It’s Time.
In seven or eight days from now, the dutiful lackeys of the NZ government and the public health dept they direct, are set to come after every child in NZ between the ages of 5 and 12 with injections of m-RNA to hand.
surveillance
MSD and our privacy
National’s plans for our privacy and access to social services are a perfect cocktail of over-reach and incompetence.
Vault 7: CIA Hacking Tools Revealed
Some very quick initial thoughts on expected reactions.
Refreshing honesty from English
English – “One of New Zealand’s benefits is because we’re a long way away and fairly small we don’t attract too much attention.” Nice contrast to the usual Nat hysterical style. I guess there’s no need for all that domestic spying apparatus then?
NRT: Bill English wants to end your privacy
I/S at No Right Turn the “data supermarket” and privacy concerns. “The government wants to be able to effectively spy on and database everyone, so they can save a few dollars here and there.”
New report on GCSB spying powers
A Government-ordered review of NZ’s spy agencies has just been released. Key wants Labour’s support for increased power to spy on Kiwis.
CORTEX Trojan horse?
The government plans to roll out a new “cyber security action plan”. Given their record of secrecy, lies, and misuse of surveillance, I think we the people would be naive to believe this will be anything less than another escalation of the surveillance of New Zealanders.
Paris as an excuse for more useless surveillance
The Paris attacks are being used as an excuse for another ill informed debate about surveillance and encryption – which doesn’t address the communication channels that terrorists are actually using. The tools that our governments want can be used very effectively to spy on you and me though (as Key effectively acknowledges in passing).
“A creeping authoritarianism from the current government”
The reaction to Westpac handing over Nicky Hager’s data to police is still playing out. Rob Hosking observes “a creeping authoritarianism from the current government”.
NRT: Watching the state
I/S at No Right Turn on the police “routinely demanding personal information from New Zealand companies – and receiving it – without any form of warrant or statutory authorisation”.
NRT: Rubberstamping surveillance
I/S at No Right Turn on the “poor job the courts are doing of overseeing surveillance”.
John Oliver and Edward Snowden on surveillance
The brilliant John Oliver on the Patriot Act and surveillance. Includes a face to face interview with Edward Snowden, and extensive discussion of dick pics.
NRT: An unwarranted invasion of privacy
I/S at No Right Turn on today’s further revelations on personal information.
Surveillance newspeak
Key’s attempt to play cute with the semantics of surveillance is part of an international strategy. Here’s Glenn Greenwald at The Intercept.
Spying on penguins
The latest on the spying revelations as they emerge in The Herald. Apparently we’re spying on penguins now.
Hager: “The GCSB is not a New Zealand operation”
Selwyn Manning’s new EveningReport site got off to a massive start last night with a long, interesting interview with Nicky Hager. Take home quote (courtesy Russell Brown): “The GCSB is not a New Zealand operation, in any practical sense”. Watch the video…
The Ferguson interview
An extraordinary interview with former director of the GCSB Sir Bruce Ferguson on RNZ this morning. He confirms that NZ is conducing mass surveillance. (Any help with transcription?)
The mathematics of surveillance
Mass surveillance cannot accomplish its stated goals, and it’s likely that many within the security / government system understand this full well.
NRT: GCHQ spies on journalists
I/S – “GCHQ considers investigative journalists a “security threat” alongside hackers and terrorists”…
Exploiting the Charlie Hebdo attack
How many governments are using the Paris / Charlie Hebdo attack as an excuse to increase surveillance or otherwise remove civil protections? The UK and Australia for starters…
Reds under the beds
Governments have always used external threats (real or not) to expand their powers. Supposedly “small government” types seem the most keen to grab more powers, for some strange reason.
Polity: National’s new ministry: Key fires himself!
Key has basically fired himself from most of his Security and Intelligence responsibilities. This is a big change.
Key’s last fig leaf
Key’s last fig leaf on GCSB surveillance is to plead ignorance. Unfortunately for him the evidence is compelling. If he does manage to lead the next government, these issues will continue to haunt him.
A brilliant (if flawed) event – Key must resign
From Key we have changing stories, irrelevant distractions and refusal to comment. From Snowden we have compelling first person testimony and supporting documents (uncontested by any other Five Eyes leader). New Zealand is under mass surveillance.
“Moment of Truth” – a key claim
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Glenn Greenwald is standing firm in the face of Key’s attacks and denials. A fascinating interview with Steve Braunias yesterday contains a key claim.
Bracing for the book
Nicky Hager has certainly got the attention of political circles in NZ, by announcing his (untitled) book launch today at 5.15pm. J[update: 3 news Livestream of book launch] Update: Title “Dirty Politics” – on attack politics – implicates John key & Slater]
NRT: UK police spied on politicians
Police and security forces often seem to consider themselves to be beyond the law. Their propensity towards excessive surveillance of people who are following peaceful and legal paths towards societal change without any evidence is rather legendary amongst activists on the left. The impression that most activists have is that some police just don’t like their politics. However surveillance of a councillor in the UK after they have been elected and while they are monitoring police activities as part of their job does mark a new low.
NRT: Blowback
“The vast scale of online surveillance revealed by Edward Snowden is changing how businesses store commercially sensitive data…” “A survey of 1,000 business leaders from around the world has found that many are questioning their reliance on “cloud computing” in favour of more secure forms of data storage as the whistleblower’s revelations continue to reverberate.”
Nicky Hager on Surveillance and Privacy in the Snowden Era
If you are (a-hem) free today, then you might want to head down to Otago University campus for a presentation by Nicky Hager.
update – attendance is free