away 
from each other - but in the end I think that crypto will not help against 
Data Retention as you can have a personal profile without getting access to 
the content of mails etc.

Kind regards

Twister