Over at the Daily Mail, a sorry tale - a shopkeeper who named and shamed the vandal who smashed his window by writing his name on the chipboard temporarily over the broken glass has been told by police to stop infringing the yob's 'civil liberties'.

As I've written before, this is a debate about balance, not absolutes.  The rights of the rest of us not to be victims of crime must be weighed in that balance, and given more weight than they are at present. 

People who commit such mindless acts of violence should be named and shamed.

If the police and courts won’t do it, we ought to be able to do it ourselves.

Those who suggest that this is an intrusion of privacy or civil liberties need to wake up.  The liberties of the law-abiding majority need to be put before those of vandals and thugs.

By Alex Deane

Over at This is Croydon Today, a story that should be unbelievable but actually shows something so increasingly common that it is likely to produce shrugs instead.  The Council has used Ripa covert surveillance to try to catch a man trimming a tree. He hadn't stolen it – he'd pruned it. The council hunted through the records of mobile telephones in the area to find out who had done it.

Anyone who dreams that councils use Ripa powers responsibly should listen to this example.  It is a disgrace that unelected officials are snooping on us like this – and it happens all the time.

These powers are meant for terrorism and serious crimes – but they are abused every single day.

All Croydonians will be naturally be wondering who else has been spied on like this.  And so should you.

This sort of absurd excess shows why no Ripa reform short of banning councils from using these powers at all will ever be enough.

By Alex Deane

So says the Telegraph. Well quite right too, I hear you cry. But what's hilarious is that the Local Government Association put out a press release on this story, in which their members get monumentally slammed, to maintain that there has been “concerns” that “some” councils have abused RIPA.

As we have pointed out, giving specific examples, RIPA abuse by Councils is rampant, from spying on dog walkers to people putting their bins out to people with children in schools in particular catchment areas. That's why the move to curb these powers is so universally popular.

Unelected and unaccountable council officials shouldn’t be able to intrude into our lives like this, full stop.

Given the outrageous way that council employees have interpreted the old rules, rather than jump for joy just yet about the new rules, let's see what they actually do with them.

By Alex Deane

For all media enquiries please call: 07538 28 00 41 (24 hrs)

Monday 30th November 2009

BBC London 94.9FM – Dylan Sharpe by Big George on the Late Show

LBC 97.3FM – Dylan Sharpe interviewed by Petrie Hoskin

Evening Standard – Government plan to pay £500 to snoop on your neighbour

But critics warn that the scheme could be divisive and said the payments were a further “dangerous” example of ministers encouraging residents to engage in unwarranted snooping on their neighbours.

Dylan Sharpe of the campaign group Big Brother Watch claimed the move showed the Government was creating “an army of citizen snoopers”.

BBC 3 Counties Radio – Dylan Sharpe interviewed by Roberto Perrone

BBC Radio 5Live – Dylan Sharpe interviewed by Anita Anand on Drivetime

Daily Telegraph – Critics attack new ‘big brother’ quiz aimed at identifying young criminals

Dylan Sharpe, of the Big Brother Watch pressure group, said: “This is incredibly intrusive and asks questions which, quite frankly, Lincolnshire Community Health Services do not need to know and have no right knowing.

“I would advise any parent receiving this to stick it straight in the bin.”

Daily Mail – £500 to spy on your neighbour: State ‘bribe’ to tip off council if house is being illegally sub-let

Ministers believe their campaign against illegal letting will also help clamp down on other social problems – such as prostitution, cannabis factories, fraud and illegal immigration.

Dylan Sharpe, from the organisation Big Brother Watch, said: ‘This shows the Government is creating an army of citizen snoopers.’

Daily Express – ID cards rolled out in Manchester – but they’re not even compulsory

Alex Deane, director of campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: “The people who have signed up for these cards in Manchester will probably not appreciate that, under Part 9, Schedule 1 of the ID Cards Act 2006, every time they use the card, the details of use – who they are, where they were, what they did with it, who they did it with – will be recorded indefinitely by the Government on this database.

“They will not know because they have not been warned about it – and that is disgraceful.”

Daily Telegraph – £500 rewards for people who ‘shop neighbours’ over illegal sub-letting

But the initiative has been attacked by civil liberty campaigners.

Dylan Sharpe, from the organisation Big Brother Watch, said : “This shows the Government is creating an army of citizen snoopers.”

Friday 27th November 2009

Alex Deane spoke about “an agenda for civil liberties under a potential Conservative Government” at the Annual Conference of the Conservative Political Officers Network, held in Windsor.

Dylan Sharpe spoke about “National Community Safety Policy and Civil Liberties” at the Loughborough Community Safety Workshop organised by Nicky Morgan.

