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Council Spooks Deployed Against Boaters
Cambridge City Council has reportedly used tactics one might expect to see in an episode of Spooks, or used in serious criminal investigations, to probe the living arrangements of those living on boats moored in the city. Amy Tillson, who lives on a boat on the river, and who represents boaters at meetings with the […]
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Cambridge City Council Covert CCTV Deployed In Someone’s Home
A report on Cambridge City Council’s use of covert surveillance is to be taken to the council’s Strategy and Resources Committee on Monday the 15th of October at 17.00 in the Guildhall. The key message from the report is simply: [The council] has not authorised the use of RIPA powers in the period covered by […]
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Julian Huppert’s Fantastic Liberal Democrat Conference Motion on Civil Liberties
Cambridge MP Julian Huppert At the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference being held on the weekend of 10-11 March 2012 Cambridge MP Julian Huppert is moving a motion titled “Civil Liberties” scheduled for debate at 10:45 am on the Sunday morning. The text of the motion is available, but only deep within the Conference Agenda (on […]
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Explosion of Complexity and Bureaucracy As City Council Introduces CCTV Policy
Some residents of Martingale Close in Arbury Were Surprised when Cambridge City Council Deployed CCTV Cameras Outside Their Windows. At Cambridge City Council’s Strategy and Resources Committee on Monday the 12th of October councillors will consider adopting their first “corporate and unified” CCTV policy. I have been actively encouraging Cambridge City Council to improve the […]
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Home Office RIPA Consultation – My Response
I have submitted the following in response to the Home Office consultation entitled: Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000: Consolidating orders and codes of practice. The consultation ran for twelve weeks to the 10th of July 2009. Should Councils be Allowed To Snoop? Should councils conduct covert investigations which are regulated under the provisions described […]
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Cambridgeshire County Council to Consider Improving Oversight of Spying
Cambridgeshire County Council’s Cabinet on the 21st of April is to receive a Review of the Application of Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) This report reveals that the county council currently allows a large number of relatively junior officers (23) to authorise the use of its spying powers (It follows from the fact there […]
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Council Spy HQ to Commence Operations
In February 2009 I attended an event which included a presentation by John Peerless of the National Anti-Fraud Network (NAFN), a organisation established by local councils to assist them in fighting fraud. Council officers can log in to the NAFN website and search for information about individuals. The information available via NAFN already includes phone […]
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Opposing the Database State – Clause 152 of the Coroners and Justice Bill
On Saturday the 28th of February NO2ID organised a “Convention on Modern Liberty” held in various locations “across the UK”. A satellite meeting , which I attended, was held in the Cambridge Union. This article focuses on just one of many important items which were discussed during the day. Clause 152 of the Coroners and […]
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RIPA – Regulating Councils’ Spying
On Tuesday the 10th of February 2009 I attended a Westminster Briefing event on The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA). The meeting was addressed by: Sir Christopher Rose – Chief Surveillance Commissioner John Peerless, Head of Brighton & Hove Trading Standards and a member of the Management Committee of the National Anti-Fraud Network Councillor […]
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Central Database of UK Internet Traffic
According to ex-editor of the Sunday Times, Andrew Neil, the Government occasionally uses the Sunday Papers to test the populace’s reactions to its more outlandish policy ideas. In today’s Sunday Times there is an article entitled: There’s no hiding place as spy HQ plans to see all. I suspect this is such an article so […]