Kiwis consider new spy laws in wake of Dotcom debacle Still deeply embarrassed that its spy agency, the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), was found to have acted illegally by capturing communications from Kim Dotcom, the New Zealand government is planning on changing its laws so the Bureau can in future spy on New Zealand citizens and residents. NZ prime minister …
Really?
Joseph Vissarionovich Jugashvilli (aka Stalin), 1937 - "The presumption of innocence is a bourgeoisie drivel, Soviet courts are always right and do not need it". Makes easier to march people down the corridor to turn around and face the music at its end ya know.
Senator Joseph McCarthy - "I have here in my hand a list of two hundred and five people that were known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy of the State Department.". Evidence? What evidence? Presumption of innocence? What presumption of innocence?
George W Bush and the amnesty to Telcos assisting USA government spying spree.
It is not surprising what Kiwi govt is doing, it is surprising that it did not try to boldly follow the lead of the other great democracy thinkers long ago.
More blatant, perhaps, but not original. It has been apparent for a number of years now that governments in the northern hemisphere are inclined to bring in laws to regulate misbehaviour by public bodies in this area, in such a way as to make legal what would otherwise rightly have been illegal.
The result is the same - we all get shafted.
I thought there was a law against changing or making a law to victimise someone who has not done anything wrong but in the eyes of the Government needs to be subdued and punished.
I also thought this only happened in the old corrupt banana republic counties which are still dotted here and there.
"I also thought this only happened in the old corrupt banana republic counties which are still dotted here and there."
NZ is just as bad. It's just hidden far better, or legalised.
Bear in mind that the only definition of corruption which exists under NZ law is bribery. "If it isn't illegal, it must be ok" etc. Cronyism is a major problem in the country, and anyone pointing it out becomes a target for the establishment.
...that monitoring Kim Dotcom a know con artists and criminal, should be legal and proper. New Zealand is just behind the times on cybercrime and the need for new laws to address these issues in a changing world of crime. All countries should have the legal right to monitor those believed to be involved in cybercrimes.
Except NZ already has the "legal right" to monitor those believed to be involved in any kind of crime. This legislation changes the status of an organisation intended to keep tabs on non-residents to one that spies legally on residents as well. And does so on the pretext of protecting the country from cybercrime when it's a clear attempt to head off any litigation from the other 80-odd NZers who have also been spied on illegally by the GCSB over the last decade.
The only thing "pretty obvious" about your comment is how ignorant of the facts you are.
@AC 03:53
The problem is not whether Dotcom is or isn't "a con artist and criminal" (nice presumption of guilt here - the trial hasn't even started). The problem is that under NZ Laws of the time the GCSB was not allowed to tap his communications *without a court order*. And this is the important bit: someone in the GCSB failed to do their job and did not check to see if they needed a court order.
So rather than slapping the GCSB on the wrist for being idiots and ensuring that next time the proper forms and paperwork will be filled and filed, the NZ Government is now changing the laws so that the morons who could not do their jobs in the first place will no longer need to get a court order in order to continue botching their job.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
> a known con artists and criminal,
And a great saving if you allow the secret services to investigate known con artists and criminals - without bothering with judges, warrants and police. In fact you could abolish the police altogether and just buy a job lot of black raincoats and rubber truncheons
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