Thursday 26th November 2009

Daily Mail – Anti-terror tsar Lord West falls victim to own stop and search powers

Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, said: ‘The reality is that the number of successful prosecutions for terrorism offences resulting from these draconian stop and search powers was none when they were being used weekly, and none now they’re barely used at all.

‘What these new figures can’t undo is the embarrassment and anguish felt by the many people abused for no good reason under this now all-but abandoned power.’

Information World Review – Of mashers and snoopers

So it’s probably not surprising that a new survey commissioned from PoliticsHome found 62% of people strongly disagreeing with the proposition that the government can be trusted to keep our personal information secure.

In truth, though, neither of these results is necessarily quite what it seems. The PoliticsHome survey was commissioned by Big Brother Watch, an arm of the spending cuts-oriented TaxPayers’ Alliance.

Active Home – Of mashers and snoopers

Personal Computer World – Of mashers and snoopers

V3.co.uk – Of mashers and snoopers

Web Active Magazine – Of mashers and snoopers

Tuesday 24th November 2009

TalkSport – Alex Deane interviewed by Ian Collins on the Late Show

Sunday 22nd November 2009

Corus radio network, Canada – Alex Deane interviewed by Roy Green

Friday 20th November 2009

Daily Telegraph – Chief prosecutor backs state snooping plans

Dylan Sharpe, campaign director of Big Brother Watch, said: “It is not the government’s job to monitor our private communications. If the authorities suspect there is something going on they can do as they have always done and apply for a warrant from the courts.

“We hear of too many cases of private and personal data being lost, sold or misused by the state to trust that our phone calls and emails won’t end up in the hands of the wrong people.

“The DPP should also watch he doesn’t become a cheerleader for a government policy that the British people feel deeply uncomfortable about.”

Thursday 19th November 2009

BBC Radio 5Live - Alex Deane interviewed by Richard Bacon 

City Talk 103.5FM – Dylan Sharpe interviewed by Peter McDowall

Daily Express – CCTV in homes to spy on neighbours

But Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, said: “People accept these cameras into their homes because they are afraid.

The council might be installing them with the best intentions, but the end result is a culture of fear and mistrust driven by a failure by the borough and the police to have proper law enforcement in this area.

Metro – CCTV cameras placed inside homes

But Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, warned the cameras would create a “culture of fear and mistrust. People accept these cameras into their homes because they are afraid.

“The council might be installing them with the best intentions, but the end result is a culture of fear and mistrust driven by a failure on the part of the borough and the police to have proper law enforcement in this area.

Wednesday 18th November 2009

talkSPORT – Dylan Sharpe interviewed by Ian Collins on the late show

BBC Look North – Dylan Sharpe interviewed by Harry Gration

LBC 97.3FM – Alex Deane interviewed by James Whale on Drivetime

BBC News London – ‘Hidden CCTV’ installed in homes

Anti-CCTV group Big Brother Watch said the cameras would create a “culture of fear and mistrust” in the area.

Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, said: “People accept these cameras into their homes because they are afraid.

Politics.co.uk – CCTV placed inside private homes

But critics opposed to a ‘Big Brother’ state said the extra surveillance was only needed because police had failed to confront the problem.

Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, a campaign by the Taxpayers’ Alliance, cautioned the CCTV cameras would create “a culture of fear and mistrust”.

102.2 Smooth Radio – Dylan Sharpe interviewed by Nick Hatfield

BBC Radio Lincolnshire – Dylan Sharpe interviewed by William Wright

Daily Mail – Secret CCTV cameras fitted INSIDE people’s homes to spy on neighbours outside

Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, said: ‘People accept these cameras into their homes because they are afraid.

‘The council might be installing them with the best intentions, but the end result is a culture of fear and mistrust driven by a failure on the part of the borough and the police to have proper law enforcement in this area.

24dash.com – Council installs CCTV cameras inside homes to tackle street yobs

Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, warned the cameras would create a “culture of fear and mistrust”.

“Better to have real action from the failing authorities than to extend once more our surveillance society.”

Heart 102.7FM Peterborough – Dylan Sharpe interviewed on Lunchtime News

Daily Mail – Big Brother quiz for new school parents: Officials launch 83-point probe into families’ lives

Dylan Sharpe of the Big Brother Watch pressure group said: ‘This is incredibly intrusive and asks questions which, quite frankly, Lincolnshire Community Health Services do not need to know and have no right knowing.

‘Even worse, the NHS Trust has failed to make it clear that this is a voluntary questionnaire. I would advise any parent receiving this to stick it straight in the bin.’

