RunningWithBulls.com - The curse of Sanfermin

Leading on from the release of the Digital Rights press release last Friday, and the mainstream interest in this story (from Irish Times, Irish Independent, and the Irish Examiner), I have a challenge for everybody who reads this blog.

My challenge (with poetic license from Gavin Joyce - thanks Gavin!):

Tell 5 people about this government mass surveillance, by mobile telephone, by landline telephone, and by Internet surfing.

And once you have told those 5 people, *make* them to tell 5 other people. If they do, reward them with a glass of nice juice, or a glass of ice cold beer.

This issue is not a technical story of techno-mumbo jumbo.

The manner in which this surveillance is done is a technical one, but consider it this way:

Replace the mobile telephone, Internet surfing tracking with a police man standing outside your house, your office, and writing down you comings and goings (and everywhere in between) on a piece of paper.

Why? Just in case you do something wrong.

[UPDATE]: PlanetPotato also write about this, giving a good example too:

Take mobile phones as an example. A mobile phone identifies itself to each cell it is connected to, and as such it is possible to track where anyone with a mobile phone is by reference to which cell they are connected to. The government mandates that this information be stored. If it was so important that our locations are tracked at all times, why do they not order those people without mobile phones to carry a location tracking device? Of course not, that would cause outrage - but because most people do not realise the extent of tracking that the semi-technical cell jargon describes, they don’t realise what is involved.

So, your mission for the week is to explain to people what this law will do, and wht it will allow the police do.

If you need any background information, read through the excellent information available on DRI’s website.

And then, tell them to support Digital Rights Ireland.

If you’d rather make a once-off donation, that’s fine too - please contact us if you’ve donated a year’s subscription, and would like to be considered a supporter as above.

Also if people would like to send large blank cheques, they can do so, in an envelope to this address:

Digital Rights Ireland Limited
Company Number: 410355
Registered Office: 1 Caiseal na Rí, Cashel, Co. Tipperary

Let me know when you have, and I will be sure to thank you!

Technorati Tags: data privacy , data retention , digital rights ireland , mass surveillance , runningwithbulls.com