One of the fundamental tenets of a democracy is the ability to have ‘checks and balances’ to safeguard the civil rights of the individual citizen. This basic precept is being challenged by the proposed legislation in Australia:

“Security agencies would be able to secretly track people via their mobile phones and monitor their internet browsing for up to three months without obtaining a warrant under new laws due to go before the Senate this week.”

link: Spy laws track mobile phones

There is no judicial oversight to this security activity. One’s movement could be tracked in real time with the cell phone. There would be no privacy as to one’s internet activity. What sites are visited, what chat rooms are used, what downloads are made and so forth could be subject to surveillance, without having to justify that to any judge or judicial authority. It is a huge transfer of power in the name of security - and more than a bit frightening.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster:  http://flyinghamster.com/

[tags]legislation, tracking, cell phones, privacy, security, real time, australia[/tags]