Monday 16th November 2009

City Talk 103.5FM – Alex Deane interviewed on Drivetime

Westside Radio – Alex Deane Discusses the Media Controversy over Harrow Neighbourhood Champions Scheme

Wolverhampton Express and Star – Mother wins support in duck fine battle

Campaign group Big Brother Watch, part of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, has also pledged its support to Miss Kelly’s appeal.

Campaign director Alex Deane, a barrister and formerly Tory leader David Cameron’s chief of staff, said: “I am proud to be helping Miss Kelly in her fight against this ludicrous fine.”

Sunday 15th November 2009

Daily Telegraph – Health and Safety inspectors ‘sent in to family homes’

Alex Deane, director of “Big Brother Watch”, a campaign group set up by the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said that the plans risked endangering trust between medical staff and patients.

“This crosses the important line between individuals asking the state for help and the state forcing ‘help’ on us,” he said.

“Every time there is an intrusion into our privacy, there is always an ostensible good intention and normally it is to do with the protection of children.

The Sunday Sun - Stockton Council under fire over drug test plans

Alex Deane, Director of Big Brother Watch, said: “What you do in your private time is between you and the law and not between an employee and a business or council.

“They have the right to govern how you work during nine to five but they do not have the right to police your leisure time. Let’s hope this council comes to its senses and doesn’t follow through these silly proposals.”

Saturday 14th November 2009

Hawkinge Gazette – Big Brother steps in to to fight duck feeding fine

The Big Brother Watch organisation has stepped in to help Vanessa Kelly in her fight against Sandwell Council over her £75 fine for feeding ducks at a local park.

Magna Carta Plus – Big Brother Watch

Big Brother Watch is a new campaign, launched by the founders of the Taxpayer’s Alliance. Their mission is to document and fight the erosion of civil liberties in Britain.

Friday 13th November 2009 

Daily Telegraph – Vanessa Kelly’s fine for feeding the ducks is latest creeping incursion into our liberties

Our society is becoming so illiberal that it’s almost as if normal life is becoming unlawful, argues Alexander Deane.

My dream, my highest hope for my organisation, is to reverse that fear; to turn that chilling effect around. In a few years’ time, when about to wake the grandfather from his bed and take him to the police station for supposedly swearing, or on the verge of filling out that illiberal Fixed Penalty Notice, I want the jobsworths to feel the chilling effect themselves – what if Big Brother Watch is watching?

Mirror – Mum is fined £75 for feeding ducks

…Vanessa, of Oldbury, West Mids, has sent a complaint to her town hall. She is backed by Big Brother Watch, which battles intrusive officialdom.

Its chief Alex Deane called the penalty “ludicrous” and said: “Can there be a more absurd example of the Big Brother state? She won’t pay, nor should she.” But Sandwell council insisted she was rightly fined for not being in a “designated feeding area” at the park in Smethwick, West Mids…

Wednesday 11th November 2009

Metro – DNA of innocents to be held for six years

…The measures outraged civil liberties groups, including Big Brother Watch. ‘Despite Alan Johnson’s recent promise to remove the DNA of innocent people, despite being unanimously defeated in the European Court, this government is still wrongly retaining samples,’ said its director, Alex Deane…

Daily Telegraph – DNA of innocent still to be retained for six years

Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, added: “If the government thinks that because they are targeting teenagers they can get away with this sort of intrusion, they are wrong.”

Tuesday 10th November 2009

Sky News – Alex Deane interviewed by Martin Stanford

Sun Talk – Alex Deane interviewed by John Gaunt, columnist at The Sun

Daily Mail – Labour U-turn on Big Brother state: Plan to log all texts and internet searches on hold

Alex Deane, director of anti-snooping campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: ‘The Intercept Modernisation Programme is an enormous and unwarranted intrusion into every aspect of our private lives.

‘This delay offers the perfect opportunity to the Conservative Party – to firmly pledge never to introduce any aspect of this illiberal snoopers’ charter.’

Daily Express – Army of snoops recruited to spy on neighbours

Alex Deane, director of pressure group Big Brother Watch, warned: “An Orwellian big-brother culture depends on everyone spying on everyone else – just as Harrow has planned.”

Daily Telegraph – Every phone call, email and internet click stored by ‘state spying’ databases

Alex Deane, Director of Big Brother Watch, said it was an “enormous and unwarranted intrusion into every aspect of our private lives” and said that the laws are in effect an “illiberal snoopers’ charter.”

