New anti-terrorism rules 'allow US to spy on British motorists'

[SUBMAN1]

Hmm... Not sure this one is a big deal. Any brit can log into most motorist cameras in the US already, so why are they upset about it?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...21/nspy121.xml

-S

[jumpy]

That Jacqui Smich bitch...
I guess the problem from a uk'ers point of view is as it's based on anti terrorism laws (which not all here think are right) there's the possibility these can be used to help spirit uk nationals out of the country to illegal detention elsewhere, or build circumstantial evidence only in cases which determine a persons freedom/extradition/detention where there is no real indication of guilt as part of further investigations.

Aside from any us involvement, the fact that

Police have been given the right to view in "real time" any CCTV images from cameras that are meant to be enforcing the congestion charge.

annoys many here. It would seem that without special cause to to so to prevent an attack on the capital, they are free to use it as they please. Already local councils have used new powers linked to anti terrorism legislation to spy on residents in the matter of whether or not they are taking their kids to the right school for their catchment area...

To be blunt, it's bad enough having our own authorities spying on us 24-7 without having a foreign power who's 'pre-emptive' attitude and penchant for so called illegal detention by using grey areas of law and suspicious loopholes is worrying at times, even if said country is supposed to be our bestest-buddy; it wasn't so long back that the us considered the uk to be more of a threat to its national security with islamic terrorism than pakistan or any other middle east country. But in years past none of this mattered when funding of the ira and sinn fein by american interests was on the cards. The 'special relationship' didn't seem to count for much then, and I doubt it really does now either.

[clive bradbury]

I suppose I can understand some of the concerns, but as Subman says it isn't really a big deal. If the CIA want to waste US taxpayers' money watching films of me driving to the local shop and back then they are welcome to do so as far as I am concerned...

[Kapitan_Phillips]

Originally Posted by clive bradbury

I suppose I can understand some of the concerns, but as Subman says it isn't really a big deal. If the CIA want to waste US taxpayers' money watching films of me driving to the local shop and back then they are welcome to do so as far as I am concerned...

Make sure to moon them next time!

[DAB]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Hmm... Not sure this one is a big deal. Any brit can log into most motorist cameras in the US already, so why are they upset about it?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...21/nspy121.xml

-S

Because the US and UK are very different countries with different social tabbos and ideals. The consiqeunce of which is that we have distinct legal traditions and legal safeguards.

You can't transplant an American system of law enforcement into the UK as any American law is framed by the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. If you just bring in such a system into the UK, you find the law in place can be far more broadly interpreted by various government agences and consiquently areas of civil liberties that would not be enfringed in the US are routinely infringed over here.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Kapitan_Phillips

Make sure to moon them next time!

Better still take a whiz over the camera. :rotfl:

[NEON DEON]

Oh good. I always wanted to watch the Brits pick their nose.