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UK slides towards relegation in electronic surveillance league

US software company Cryptohippie have released a new piece of research (it is available to read by clicking here) addressing the extent to which states are electronically monitoring their citizens and ranking the results to produce a Premier League table of intrusive governments. The findings are typically depressing.

EsurveillancemapThe research was conducted using 17 different criteria ranging from Border Issues (Inspections at borders, searching computers, demanding decryption of data) to Enforcement Ability (The state’s ability to use overwhelming force to seize anyone they want,whenever they want). Each criterion was assigned a value of between 1 and 5. A value of 1 indicating minimal development of electronic police state abilities in that area and a value of 5 representing full operation.

A similar report was released in 2008 and it would appear little has changed in the rankings. However more notably the raw scores, almost without exception, for each of the 52 states surveyed have increased.

If you click the image you can take a closer look at the mapped results (red indicates advanced electronic police states). It is clear to see the main offenders are Russia, China, the US, the UK but it should be noted that Spain has leapt a massive 22 places up the ranks.

We at Big Brother Watch think it is disheartening to see the UK sporting the deep red typically associated with Russia and China. Quite frequently we are reminded of the tyrannical regimes in China and North Korea yet in terms of electronic policing we are rotten eggs in the same basket. Despite the UK being leapfrogged for 5th place by the US (a statistic we would question given things like RIPA and the Digital Economy Bill), Alan Johnson et al should be crimson faced.

By James Stannard

Hat-tip: The Register

Posted on March 9, 2010 by Big Brother Watch Posted in Overbearing state
  • http://denny.me Denny

    That looks _very_ similar to the league tables and maps that Privacy International have been producing for the last few years…

  • http://denny.me Denny

    (It was the 2006 one that made me decide to register PoliceState.co.uk)
    http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd347=x-347-545269

  • Victor Cardiss

    Keep in mind that under Tony Blairs government in Nov 2004 a bill was passed that that forces all network service providers to keep a copy of every item of electronic communication that you send or recieve for at least three years.
    Every text, phone call, e-mail, etc is being filterred through an internationally used programme (Echelon) that looks for ‘key words’ that might flag up what ever the government of the day are fishing for.
    Also keep in mind that ‘Innocent until proven guilty’ has disapeared under New Labour along with Habeas Corpus, the right to remain silent and many other hard won ancient rights.
    I don’t know what the end game is but there’s a growing stench of somthing very sinister in the air.
    At what point do we the people start to claim back this lost ground?
    Now our Government are about to employ a ‘Civilian Spy Army’ (p1 Telegraph 08/03/10) with powers of entry, to pass out fines, take your photo, etc.
    Cheap policing or more Stazi tactics?

  • http://anti-blog.info John

    Thanks for the link Denny! Although the PI map conveniently left out India, the Middle East and the whole of Africa…
    Of course, the more ‘democratic’ the state, the more electronic surveillance. Democracy has become a new synonym for fascism!