The Herald – Council’s plan for ‘snooper’ squad

Wigan Observer – ‘Neighbourhood Champion’ scheme comes under fire

Darlington and Stockton Times - Council’s plan for ‘snooper’ squad

Virgin Media – Council’s plan for ‘snooper’ squad

Hayling Islander – ‘Neighbourhood Champion’ scheme comes under fire

Monday 9th November 2009

Daily Telegraph – Council accused of recruiting army of 2,000 ‘snoopers’

But Alex Deane, director of campaign group Big Brother Watch, said the ”Orwellian” scheme would create an ”army of council snoopers”.

He said: ”So now councils are trying to get us to spy on one another. If they’re successful it will lead to even less trust and ever more surveillance.”

Local Government Chronicle – Council under fire over ‘army of snoopers’

The “Orwellian” scheme has been condemned by Alex Deane, director of campaign group Big Brother Watch as a bid to get “everyone spying on everyone else. If they’re successful it will lead to even less trust and ever more surveillance”.

Glasgow Evening Times – Council’s plan for ‘snooper’ squad

Alex Deane, director of campaign group Big Brother Watch, said the “Orwellian” scheme would create an “army of council snoopers”.

Press Association – ‘Neighbourhood Champion’ scheme comes under fire

Four fifths of residents questioned in a survey backed the idea of “street champions” for every neighbourhood. But Alex Deane, director of campaign group Big Brother Watch, said the “Orwellian” scheme would create an “army of council snoopers”.

24dash.com – Council recruiting ‘army of snoopers’ for Neighbourhood Champion scheme

But Alex Deane said: “So now councils are trying to get us to spy on one another. If they’re successful it will lead to even less trust and ever more surveillance.

“An Orwellian big brother culture depends on everyone spying on everyone else – just as Harrow has planned.”

Conservative Home – The Government’s schizophrenic approach to council powers

…As Big Brother Watch noted some time ago, this remarkable extension of the Proceeds of Crime Act is even more troubling by dint of the fact that Parliament didn’t vote on it – it was introduced by Statutory Instrument…

 

Sunday 8th November 2009

LBC 97.3 - Alex Deane interviewed by Andrew Pierce on the Sunday Show

Friday 6th November 2009

Independent – Alex Deane: Why RIPA is ripe for reining in

…It is a disgrace that unelected officials are snooping on us like this – and it happens all the time (as noted as far afield as in The New York Times).  The powers are meant solely for terrorism and serious crimes – but as we have noted at Big Brother Watch , they are abused every single day…

Thursday 5th November 2009

Daily Express – Curb on Big Brother ‘doesn’t go far enough’

…But local officials used them at massive cost for dog fouling, checking staff who claim to be sick, and even monitoring the use of disabled parking badges.

Alex Deane, of civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, said: “Unaccountable council officials shouldn’t be able to intrude into our lives as they currently do. Abuse is rampant.”

Daily Telegraph – Child support investigators get new spying powers

…Dylan Sharpe, campaign director of Big Brother Watch, said: “Saying that these new extensions to RIPA will only target benefits cheats and parents that fail to pay child support is all well and good; but given recent experience most people will be waiting for cases that show the powers are being used for other, more nefarious reasons.”

Info4Security – Police get technology makeover with body-worn video and evidence management to fight crime

Another poll out at the end of October 2009 – this time from the ‘Big Brother Watch,’ (a campaign from the founders of the TaxPayer’s Alliance) – highlighted concerns about surveillance.

Out of 1,353 adults, 45 per cent of respondents ‘strongly agreed’ with the statement “that our freedoms are being eroded by a Big Brother state”.

Wednesday 4th November 2009

Independent – Town halls set to lose surveillance powers

…Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, said: “Ripa abuse is rampant – from spying on dog walkers to people’s dustbins, to parents wanting their children to go to schools in a particular catchment area.

“The bottom line is that Ripa needs massive reform. Unelected and unaccountable council officials shouldn’t be able to intrude into our lives as they currently do..”

Leith FM – Alex Deane interviewed on Logan’s Brunch show

Tuesday 3rd November 2009

City Talk 103.5FM – Alex Deane interviewed on the Legal Surgery show

Conservative Home – Big Brother is now watching…sheep

…At Big Brother Watch we’re used to monitoring Government intrusion into the lives of people. But try this for size…Britain’s farmers are going to be forced to tag individual sheep by means of electronic implant – a very expensive procedure compulsorily pushed on an industry that is already on its knees…

Monday 2nd November 2009

Daily Telegraph – EU proposes black boxes for cars

Dylan Sharpe, campaign director for Big Brother Watch, said: “These boxes are yet another means of surveillance that will give anyone with the means to decode them the ability to find out exactly where you have been.

“It starts with the police and insurance companies and ends with vicious employers and jealous partners watching your journeys.”

