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posted by cmn32480 on Monday May 18 2015, @04:14PM   Printer-friendly
from the get-out-your-tinfoil-hat dept.

Ars Technica reports:

The UK government has quietly passed new legislation that exempts GCHQ, police, and other intelligence officers from prosecution for hacking into computers and mobile phones.

While major or controversial legislative changes usually go through normal parliamentary process (i.e. democratic debate) before being passed into law, in this case an amendment to the Computer Misuse Act was snuck in under the radar as secondary legislation. According to Privacy International, "It appears no regulators, commissioners responsible for overseeing the intelligence agencies, the Information Commissioner's Office, industry, NGOs or the public were notified or consulted about the proposed legislative changes... There was no public debate."

 
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  • (Score: 2) by wisnoskij on Monday May 18 2015, @10:42PM

    by wisnoskij (5149) <reversethis-{moc ... ksonsiwnohtanoj}> on Monday May 18 2015, @10:42PM (#184860)

    And how do you expect them to enforce the law? Ask people nicely to please refrain from breaking the law?

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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by tathra on Tuesday May 19 2015, @12:29AM

    by tathra (3367) on Tuesday May 19 2015, @12:29AM (#184893)

    why are you assuming that police have to break the law to enforce it? there are certain actions that the police take which would be a crime when performed by people without the state's authority - arresting a person without the state's authority, for example, is called "kidnapping" and "criminal confinement". there are very few exceptions like this though, and they're written into the laws, legally granting those with the state's authority exemption from specific laws at specific times, and only when acting with the authority of the state (which, in turn, gets its authority from the people). it does not make them completely exempt from the law at all times. the law is the law because it applies to everyone equally.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 21 2015, @10:02PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 21 2015, @10:02PM (#186224)

    Absolutely.

    Speeding or theft/ burglary:
    Why is there any need for a high-speed chase, endangering other lives and property when you can actually watch the perpetrator on either street cams or copter cams. Send him a ticket in the mail and be done. if it was completely reckless or escaping from a robbery or other heinous crime. Why not wait until they are parked, out of a moving weapon and actually think they got away with it.

    Drugs:
    Why not just confiscate the drugs they have on them, no need for tickets, citations or incarceration. request warrant for monitoring phone and text. Wait for the next buy and show up and arrest the dealers (until its legal everywhere).

    There are very, very few legitimate reasons for a law enforcement officer to break the law. "LAW ENFORCEMENT" officer are not supposed to be above the law, maybe that's where you prospective may be incorrect.

    They should in fact portray the very essence of always doing the right thing, which cannot be the illegal thing.