Spying
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Snowden performed a public service
Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, January 4th, 2014 - 99 comments
The New York Times has an editorial stating that Edward Snowden should be regarded as a whistleblower who has done the public there and elsewhere a service by revealing the illegal extent of the NSA’s surveillance. What is most interesting in the extremely well linked editorial is that there is this curious hole in the US whistle blower laws that many including Barack Obama have said he could have used. They don’t cover contractors….
GCSB: They do listen
Written By: - Date published: 5:40 am, January 4th, 2014 - 36 comments
It has been a surprise at just how far the revelations about the GCSB governance have made into the collective conciousness of NZ. Bearing in mind the continuing outpouring from Snowden and other whistleblowers about the US and their allies surveillance efforts on citizens and friendly states, it isn’t going to be a surprise if this winds up being an issue in the election.
NSA: ‘full spectrum dominance’
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, October 28th, 2013 - 23 comments
Latest revelations about the NSA’s international surveillance show it is about “full spectrum dominance” of military, economic, business and political activities. The TICS Bill is the latest part of Key’s changes to NZ’s surveillance agencies, further enabling the US government dominance via NSA, especially in business & politics.
Discourage the pantie sniffers
Written By: - Date published: 9:01 pm, October 13th, 2013 - 30 comments
It isn’t that hard to get around the prurient arsehole peekers that populate the NSA and the kiwi puppets – John Key being a prime example. Encrypt, falsify your “metadata”, and send lots of crap purely so they have no idea what to look at. Hell – even the NZ Herald gets it these days as in an anonymously published article in the weekend rag…
The Guardian on Dotcom, GCSB, Key & US power
Written By: - Date published: 9:37 am, October 10th, 2013 - 21 comments
An article in today’s UK Guardian highlights the role of Key’s, US-supporting, government in the GCSB, Dotcom, surveillance saga (and TPP). It is chilling & shows why we need to continue to campaign against NZ’s surveillance state legislation and for TPPA transparency.
GCSB & TICS
Written By: - Date published: 7:13 am, August 23rd, 2013 - 52 comments
There will be plenty of coverage of the Labour leadership process here on The Standard, I don’t feel any need to contribute. There are too many other important matters that mustn’t fall under the radar. You thought the GCSB spying Bill was bad? The TICS bill is worse.
Hypocrite
Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, August 22nd, 2013 - 19 comments
“New Zealanders will not have
confidence in [a …] bill rammed through
by a slender majority without public support
and with the backing of only the bare minimum
of parties necessary to get it through Parliament.”
— John Key, 2007.
(ht Toby Manhire)
Shame!
Written By: - Date published: 7:45 pm, August 21st, 2013 - 136 comments
So the Key-Dunne spying Bill is now law. The privacy of your electronic communications now depends on the favour of an untrustworthy PM, and the best efforts of a legal system (much derided by said PM) in interpreting a confused mess of a law / Hansard record / letter to The Herald.
Shame shame shame on all those MPs who ignored the concerns of the people who elected them and passed this travesty.
If lawyers don’t understand the law…
Written By: - Date published: 12:59 pm, August 21st, 2013 - 32 comments
Then it’s a bad law. Who does John Key think is going to interpret the GCSB law other than lawyers from the Law Commission, the Human Rights Tribunal, the Privacy Commissioner etc?
Bad law making – GCSB Bill
Written By: - Date published: 12:10 pm, August 21st, 2013 - 29 comments
Grant Robertson & David Cunliffe explain how the GCSB Bill is bad law (especially section 8 & related sections). It doesn’t provide adequate oversight or safeguards against the wholesale spying on New Zealanders. A clarifying statement from the PM is not good law. Andrea Vance demystifies the Bill.
The innocent have nothing to fear?
Written By: - Date published: 10:50 am, August 21st, 2013 - 18 comments
It’s not just journos who should watch out if the GCSB Bill goes through. David Miranda, partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, was detained by British police yesterday while in transit through London. All his electronic equipment was confiscated. After the nine hour limit was up this “terrorist” was released into Britain! All because his partner has been the journalist who wrote about Snowden’s revelations about internet surveillance by GCHQ, NSA, and GCSB.
When fear tactics backfire 2 – and GCSB roundup
Written By: - Date published: 8:20 am, August 21st, 2013 - 46 comments
John Key (the PM who has on multiple occasions overspent the budget on his own protection staff) really dug himself a hole when he accused opposition leaders of wanting to “run for the hills” in case of a terrorist attack. Not only did David Shearer get to remind him of the occasions that he has been under fire – and run to help – but now some other voices have chimed in too.