Black Mental Health UK – Leaked e-mails reveal controversial Home Office plans to hold onto innocent DNA for up to six years

With mistrust in the Government’s ability to safeguard personal data at an all time high. Findings from research by the campaigns group Big Brother Watch, show that 86% of those polled fear for the safety of private data in Government hands is a view which resonates with many innocents on the datase.

Brooks Newmark is today introducing the Goalpost Safety Bill. In our national Parliament.

What?

I'm sure that he can produce some examples of pit-bullesque dangerous goalposts, but the answer is surely common sense, not legislation. This MP doesn't seem to think so. In a sneak preview, we at BBW can tell you that his next two Bills are the Cotton Wool Bill and the My Gosh Aren't People Stupid? Bill.

This is a classic example of what government shouldn't be doing. Get out of the minutiae! Let us regulate ourselves (or not)!

What an own goal, Newmark.

By Alex Deane

Hat tip:Shane Greer

***UPDATE***

An eagle-eyed reader points out that Mr Newmarks' website states:

In particular, I want to get the Government off people’s backs.

NO YOU DON'T!

This means giving people greater responsibility over their own lives

NOT WITH YOU IT DOESN'T!

Dear Supporter,

This week has seen a series of firsts for BBW – our first piece of research, which in turn generated our first widespread nationwide media coverage; and our first guest post, which has been shared around the world and brought unprecedented traffic to the website and sign-ups to this very newsletter – welcome all! We want to keep this momentum going and continue to push our message out to those who wouldn’t otherwise hear it, and we ask your help in achieving that goal. So please do forward this email to those you think will be interested and help spread the word.

4 in 5 people believe freedoms are being eroded in Britain

On Wednesday, Big Brother Watch released our first piece of research – a poll conducted by PoliticsHome, which asked 1,353 British voters a series of questions about their feelings on the Big Brother state. The results were very revealing:

• In response to the statement “our freedoms are being eroded by a Big Brother state” – 45% of respondents answered ‘strongly agree’ and 34% ‘somewhat agree’
• Just 16% of those asked supported the use of CCTV cameras capable of recording conversations – such as those trailed in Glasgow earlier this year
• A staggering 82% of people disagreed that placing microchips in refuse bins to monitor the waste thrown away by households was an acceptable measure to encourage recycling – despite 42 local authorities currently monitoring the habits of over 2 million households
• 86% of people think that the government can’t be trusted to keep our personal information safe – up from 58% in just 7 years

These results captured the attention of the media, with the poll being reported everywhere from the national newspapers (see below) to the Liverpool Daily Post to the Hounslow Chronicle. But more tellingly, they demonstrated that the British people are running out of patience with the way in which the state intrudes in their lives. It also gave us a renewed confidence that now is the right time to launch Big Brother Watch and rally people to our cause.

Britain’s libel laws are killing investigative journalism

On Tuesday, Big Brother Watch posted our first guest blogpost by Willard Foxton. Willard had been a journalist for 6 years, having stories published around the world and presenting a documentary on the BBC…until he was recently sacked.

Willard’s account of how he came to be unemployed is essential reading for anyone interested in libel law, or indeed anyone interested in the way in which investigative journalism has been cowed by Britain’s archaic libel laws.

The sad reality is that when it comes to exposing scandal and fraud in the UK, the likelihood of the story being printed tends to be inversely proportional to the wealth of the subject involved.

Blogs of the week

The “Digital Economy Bill” expands government control over the internet - Following on from the success of Willard’s guest post, we invited digital consultant, Dominique Lazanski, to explain the dangers of Peter Mandelson’s latest attempt to control the internet.

Head of Civil Service warns of further leaks - The day after we released polling showing that 9 in 10 of us don’t trust the government to look after our data, first the RPA lose 38 tapes and then Gus O’Donnell admits that information relating to National Security has been mislaid. 

Guilty until proven innocent - the chairman of the Independent Safeguarding Authority predicts that we will all end up having to register on the Government’s anti-paedophile database and two days later Watford Council bans parents from play areas. 

Big Brother Watch comment online

For those readers who are less familiar with the aims and motivations behind BBW, this week has seen 3 comment articles on Big Brother Watch printed by 3 well-respected online media sites:

Guardian ‘Comment is Free’ – Big Brother, we’re watching you

Independent ‘Eagle Eye’ - Four out of five of us believe freedoms are being eroded in Britain 

Human Events – Surveillance Nation

Media Coverage

Thursday 29th October 2009

Daily Mail – Councils given ‘Al Capone’ powers to seize public’s assets

Dylan Sharpe, Campaign Director of Big Brother Watch, said: ‘There is no doubt that in very serious cases, the ability to seize assets and freeze bank accounts is an invaluable tool. But when local authorities are given access to these heavily intrusive and far-reaching powers, they invariably end up using them for the wrong reasons.

