Re: [OPE] Sweden's new surveillance law

glevy@pratt.edu

Thanks for this update, Martin. It is quite alarming.  The
rationalization  
for these drastic measures has been
expanding: it is claimed that
the state needs to monitor email, etc.
not only to combat "terrorism"
but also to combat child
pornography, etc.   This is typical: first  they
introduce measures against unpopular groups, causes and
activities 
and then they expand their scope to everything and
everyone else. What a long
time ago it seems when everyone was
talking about the "freedom" of the Internet!
You might
recall that - not so many years ago - there were many who 
opposed any commercial use of the Web, but look what has happened
since!

In solidarity, Jerry

> When the
former Social Democratic government representative Thomas 
>
Bodström (nowadays a rather retired and poor fiction novelist) argued
for 
> total surveillance of e-mail and mobile communications a
few years ago, 
> few people took him seriously. This proposal has
now been made real, as 
> the new right wing coalition parties are
in agreement, and majority, to 
> push this legislation through
parliament. This legislation is the most far 
> reaching ever on
an international level, even in comparison with the 
> criticized
American "Patriot Act", and obviously way more advanced than 
> could ever China or North Korea dream of. The organization in
charge is 
> the "FRA", a military institution whose
previous goal was to scan the 
> traffic of the Baltic sea (which
they still are?). Since the end of the 
> Cold War, they're raison
d'être seems to be "terrorism". Transparency is 
>
very low, and threatens individual integrity. Anyone is subject to 
> surveillance on political ground (by government decision), with no
need 
> for court decision or scrutiny. Any communication going
through the 
> borders of Sweden - which is a lot considering the
structure of the global 
> hub network - will be subject to
surveillance. In Sweden, the media debate 
> seems however more
concerned over other issues deemed more urgent. After 
> all, the
European Soccer Cup is in full effect. 
> 
> More info in
English can be found here: 
> 
>
http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number6.11/nsa-fra-sweden 
> 
> Considering the current power balance of the parliament, only four
right 
> wing party representatives will need to vote against
party line to stop 
> this legislation. The Social Democrats, the
Green Party and the former 
> Communist Party are voting against.
It will be interesting to see what 
> happens. 
>

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