BBC: UK security details 'listed on web'

[Quentin Campbell]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Roland Perry [mailto:roland@linx.net]=20
> Sent: 25 June 2002 12:03
> To: ukcrypto@chiark.greenend.org.uk
> Subject: Re: BBC: UK security details 'listed on web'
>=20
>=20
> In message=20
> <55ED5FD3B4D2D41193E60002A5090BCD01B3DF34@clerkenwell.pres.co>, Owen=20
> Blacker <owen.blacker@wheel.co.uk> writes
> >| BBC Radio 4's Today programme has learned that radio scanning=20
> >| enthusiast Paul Wey is intercepting Special Branch and=20
> other security=20
> >| communications, and publishing the details on internet news groups.
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> [snip]
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> >So Special Branch don't use encrypted comms?  And the=20
> solution to this=20
> >is to ban the things that can intercept them.
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> But didn't we discuss listening to unauthorised transmissions=20
> recently=20
> (WaveLAN war-driving) and decide that the sort of thing above=20
> is against=20
> the Wireless Telegraphy Acts?

Yes, we did. Reference S5(b) of the WTA 1949.

Note that this does not say that you must actually be caught in the act
of intercepting & disclosing content to be "guilty of an offence under
this Act" although the BBC piece this morning implied that this was a
difficulty when bringing cases to court.

After the "Dangerous Dogs Act" will we have a "Dangerous Radios Act"?
The definition in any such Bill as to what constitutes a "scanner" would
be interesting since most modern car radios, domestic tuners, "amateur
band" VHF/UHF hand-held transceivers, etc, etc have a search/scanning
capability.

I wouldn't mind getting compensated for having to hand in my old Amateur
Radio gear under some amnesty since it needs replacing anyway!  :-)

Mind, it would be a bit of a nightmare for the authorities collecting
such equipment since under EEC regulations all domestic appliances (not
just fridges) will soon have to be "safely" disposed of.

And where are the LEAs going to put all the offenders under this
"Dangerous Radios Act" - the goals are already full of less serious
offenders such as drunken drivers. Perhaps they will solve the problem
by making listening to unauthorised broadcasts a capital offence as it
was under the German occupation of Europe in WW2.

Quentin=20

  =20