Wednesday 28th October 2009

BBC Radio 5Live – Alex Deane interviewed by Richard Bacon

LBC 97.3FM – Dylan Sharpe interviewed by Petrie Hosken on ‘The Whole Show’

Daily Telegraph – More than one in 10 people on DNA database for first time

..A separate poll for campaign group Big Brother Watch found 79 per cent of the public believe freedoms are being eroded by a Big Brother state while 86 per cent said the Government cannot be trusted to keep personal data safe.

Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, said: “The Government doesn’t seem to care that Big Brother Britain has been rejected by the vast majority of people who live here…

Daily Express – Most don’t trust Government on data

Daily Mail – Britain passes Big Brother landmark: More than one in 10 people now on DNA database

Colourful Radio – Alex Deane interviewed by Henry Bonsu on the Breakfast Show

City Talk 103.5FM – Alex Deane interviewed by Roy Basnett on the Legal Surgery show

ITN - 86% fear for personal data held by Government

Channel 4 – Most don’t trust Government on data

Politics.co.uk - Public lash out at ‘Big Brother Britain’
 
Tuesday 27th October 2009

Daily Telegraph – Half the population must have ID card to pay for scheme, claim Tories

..Alex Deane, director of campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: “If these figures are correct, the average cost to the taxpayer will actually have to be higher than £30, given that the cards are currently being given out to immigrants at customs for free, as part of the latest Government attempt to introduce ID cards by stealth…”

Press and Journal – Government ‘deluded’ over cost of ID cards scheme

…Alex Deane, director of campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: “This just shows that ID cards and more importantly the database behind them aren’t just intrusive and bullying. They’re also absurdly expensive…” 

A complete round-up of Big Brother Watch’s media coverage this week is available here.

Dear Supporter,

This week has seen the debate over the DNA database steal the headlines and, as a consequence, Big Brother Watch has been very busy and achieved unprecedented media attention – including our second front-page feature. Alongside some quite appalling tales of local councils and police forces overstepping the line, this has been our most successful week for taking the fight to the authorities and raising awareness of ther extent of the big brother state. 

DNA databases, crime databases and government u-turns

The week of database coverage began on Monday when it was revealed that five police forces had won an appeal against a ruling that they should delete records on criminal convictions from their databases. The original ruling came about when five people had complained they were being refused jobs and mortgage applications on the basis of petty crimes they had committed over 20 years ago. This ‘criminal ruling on criminal convictions‘, not only trampled over the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, it was also set to ruin the lives of potentially thousands of people.

Later that same day, news broke that the Home Office had performed a spectacular u-turn on the DNA database and had dropped its plan to keep the DNA profiles of those arrested, but never convicted of a crime, for between 6 and 12 years, from the policing and crime bill that is going through parliament. This news finally saw the UK comply with the 2008 judgement of the European Court of Human Rights who had then ruled that holding the DNA of innocent people was unlawful, as Alex wrote about some time ago.

The DNA database was dealt a second killer blow when, on Wednesday, it was shown that crimes solved by DNA detection had fallen by a fifth in 2008-09, despite over a million new profiles being added and a 50% rise in cost from £2.2 to £4.4 million over the same period. 

All in all a bad week for government databases and a good week for individual privacy.

Top blogs from this week

CCTV – the placebo effect - shock as a local Labour councillor in South Derbyshire admits that CCTV is useless but does help in keeping the lid on his constitutents.

Strange poll results and data security - a poll that shows that 75% of us don’t trust the government, and 64% private companies, to keep our data safe, somehow comes to the conclusion that we’re ready to hand over our fingerprints and retinal scans. Not likely.

Barbecuing on CS gas - a 16 year-old’s birthday barbecue is rudely interupted by 35 police officers turning up to handcuff his errant brother. The CS gas may have been a step too far however.

Media Coverage

Wednesday 21st October 2009

Daily Telegraph – Teacher threatened with prosecution for leaving bag of paper by bin

…Dylan Sharpe, from Big Brother Watch, said: “This sort of punitive, big brother threat is becoming increasingly common across Britain today. If you don’t do as the local authorities want you to, they throw around fines and reprimands until you fall in line.”

