p2pnet - rss feed: Swedish Net spy bill blocked
p2pnet.net news:- A bill authorizing Sweden’s National Defense Radio Establishment (FRA) to spy on of email and other Net communications will be blocked by the Swedish Social Democratic Party.
However, it won’t be permanent, says Computerworld, going on, “The Social Democrats, being a minority in Parliament, can only postpone the vote on the FRA bill for one year. They’re supported by the Green Party and the Left Party.”
The sincerity of Social Democratic legal affairs spokesman Thomas Bodström is also being held up to scrutiny. He announced the block but, “As minister of justice until last year’s elections, which brought a non-Social Democrat cabinet into power, Mr. Bodström himself introduced a number of laws authorizing snooping on private communications,” says the story.
“The bill that he has now advised his fellow Social Democrats to block was initiated, although not completed, while he was still in charge.”
The FRA used to be a little-known government agency, “listening in on military and diplomatic radio communications from all over the world,” says Computerworld, adding:
“From the FRA’s point of view, Internet surveillance is an obvious extension of the agency’s traditional activities. The bad guys, the agency insists, whether they’re terrorists, spies, politicians or common criminals, don’t use radio much any more, they use the Internet.”
Critics fear, “intelligence gathered by the FRA will not only be used by Swedish military and diplomats, but that sensitive information on Swedish citizens will be passed on to foreign intelligence services,” says the story.
Also See:
Computerworld - Swedish Internet surveillance law stalled, March 19, 2007
If your Net access is blocked by government restrictions, try Psiphon from the Citizen Lab at thIs the end (of the Net) nigh?zze University of Toronto’s Munk Centre for International Studies. Go here for the official download, here for the p2pnet download, and here for details. And if you’re Chinese and you’re looking for a way to access independent Internet news sources, try Freegate, the DIT program written to help Chinese citizens circumvent web site blocking outside of China. Download it here.
rss feed: http://p2pnet.net/p2p.rss | | Mobile - http://p2pnet.net/index-wml.php | | And use free p2pnet newsfeeds for your site
Tired of being treated like a criminal? They depend on you, not the other way around. Don’t buy their ‘product’. Do bug your local politicians. Use emails, snail-mail, phone calls, faxes, IM, stop them in the street, blog. And if you’re into organizing, organize petitions, organize demonstrations and then turn up on your local political rep’s doorstep, making sure you’ve contacted your local tv/radio station/newspaper in advance. Don’t just complain. Do something!