Cross the floor
Written By: - Date published: 7:39 am, August 21st, 2013 - 29 comments
Check out crossthefloor.co.nz (#crossthefloor) for a resource to send email or tweets to a shortlist of government MPS who just might discover their conscience, cross the floor, and kill the spying bill…
When fear tactics backfire
Written By: - Date published: 2:47 pm, August 20th, 2013 - 93 comments
John Key’s fear tactics backfired badly when he tried to smear David Shearer…
GCSB- Questions?
Written By: - Date published: 2:31 pm, August 20th, 2013 - 58 comments
John Key has been twisting himself out of shape answering questions about spying on New Zelanders by the GCSB under the GCSB amendment Bill that is currently before the House. [Update] Video Qu One & Three [Update] Qu 1 transcript.
The voices of the GCSB protest
Written By: - Date published: 6:53 am, August 20th, 2013 - 66 comments
The Auckland Town Hall was full – nearly 2000 people – for the GCSB protest last night (with more people being turned away at the doors). Update – full video of the whole event (all speakers) is now up on YouTube. Meanwhile the Campbell Live poll had 89% of respondents opposed.
Be there – tonight
Written By: - Date published: 2:47 pm, August 19th, 2013 - 94 comments
Final reminder of the pro-privacy anti-spying meeting tonight. Also worth noting in this context is Alastair Thompson’s excellent open letter to Peter Dunne. Read it. Will Dunne be a hero?
Plans to “wiretap” the net
Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, August 19th, 2013 - 17 comments
The second of the weekend’s must-read pieces. This one is by Vikram Kumar (CEO of Mega) published in the NBR, on plans to require internet service providers to install a “backdoor for the government”.
Not how a democracy works
Written By: - Date published: 9:56 am, August 16th, 2013 - 34 comments
Key and his cronies have a long history of passing laws that give themselves sweeping powers and promising (honestly, truly) that they won’t use them. How many times has King Brownlee found himself in court for abusing his dictatorial powers, despite the ouster clauses in his enabling Act? Now, Key, says he won’t actually use the powers he’s getting the the GCSB Bill.
John Key – GCSB fool (or liar)
Written By: - Date published: 7:28 am, August 16th, 2013 - 142 comments
On Campbell Live, and on other occasions, John Key has claimed that critics of the GCSB spying bill were all wrong. The Human Rights Commission – wrong. The Law Society – wrong. The Privacy Commissioner – wrong. Dame Anne Salmond – wrong. Everyone else wrong – only he – John Key – and his secret advisors were right, and we the sheeple have nothing to fear.
Now in a stunning embarrassment it is Key that has had to admit that he was wrong. Or a liar.
Key vs Campbell: the transcript
Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, August 15th, 2013 - 272 comments
The interview of John Key by John Campbell last night on Campbell Live (on the GCSB Bill), showed what a formidable spin merchant Key can be. It is important to understand Key’s MO. This is a work in progress – transcript of the first 10.44 12.27 mins. completed.
Tech Liberty on GCSB Bill
Written By: - Date published: 7:19 am, August 15th, 2013 - 8 comments
Thomas Beagle at Tech Liberty has done a great job at presenting the technicalities of the Key-Dunne GCSB spying bill – see for example: “Does the new GCSB Bill give them the power to spy on New Zealanders?”. (Spoiler Alert! The answer is Yes.)
GCSB protest fundraiser success – in one day!
Written By: - Date published: 7:40 am, August 14th, 2013 - 13 comments
This Pledge Me fundraiser for protest action against the Key-Dunne GCSB spying Bill reached its target ($3,300) in just one day yesterday. It remains open for three more days – you can still donate to extend the range of the protest.
John Key – in contempt
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 pm, August 12th, 2013 - 71 comments
John Key shows contempt for New Zealanders and democracy in refusing to talk about the GCSB Bill and saying New Zealanders care more about snapper quotas. Campbell Live discovers some Kiwis are well informed and have views on the GCSB Bill.
Selling your privacy
Written By: - Date published: 4:07 pm, August 12th, 2013 - 16 comments
Good piece by David Fisher on selling your privacy. Don’t worry citizens consumers, it’s nothing personal. It’s just business.
This is/is not democracy
Written By: - Date published: 1:05 pm, August 12th, 2013 - 106 comments
The Nats’ PR-managed conference stifled democratic debate & bright ideas, and diverted from significant issues. Armstrong attempts to talk it up, while exposing Key’s win-at-all-costs ruthlessness. Meanwhile: speakers announced for democratic meeting to Kill the GCSB Bill [Updated – Hagar also speaking]. [Update: Gordon Campbell – ‘Nanny National‘]
Fill the Hall – Kill the Bill
Written By: - Date published: 7:35 pm, August 9th, 2013 - 51 comments
Note also that Campbell Live/3 News is running a major poll on the Bill.
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