Monday, April 6, 2009

Latvian government approves totalitarian surveillance

The Latvian government has approved and will pass on to the parliament (Saeima) a law allowing the Security Police, without a court order, to track people's location through their mobile phones, to get records of their conversations and SMS traffic, as well as to track e-mail correspondence and fixed-line phone traffic.
This was reported by the investigative TV show Nekā personīga (Nothing Personal) on TV3 on April 5. According to the reporter, the police will be able to ask for records that are at least 18 months old, but it is unclear whether the Security Police and other institutions, such as the Criminal Police, the State Revenue Service and the Bureau for the Protection of the Constitution (SAB) could be able to obtain real time data.
The law was drafted by the Security Police, which says it has no difficulty getting court orders for wiretapping and tracking mobile phone users.
The TV3 investigators said there had been cases of police authorities threatening to conduct searches of mobile operators who failed to comply (this prior to the law being proposed or passed). Legal experts contacted by TV3 said the draft law represented a violation of European human rights laws.
One wonders whether this legislation is aimed at flash mobs, the Penguin Movement and any activities using e-mail and SMS to organize protests and, yes, civil disobedience and ultimately, violence against government institutions.
There is still some hope that a domestic and international outcry could deter the Saeima from passing this law.

10 comments:

Kristopher said...

An EU law that requires ISPs to keep track of who e-mails whom goes into effect, too, I believe. Sweden has vowed to ignore it, for example; let me guess whether Latvia and Estonia will enforce it.

Janis said...

I think I will start up a proxy server or two.... looks like a growth niche...

Es said...

Labu pēcpusdienu un jaukas Lieldienas!
Rakstu kā nopelniem bagātam latvju emuārniekam. Proti, vēlos pievērst uzmanību, ka darbu sākusi Latvijas ES Parlamenta vēlēšanu birža:
http://www.forecastingmarkets.com/Trade/market?lang=en&markt=EU-2009-LAT
Būtu pateicīgs par ievērtēšanu, iesaistīšanos un, ja atzīsti par ievērības cienīgu, padaudzināšanu tālāk.
P.S. Vēlēšanu birža ir reizē spēle, birža un aptauja. Proti, izmantojot biržas darbības principu, dalībnieki sacenšas prognozēs par dažādu partiju panākumiem vēlēšanās. Tāpat kā ikvienas biržas efektīvitāte atkarīga no dalībnieku skaita.
Kā tieši viss notiek? Reģistrējamies un saņemam virtuālus Ls100000, ko ņemties biržā. Akcijas apgrozībā atbilst kandidātu sarakstiem: tēvzemnieku, "Jaunā laika", PCTVL utt. Iespējama divu veidu tirdzniecība.
Pirmkārt, tā kā 1% balsu atbilst Ls1, tad jebkuŗā brīdī par Ls100 var nopirkt no "centrālās bankas" vai pārdot tai akciju portfeli, kur ir pa vienai katras partijas akcijai - jo neatkarīgi no partiju balsu sadalījuma visas kopā dabūs 100% balsu.
Otrkārt, dalībnieki paši var izlikt pirkšanas un pārdošanas uzdevumus. Piemēram, manuprāt, "Jaunais laiks" Parlamentā tiks, bet tik labi kā 2002.g. nestartēs. Tāpēc es izlieku uzdevumu pirkt JL par Ls5,55 (tas ir, 5,55%) un pārdot JL akcijas, kas man ir, par Ls23,98 (jo tik % JL dabūja 2002.g.). Vai ieraugu, ka cits piedāvā TB par Ls4,99, un nekavējoties pērku, jo esmu pārliecināts, ka tēvzemnieki 5% pārvarēs.
Iznākumā partiju kurss svārstās ap vērtībām, kas dalībnieku kopumam šķiet visticamākās.
Līdz ar vēlēšanu sākšanos biržu slēdz, tirgot vairs nevar. Kolīdz pasludina galīgos vēlēšanu iznākumus, kļūst zināms, cik īsti kuŗa akcija maksā. Tad var aprēķināt katra dalībnieka konta atlikuma un akciju vērtības summu un uzzināt, cik trāpīgi kuŗš noteicis vēlēšanu iznākumus.
Kāda jēga piedalīties? Var samērīties ar citiem vēlēšanu prognozēs. Ja ir kāds ducis aktīvu dalībnieku, biržas kurss ataino partiju izredzes ne sliktāk par kaut kādām aptaujām. Galu galā, vienkārši aizraujoši.

Anonymous said...

define a public outcry feasible here, please! you were disgusted at public outcry in your blog within minutes or hours after, let me call be understated here, the more violent one of its parts.
i will smile at how you, sir, will prevent - as I believe you will - my comments' appearance. it's ok. let it be just my small personal message to you.

Anonymous said...

I was speaking of what January the 13th amounted to, of course.

Juris Kaža said...

Anonymous,
If you carefully read what I wrote after January 13, I said the government and the ruling elite had it coming to them. I understand why people rioted, but I don't think riots can lead to much good.

Anonymous said...

Welcome to the start of the New World Order everybody. Do you really think it's any coincidence that good 'ole George W. added Latvia, as well as several other countries, to the visa waiver program back in Nov. 08? That was just some of the formalities of falling inline behind the Builderburg group and the World Banks plans for global enslavement. Seams an awful lot like the Patriot act he screwed us with...Huh? Aren't us Americans great? Don't be mad at us though...we're all involved...the EU, the AU, and NAU. We just happen to be the main spokesperson behind this masterplan.
Help spread the word...prisonplanet.com & infowars.com

The world needs to come together before it's too late.

TRex said...

Congrats. You've been spamed.

Anonymous said...

I beg to differ TRex...spam is non-relative junk mail. This is very relative. I think they've nailed right on the head. Stop being a sheep and take the blinders off. I know it may be scary, but just try thinking outside the box. You might find free thought much more pleasing than spoonfed knowledge.

Jānis Bērziņš said...

Latvia still very totalitarian if you don't have money. While our neighbours are promoting reforms, Latvia is more and more geting closer to Latinamerican dictatorships of the 1970's than to EU. Sad. We must protest.