“Rubbish” they say. “Stop over reacting” they wail.
Well, we are now the 5th most Electronic Police State in the World. In fact, only well organised Dictatorships can beat the UK when it comes to storing and searching every little piece of information about you. The harmless citizen.
1st China
2nd North Korea
3rd Belarus
4th Russia
The 17 criteria that were used to define an electronic police state are listed below:
Daily documents: How much is required day-to-day for residents to present state-issued identity documents or registration.
Border issues: What is demanded for a border entry.
Financial tracking: The state’s ability to search and record financial transactions.
Gag orders: The penalties for revealing to someone else the state is searching their records.
Anti-crypto laws: Bans on cryptography.
Constitutional protections: Either a lack of protections or someone overriding them.
Data storage: The state’s ability to record and keep what it uncovers.
Data search: The processes to search through data.
ISP data retention: The demand for ISPs to save customers’ records.
Telephone data retention: States’ requirements for communications companies to record and save records.
Cell phone records: The saving and using of cell phone users’ records.
Medical records: Demands from states that medical records retain information.
Enforcement: The state’s ability to use force (SWAT teams) to seize someone.
Habeus corpus: Either an absence of such rights or someone overriding them.
Police-Intel barrier: the absence of a barrier between police and intelligence organizations.
Covert hacking: State operatives meddling in data on private computers covertly.
Loose warrants: Warrants that are being issued without careful review of police claims by a truly independent judge.