Daily Mail – State spying to cost £200million each year to track your every click online

…Yesterday Alex Deane, director of campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: ‘The Government is preparing to make British people pay through the nose so that they can track our movements online…’

Tuesday 20th October 2009

talkSPORT 1089/1053 AM – Alex Deane interviewed by Ian Collins on the Late Show

Metro – Quarter of all workers have criminal records

…But barrister Alex Deane, of privacy pressure group Big Brother Watch, said: ‘The benefit to the police of retaining the data is minimal. The cost to the individuals can be huge – and often potentially life-ruining…’

Yorkshire Post – Conviction details of 1m to stay on police database

…Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, which campaigns against intrusions on the privacy and liberties of ordinary Britons, described the court’s decision as “crazy”. “The benefit to the police of retaining the samples is minimal,” he said.

Monday 19th October 2009

LBC 97.3FM – Alex interviewed by Petrie Hosken on ‘The Whole Show’

LocalGov.co.uk – Met technology ‘detracts’ from conventional policing

Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, said the use of the machines would ‘detract rather than aid conventional policing’.

Daily Mail – One million ‘minor’ convictions will stay on police files after forces win appeal court ruling

…Alex Deane, director of pressure group Big Brother Watch, said of the judgement: ‘This is crazy. We have a Rehabilitation of Offenders Act in this country, which tries to do exactly what it says on the tin – rehabilitate people back into society.

‘However, the police are effectively stymieing this by retaining fingerprints from age-old, spent convictions, which then go on to show up when people apply for jobs a generation later.”

Dear Supporter,

It has been another busy week for Big Brother Watch, which kicked off with a great piece in the Scottish Sun on Monday on the proliferation of CCTV cameras north of the border. Then the Director of BBW, Alex Deane, was invited onto BBC London on Wednesday to discuss police stop-and-search powers; and yesterday was a guest at the City Forum event: ‘The information intensive society – balancing security with privacy’ – more on which next week. We’re also noticing a steady rise in the number of hits our website is receiving as people come back to read the new blogposts as and when they appear. Please do bookmark www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk if you haven’t already, and come and take a look each day to read the latest goings-on in the field of civil liberties.  

An online coup d’etat 

The big national civil liberties issue of this week appeared on Tuesday morning, when news leaked out that the Guardian was being held under injunction from reporting a Parliamentary Question. For those that missed the details we have written about it here. But in truth, the most remarkable part of this episode was how the internet and - to be more precise - twitter, first brought the issue to light; then set-about making it a issue of national importance; and then finally won the day by forcing the lawyers Carter-Ruck to withdraw the injunction. It makes Big Brother Watch increasingly confident that similar issues relating to individual privacy and personal liberty could be dealt with in the same manner. If there is hope, it lies in the proles…  

Blogs of the Week 

Two more arguments against CCTV cameras - At Big Brother Watch we are often warning you of the problems of Britain’s near-ubiquitous CCTV coverage. In this, our most-read blog of the week, we explore two more reasons to dislike the spy cameras on our streets.

Why we can’t have unfettered trust in the police - We always want to be able to trust our police officers and, generally speaking, we often can. However we need to be able to monitor their behaviour and those who step out of line need to be punished; rather than the taxpayer.

Airport X-ray scanners pry a little further - Manchester Aiport trial new full-body scanners that show up your most intimate details. Their initial fudge (only one person watching, images immediately deleted) made to look a little less convincing with this update…

If you are on Twitter, the fastest way to find out when a new blogpost goes up on our site is to follow us @bbw1984

Media Coverage

Wednesday 14th October 2009

BBC Radio London 94.9FM – Alex Deane interviewed for Eddie Nestor’s Drivetime Show

Tuesday 13th October 2009

Conservative Home – Gagging reports of Parliamentary proceedings

…Well, apparently it hasn’t stopped after all. It is appalling that the fight needs to be had again, but it certainly needs to be had. We at Big Brother Watch find ourselves (grits teeth, breathes deeply, squares shoulders) firmly on the side of the Guardian…

Monday 12th October 2009

Scottish Sun – Big Brother is watching you…300 times a day

…SCOTLAND has become a ‘Big Brother’ state with record numbers of spy cams watching our every move up to 300 times a day. critics say the cash would be better off spent paying for more cops.

Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch, said: “For CCTV cameras to be worth paying for, they either have to help to prevent or help to detect crime.

“Money like this would be better off spent putting more bobbies on the beat, rather than increasing the reach of the Big Brother state…”

Churchill’s Legacy?

In last week’s newsletter, we mentioned Peter Oborne and Jesse Norman’s new book ‘Churchill’s Legacy: The Conservative Case for the Human Rights Act’. This week we thought we’d give you the opportunity to have a read yourself by linking to Jesse’s website where you can download the entire book for free.

To get your own pdf copy, please go here. 

