Is anyone else more worried about M15 than about terrorism.

[batshitlady]

That's it really. The state wants ever more surveillance power, ever more restriction on freedom of speech and even, in universities, freedom of thought. It seems to me that it's in their nature to ask for more powers and restrictions to our freedoms and privacy. Are we just going to let them have it???

I'm not really. I worry about terrorism more.

I share your worry

Fanatics with explosives worry me a lot more than security services in the UK.
Security services in some less democratic countries otoh… v scary.

I don't understand why people get so upset about privacy otoh, but are happy to have a TESCO card or similar. Don't get it.

No, I'm far more worried about terrorism than I am about MI5. They can do what they like if it prevents terror attacks - I just don't care. I'll gladly kiss goodbye to my privacy if it means they can stop another 7/7 or whatever's planned.

Craig Murray blogged about this today.

I'm not worried about MI5 or the spies. I'm more worried about the abuse of those powers by the police.

A bizarre article - he seems to think just because there has been no deaths from terrorism in the uk for a few years (and with the exception of lee rugby) that there is no threat.

How odd to discount the foiled attacks on London the same month (22/7) the many successful terrorist attacks in Europe and on Europeans in Tunisia, the many foiled attacks in this country, and the testimony of many former terrorist sympathisers.

I've nothing to hide - if someone who doesn't know me wants to trawl through my inane Internet, email and phone usage tbh good luck to them.

What exactly are you afraid of op?

No.

Err, no.

Quite happy to be monitored. Indeed, considering the security status of some family members I'm likely to be under a degree of scrutiny, but it's had no impact on my life as a low level scallywag.

Personally, I fear death more that I fear somebody reading my emails.

I really don't think MI5 are going to waste their time trawling all over the web for the sort of inanities that most of us post!

If it's a necessary tool to disrupt terrorists and child abusers, we have to accept a certain amount of observation.

wow, people really just give up their liberty and privacy and want other people to too, so easily?

Its not about having anything to hide. Its about my private life, emails and telephone calls being private and my own business

batshitlady I agree with you too, once privacy is eroded it is near on impossible to get it back. The state/government are chipping away at individual freedoms and privacy in the name of security, we will never be 100% safe even if we give up all our individual freedoms and privacy and what a victory for terrorism that would be - the destruction of the liberal Western Democracies they so despise.

Branleuse
Do you have a club card op? Or any kind of loyalty card? Do you use Facebook op or ever allow cookies?

Actually it seems to me most people are very happy to give up loads of personal information in exchange for a few discount vouchers never mind the chance to stay alive.

I'll gladly kiss goodbye to my privacy if it means they can stop another 7/7

Really? That's an extraordinary thing to say. Civil liberties have been fought and died for, you want to just give them up? Our Govt's waging war and causing the problem the first place. Then we have to give up our civil liberties to sort it all out

I don't use Facebook but if I did I'd be in control of what I post. Unrestricted access to my emails, correspondence etc is extremely worrying IMO.

As the adage goes - I don't do anything illegal at home at night but I still like to pull my curtains.

i dont give a fuck whether anyone knows what groceries I buy, when clubcard is purely an opt-in service. I am concerned with facebook privacy, but still use it. Like fuck do I want anyone tapping into my digital or personal life when I havent commited a crime

It's nice you don't worry about terrorism- do you not believe it exists or...

No. Terrorism worries me much more than MI5. I deal with investigatory powers sometimes and think the safeguards against invasion of privacy are very strong.

I believe the best deterrent to terrorism is to not have our army on the offensive and bombing the fuck out of other countries. Not to take away privacy and liberties from people

No way.

Terrorism scares me totally.

I'm with you Hassled. I have nothing to hide.

But we've had terrorism for as long as I can remember. Remember the 70's? There were drive-by shootings, letter boxes, restaurants, dept stores, streets blown up. Running shooting battles with Police, Hostage sieges etc etc..

Lately, 1 person (1 too many obviously) has died in this country in the last 10 years due to terrorism. But the state want us to give them more and more powers. I think they're talking it up..