„Managing“ Data and Dissent: Where Big Brother Meets Market Fundamentalism
by Tom Burghardt Repression doesn’t come cheap, just ask the FBI. [pacificfreepress.com]As the securitization of daily life increase at near exponential rates (all to keep us "safe," mind you) the dark contours of an American police state, like a pilot’s last glimpse of an icy peak before a plane crash, wobbles into view. In […]
UK: Smile, you’re on the state’s candid camera
More than ever we are being watched. Most of us are aware of this but, even so, sometimes the extent of Britain’s surveillance society comes a shock. The movements of millions of motorists are being recorded each day and held on a police database in north London, in the majority of cases without the drivers’ […]
Frontex eyes drone planes for migrant searches
Frontex, the EU’s border control agency, is reportedly eyeing the possibility of using unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) for its anti-migration patrols. [independent.com.mt] Arms manufacturers, it has been reported in specialist media, have been asked to advise Frontex on how their products can be used to stop asylum seekers entering the bloc’s territory. Frontex, the EU’s […]
NSA’s Domestic Spying Grows As Agency Sweeps Up Data
Terror Fight Blurs Line Over Domain; Tracking Email By SIOBHAN GORMAN [wsj.com] Five years ago, Congress killed an experimental Pentagon antiterrorism program meant to vacuum up electronic data about people in the U.S. to search for suspicious patterns. Opponents called it too broad an intrusion on Americans‘ privacy, even after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. […]
More security at any price
Christine Wicht The Stockholm Programme of the European Union [eurozine.com] The Stockholm Programme, the latest in a series of EU agreements on security policy, was endorsed in December 2009. Based on the „principle of availability“, the Programme plans to enable the cross-border collection, processing and sharing of data on a massive scale. Supposedly promoting „openness […]
Belarus to partake in Frontex border security operations
Belarus will take part in the joint border security operations with the European Union external borders agency Frontex, Chairman of the State Border Committee of Belarus Igor Rachkovsky told media on 23 March. [belta.by] Igor Rachkovsky reminded reporters that in 2009 Frontex and the Belarusian border service signed a memorandum of cooperation. In 2010 the […]
Anti-terror police seek help from internet cafes
Police battling the threat of terrorism have unveiled a new tactic – they are targeting internet cafes. As evidence suggests that several people convicted with terrorism acts have visited internet cafes while plotting their crimes, the Metropolitan Police are trialling a new initiative in which they aim to get internet cafe owners to be vigilant […]
Surveillance of the sea external borders with the involvement of Frontex: the LIBE Committee opposes the adoption of the European Commission Draft Council decision
[statewatch.org] The Committee on Civil liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) opposed (12 in favour and 25 against) the Proposal for a Council Decision supplementing the Schengen Border Code and then approved the consequent Motion on the draft Council decision supplementing the Schengen Borders Code as regards the surveillance of the sea external borders in […]
Should the EU subsidise Israeli security?
By Ben Hayes The inclusion of Israel in the European Security Research Programme undermines the EU’s commitment to even-handedness in the Middle East. [europeanvoice.com] Since the European Community began funding research in 1984, both the amount of funding available and the range of topics on offer have steadily increased (the latest framework programme, FP7, has […]
C2-C4ISR Systems Constitutes Around 5% of National Defence Budgets
The considerable growth in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) applications is driving the development of powerful communications systems, high resolution electro-optic sensor subsystems, signal processing and intelligence analytics software. [pr-usa.net] In the digital battlespace, militaries have come to rely more and more upon digital information gathering and sharing. The use […]
Europe lacks resources to tackle cross-border crime, says Eurojust
VALENTINA POP Fighting cross-border crime in the EU still faces "practical difficulties" due to scarce resources in member states and the ability of criminals to move freely from one country to another, Eurojust’s new chief Aled Williams told MEPs on Wednesday (17 March). [euobserver.com] Tasked with ensuring co-operation of prosecutors and police when faced with […]
C2-C4ISR Systems Constitutes Around 5% of National Defence Budgets
The considerable growth in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) applications is driving the development of powerful communications systems, high resolution electro-optic sensor subsystems, signal processing and intelligence analytics software. [pr.com] In the digital battlespace, militaries have come to rely more and more upon digital information gathering and sharing. The use […]
The future Spanish, Belgian and Hungarian Presidencies
JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS [vleva.eu] Following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, a Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security will be set up within the Council. The three Presidencies will ensure that the structure and the work of this new body will contribute effectively to enhancing internal security within the […]
MEPs reject new Frontex guidelines
MEPs rejected proposed amendments to Frontex which were approved by the European Commission and Council representatives, but strongly opposed by Malta. [di-ve.com] In particular, Malta opposed a rule which would see rescued migrants being taken to the country hosting the Frontex mission, rather than the nearest safe harbour as is the present case. The issue […]
Germany: Data retention unconstitutional in its present form
The constitutional complaints challenge §§ 113a, 113b of the Telecommunications Act (Telekommunikationsgesetz – TKG) and § 100g of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Strafprozessordnung – StPO) to the extent that the latter permits the collection of data stored pursuant to § 113a TKG. The provisions were introduced by the Act for the Amendment of Telecommunications […]
FBI using Facebook in fight against crime
Agents taught how to extract information from social networking sites in US government document obtained by advocacy group [guardian.co.uk] Any criminals dumb enough to brag about their exploits on social networking sites have now been warned: the next Facebook "friend" who contacts you may be an FBI agent. US federal law enforcement agents have been […]
Towards a European security and defence culture
The European Initiative for the exchange of young officers, inspired by Erasmus, picks up speed [consilium.europa.eu] On 10 March, two important milestones were reached in the implementation of the European Initiative for the exchange of young officers, inspired by Erasmus, better known as ‚Erasmus militaire‘. First of all a standard framework arrangement was agreed in […]
Asylum deportation flights need rights monitors, EU says
Suggestion comes as the EU’s external border agency, Frontex, prepares to assume extra powers Deportation flights should carry human rights monitors to check on the safety of failed asylum seekers who have been forcibly removed, a senior EU commissioner has recommended. The suggestion comes as the EU’s external border agency, Frontex, prepares to assume extra […]
Undercover policeman reveals how he infiltrated UK’s violent activists
For four years, Officer A lived a secret life among anti-racist activists as they fought brutal battles with the police and the BNP. Here he tells of the terrifying life he led, the psychological burden it placed on him and his growing fears that the work of his unit could threaten legitimate protest An officer […]