"This Phone Is Tapped"

[TMA_1]

I was walking through my school and noticed something on the phones. They had a new sticker on them and it says "This Phone Is Tapped". I read the small print and guess what? You dont have to have police approval to tap phones now because of the "patriot" act of 2001. Started from 9/11. We didnt grow up from terrorist attacks. We now have a bigger beurocracy and new laws that are unconstitutional. shows that people never really gave a damn about what happened when the terrorists flew into the trade tower buildings.

[exatreide]

that sucks man....

god damn republican gunslingers and there all american or go to hell atidude...

did i say that.......this internet conection has been tapped....crap!

*THIS MESSEGE HAS BEEN TERMINATED BY THE NSA FOR UN AUTHORIZED USE OF THE WORD REPUBLCAIN...SUSPSECTED TERRORIST*

[VigilVirus]

Ex, Ex, you extremist terrorist, saying the "r" word like that ;) ;D

[thomas]

i just say elephant man ;)

[ordos45]

You're just finding this out now? :O

They can pretty much suspend all your civil liberties thanks to the Patriot Act. Oh and in the event of a war, don't go to Canada. Under pressure from the United States Government it no longer grants "Refugee Status" to Americans.

[TMA_1]

no dont you see ordos? it hits home when it effects the small things you do. I mean that is when it really gets you.

[ordos45]

Yep I see that too...unfortunately. Though they can do the same thing with computer networks and have been since before the establishment of the Patriot Act, odds are your e-mail is checked by the ECHELON system run by the friendly people at the NSA. Is it so much to want private communications?

[Acriku]

I think it's perfectly fine. If you aren't doing anything illegal, then you have nothing to worry about. Who cares if they find out you are telling your girlfriend how good she was, or that your fighting with your ex, as long as there is nothing illegal in it, there is no problem. I don't mind, why should you? UNless you have something to worry about?

[TMA_1]

geh. I totally agree Ordos.

[Gobalopper]

Just because they can doesn't mean they have every single phone in America tapped. And I highly doubt they would bother tapping a phone unless they had suspensions it was being used for illegal/terrorist activities. The NSA, CIA, etc don't have unlimited resources and still can't moniter all communications that happen every day. If you think they are taping your conversations then you are either paranoid or your uncle lives in a big palace in Baghdad. :)

[SurlyPIG]

Most countries have something like this for an emergency or war time. Canada's is called the Emergency Act. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but you never know if you can trust the government not to cross the line.

EDIT : Wait a minute...who is the one tapping the phones, TMA? Hopefully I'm wrong but the way you put it, individual citizens don't need police authorization to tap the phones. Is it your school tapping them?

[TMA_1]

No, the school or any group including the government can tap into phone lines without any formality. and guys it isnt the tapping that bothers me. Its the slow increase in destruction of our protections. I have nothing to fear. But after so many of these laws are passed, will I have to fear in the future? It has happened all the time in history. People blow off a few laws because they help "protect" people. And maybe it works. It grows though and laws start increasing and eventually the judicial branch of the government and the congress will either mindlessly go along with these plans or they will have no way to fight it. This "Patriot" act is filth, and it reminds me of what the president and people who agree with this plan are. thats my personal opinion.

[SurlyPIG]

Well in that case it's ridiculous. That means any idiot could tap phone lines...I wouldn't necessarily mind the government but that's WAY too much. Normally measures such as these give the GOVERNMENT the power to suspend the rights of citizens, but this just seems like it's taking them away - from other citizens. That's ludacris.

[Anathema]

I read somewhere you're not allowed to use encryption code for email in the US because the government wishes to be able to spy on everyone- is this true?

Btw TMA, I take it you can only tap your own phones? It would be kinda ridiculous if your school could tap the phone at your house. ;)

[Acriku]

How can big businesses function if they can't send encrypted e-mail ? Lockheed probably e-mails many people a day, probably sometimes with content they'd rather the terrorists did not know about, so what then?

[Anathema]

No, I meant encrypting the actual message, so that only the receiver and the sender can read it.

[Timenn]

Is there no way to stop this law? When enough people are against it, you can stop it?

Or is it like we have in the Netherlands with our problems of: 'I don't feel safe on the street anymore' Just because some stupid people said in public it wasn't safe at the street anymore.

Does this law also mean that you can walk to a telephone pole and you can legally tap the calls which go over that wire?

I totally agree with you TMA_1, although it is unlikely that someone listens to your call, it should give me a feeling that I can't speak out freely anymore

[Caid Ivik]

As my family is whole in politics, I think phone-tap is an usual thing. When Meciar ruled, SIS heared everything. I hope Mitro removed us from list ;D

[Timenn]

Even politicians should normally have private calling. But they are often too pursuited by media companies. Why does everyone want to know the private life of a politician?

[Caid Ivik]

I really think about it sometimes. Best solution is to stay out of any "not fully clean" thing. But what is worse, in Meciar's era was SIS linked to underground, and many of their systems were on its end marked "obsolete" and sold.

[Timenn]

But what is full clean? You mean business? They have the right to tap when they (police) have a proven suspision, I think

You mean individual people have tapping devices?

[Caid Ivik]

You don't know what mafia is?

[Timenn]

That is illegal tapping. That is punishable. I think TMA-1 meant legal tapping

[Acriku]

"On October 26, 2001, President Bush signed the USA Patriot Act (USAPA) into law. With this law we have given sweeping new powers to both domestic law enforcement and international intelligence agencies and have eliminated the checks and balances that previously gave courts the opportunity to ensure that these powers were not abused. Most of these checks and balances were put into place after previous misuse of surveillance powers by these agencies, including the revelation in 1974 that the FBI and foreign intelligence agencies had spied on over 10,000 U.S. citizens, including Martin Luther King."

It gives the domestic law enforcement and international intelligence agencies the power, not civilians.

[nemafakei]

I think you need a court order in the UK to tap a 'phone line.