Dear Supporter,

It has been a hectic week for Big Brother Watch with the team spending the past five days at Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, assessing the civil liberty credentials of the party that is likely to form Britain’s next government and hopefully changing a few minds and influencing a few big names in the process. What follows below is our own analysis from the important fringe events, key speeches and most interesting announcements.

Civil Liberties Vs Security: Are they compatible?

At this week’s Party Conference, courtesy of an invitation to use the Freedom Zone provided by our friends at The Freedom Association, Alex was “in conversation” with Douglas Murray of the Centre for Social Cohesion. In a very different kind of Conference fringe event: a genuine dialogue took place between them on the subject “civil liberties and security: are they compatible?” 

Douglas, a supporter of Control Orders and of laws such as the Terrorism Act, argued that the legislation Big Brother Watch criticises is not ‘bad’ in and of itself, but rather is undermined by its application through a filter of political correctness – for example the use of stop and search powers to investigate everyone but the particular groups most likely to cause terror attacks today. 

This was a point Alex generally agreed with, without conceding that such legislation was innately good. Alex argued that the extra powers of investigation and surveillance granted to councils and local authorities are widely misapplied – through wanton abuse, such as spying on people (usually young women) in their homes, or through self-important and intrusive overreaching, such as their use to spy on what kind of goods are sold by shops, or to monitor families to enforce school catchment area policies. 

Douglas accepted that many misuses take place but called for punishment of the abusers of such powers rather than the abolition of the laws themselves, believing that surveillance legislation can work well as long as it is properly applied. Big Brother Watch doubts the perfectability of bureaucrats in that proposition, but applauds the suggestion that such miscreants be punished…

Alex argued that often in the aftermath of catastrophic events, some of the worst legislation is pushed through as a kneejerk reaction without sufficient thought. Douglas agreed and suggested a 6 month “cooling off” period be applied after an event, in which no laws can be passed. Alex maintained that the temporary suspension of civil rights during a time of great strife can be a necessary evil, but the indefinite continuation of such a suspension is just an evil.
 

The Human Rights Act Vs a Bill of Rights – an ongoing saga

Some of the most interesting debates of Conference centered around Tory plans to scrap the Human Rights Act (HRA) and replace it with a new Bill of Rights – a policy David Cameron saw fit to place at number 3 on his list of key pledges in The Sun on the eve of conference. 

This particular debate was then preceeded by the news on Monday from the increasingly influential Conservative Home poll of Tory members, that 95% of Conservatives supported a civil liberties bill which could overturn various illiberal measures such as ID cards passed by Labour in the previous 12 years.

Later that day, Daily Mail columnist and commentator Peter Oborne wrote in the Guardian, to high praise from the paper, that the Human Rights Act was ‘a thoroughly Conservative piece of legislation, as a matter of history, of law and of philosophy.’ 

On Tuesday, speaking in the main Conference Hall, Shadow Justice Secretary, Dominic Grieve proceeded to blame the HRA in his announcement on identifying criminals – a policy that we have blogged on here.

And finally, in a terrific Liberty fringe on Tuesday evening, former Shadow Home Secretary David Davis gave us his own interpretation, saying that the HRA had failed to protect us against ludicrous policies like 42 days detention and ID cards. 

We aim to blog about this next week on www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk but it was very encouraging to see the issue receiving so much attention at the conference and the debates surrounding it were always well argued and interesting.

Media Coverage

Thursday 8th October 2009

Colourful Radio – Alex Deane interviewed by Bonsu and Juju for the Breakfast show

Tuesday 6th October 2009

Order-Order.com – Lord Falconer at Tory Party Conference

…Big Brother Watch’s Alex Deane spotted Lord Falconer outside the Tory Conference. With Cameroons openly speculating about welcoming some Blairites into their big tent, one wonders what he is doing in town…

Saturday 3rd October 2009

Press and Journal – Broch’s new CCTV comes under fire

…A north-east town’s new CCTV network has been criticised by a national pressure group, just days after the cameras were installed. Campaign group Big Brother Watch, which was launched in London last month, has condemned the long-awaited security scheme at Fraserburgh…

Blogs of the Week

David Cameron’s speech: An End to Big Government - Big Brother Watch responds to the Conservative Leader’s speech with a plea for a little more detail. As mentioned above, it’s number one for the grassroots and number 3 on Cameron’s own list of priorities – why such a poor billing?

Praise where it’s due - after the to-ing and fro-ing of conference, BBW returns home to highlight the good work of the residents of Pangbourne in West Berkshire.

An End to Speed Cameras? - Theresa Villers pledges that a future Conservative government would end the massive expansion of the most punitive and surveillance-based system of punishment seen in recent years.