Dutch Ministry Proposes Powers For Police To Hack Computers, Install Spyware 130
hypnosec writes "The Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security has proposed some rather over the line measures and wants to extend such powers to the police that would allow them to break into computers and mobile phones in any part of the world. According to the proposal (PDF in Dutch), dated October 15, the ministry has asked for powers that would allow police to not only break into computers, but also allow them to install spyware, search for data in those computers, and destroy data. As explained by digital rights group 'Bits of Freedom,' which obtained the copy of the proposal, if the Dutch police get such powers, the security of computer users would be lessened and there will be a 'perverse incentive to keep information security weak.'"
Re:Can't they already? (Score:5, Informative)
Yes, and that has already happened. This is the push to avoid judges post hoc, but attain permission pre hoc.
The nuance: The proposal is to have law enforcement ask a certain type of judge to approve the hacking before it occurs, similar to the way phone taps are approved.
It would furthermore only be allowable when somebody is suspect of severe crimes, f.i. a crime for which the maximum sentence is at least 4 years of incarceration (note the wording here, one would assume 'suspected terrorist' is sufficient).
Realistically, though, the whole thing should be comparable to phone taps and one should either oppose both or deem both to be acceptable.
The majority of our (recently elected) parliament is supportive of the proposal (including the parties that are most probably going to form a coalition government), although many members of parliament note that when an actual law is proposed, the protection of privacy should be more strictly worded (in the sense that minor 'crimes' should not warrant government hacking).
Re:Can't they already? (Score:4, Informative)
I agree. Mod this fucker up.
I saw surveillance cam footage of a cop in a nearby village (small town in the US)- off duty, breaking the antenna off a car in a parking lot and using it to beat his wife with it until she was on the ground in a fetal position screaming for help. I do not think she was seriously hurt outside some welts in various places. The day after this happened, someone was sentenced to 5 years in prison for domestic violence for telling his spouse he would kill her if she ever returned to his home again. He then shoved her out the door and she fell obtaining a few bruises. This supposedly happened after he caught her cheating with someone else moments earlier. The other guy ran and wasn't involved in the domestic violence.
The cop, he was sentenced to time served (over night) and had to complete an anger management course with 100 hours community service.
Another instance that recently happened which baffles the mind. An under aged woman (drinking age) called a friend who was a county sheriff claiming she was drunk and needed a ride home. He went to a bar outside of town and met her. Nothing has been said about if she was drinking at the bar or pulled into it after trying to drive from somewhere else and realizing she was to intoxicated to drive. The sheriff deputy went to get her, convinced her to follow him back to his house, then started making sexual advances towards her. The woman decided she wanted nothing of it and tried to leave. The Deputy wouldn't let her leave, she escaped and went outside. He subdued her using choke-holds and and various other aspects of his training even kicking and punching her. A few people saw this happening while exiting a near by bar and went over to prevent what they described as a rape in progress according to the 911 call. The deputy was arrested under suspicion of kidnapping, sexual assault, criminal assault, and something else by the town police. 3 weeks later, all charges against him had been dropped and he resigned from the Sheriff's department. 2 weeks after that, he was hired as a police deputy in a neighboring town and rumor has it that his pay actually increased in the process.
It seems like the justice system is really code for Just us as far as they are concerned.