RIPA and file-sharing??

[David Hansen]

On 1 Feb 2008 at 10:23, Watkin Simon wrote:

> The primary reason for the change was the coming into force of the Human
> Rights Act giving effect in UK law to the European Convention of Human
> Rights.

As I recall it, which may be incorrectly, this is very strong on doing 
things after an open legal process. Such a process involves, to my 
simple mind, people being told what they are accused of, being able to 
challenge the government's assertions and having the opportunity to 
present counter arguments.

RIP is not worth anything, as it fails to provide for accusations to be 
challenged. Some bod in one of hundreds of organisations is judge, jury 
and executioner. This bod also knows that their supposed regulator will 
always publish smug reports saying, well done chaps keep up the good 
work, no matter what they have done.

In the case of converting a telephone number into a name, a suitable 
level of scrutiny and openness could probably be provided by informing 
victims afterwards. I can see why the likes of British Telecom and Tom, 
Dicks and Harriets would be against this sort of accountability, but 
were someone to argue that this approach is acceptable for such things 
I could easily be persuaded.

Other than that I think that there must be some sort of open legal 
process. Certainly in the case of some government official trying to 
steal MY keys I should have the opportunity to know what I am accused 
of and present counter arguments. We know that government officials are 
not in the slightest bit interested in my privacy, as the sending of 
information about 25 million people on unencrypted discs demonstrates 
most eloquently, but I am interested in my privacy and that of those  I 
deal with in business and private.

Government has demonstrated itself unwilling and unable to be trusted 
with information. People must do it for themselves.




-- 
  David Hansen, Edinburgh 
 I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents 
me   
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54