back to article Did GCHQ illegally spy on you? Now you can find out – from this page

Ever wonder whether the UK's listening post, GCHQ – the Government Communications Headquarters – was tuning in to your life a little too closely? Well, now you may be able to find out, thanks to an online campaign launched by spy-botherers Privacy International (PI). There is a bit of a catch, as you'll see. Just a bit of a …

  1. J. R. Hartley

    Do we still have the helicopter icon?

    We need that one back, please.

    1. Gordon 10
      Black Helicopters

      Re: Do we still have the helicopter icon?

      You are mistaken citizen you saw nothing.

  2. iMap

    'where you can provide personally identifiable information'

    Surely by willfully providing the information, you are opening the floodgates to future exploits and security measures no matter whether it's a charity or not!

    If you are not on the list, you soon will be..

    Go on you know you want to check it out!

  3. Mike Flugennock

    Not that I don't think PI is doing a good thing here...

    ...but I can already sense the first wave of phishing spam from identity thieves claiming to be from Privacy International, and saying that they can find out if the GCHQ has been spying on me if I'll just send them my name/address/email password/mobile phone number/credit card info.

    After all, I've already gotten three phishing spams from people claiming that they can find out if my non-existent Ashley Madison account has been compromised.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I don't think so!

    A web page where you can post personally identifiable information...

    Yeah right!

    1. egeria

      Re: I don't think so!

      Like Facebook, you mean?

      1. Khaptain Silver badge

        Re: I don't think so!

        and www.google.com, www.microsoft.live.com, www.apple.com, *.gov, a hundred thousand emails servers, a million forums etc etc etc

        It's basically called the Internet.... and the details of your personal lives are now it's bloodline for the vampirical beast known as "commerce".

  5. Andy Non Silver badge
    Big Brother

    Putting a target on your back

    Can't help wondering if those who request this information will be black listed as potential terrorists/malcontents/trouble makers/etc with "something to hide".

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Putting a target on your back

      As far as the Government is concerned we are all potential terrorists/malcontents/trouble makers/etc with "something to hide".

      I'll put my hands up to being a malcontent/trouble maker in my head but I draw the line somewhere sensible when it come to things I will do.

      The Government doesn't know what a line is.

      1. TWB

        Re: Putting a target on your back

        Exactly how I feel.

      2. Triggerfish

        Re: Putting a target on your back

        If you have nothing to hide,

        they'll make a new fear up.

    2. Dan 55 Silver badge
      Black Helicopters

      Re: Putting a target on your back

      Or journalists...

      As GCHQ has already had a quiet chat with them, I wonder what would happen if El Reg's journalists took the red pill and all requested their info.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Putting a target on your back

      You're already on one.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The charity has set up a webpage

    are you sure it's not re-directing?

  7. Tim Brown 1
    Mushroom

    Uhm..

    Has someone done a security audit on the charity website? I'd hate to see an 'Ashley Madison' happen to them!

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    Hell, just dial a random number every 3-6 weeks.

    Keep the fuckers guessing.

    edited to say: But don't say anything.

    1. Khaptain Silver badge

      Re: Hell, just dial a random number every 3-6 weeks.

      What's the chances that someone is already preparing a bot with the details of 35Million AM accounts.....

    2. Vic
      Joke

      Very old joke...

      Keep the fuckers guessing.

      How do you get a job with the Security Services?

      Ring your granny and ask for an application form.

      Vic.

      1. Fat Northerner

        Re: Very old joke...

        This isn't a joke.

        This is how a major world crisis was averted.

  9. Graham Marsden
    Black Helicopters

    Are GCHQ spying on me...?

    ... We are now!

    1. Fat Northerner

      Re: Are GCHQ spying on me...?

      And always have been.

      It's not the spying that bothers me. It's the 800K in lost earnings through being more valuable to someone unable to get a job, than employed.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Fuck's sake.

    Now Privacy International is off my Xmas card list. "Protect your privacy by rolling under the camera. But it's only for us, honest".

    Maybe the intentions are good; but if you weren't on a list before you signed up, you sure are now.

    1. Fat Northerner

      Re: Fuck's sake.

      " but if you weren't on a list before you signed up, you sure are now"

      You were anyway. There's no if.

  11. Chozo

    Pretty pointless asking as they won't tell what information was gathered.

  12. dephormation.org.uk
    Holmes

    Privacy International

    If it helps you decide whether or not to post your personal information, keep in mind the current director of Privacy International (Gus Hosein) was a consultant to BT/Phorm.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Here's my balls, here's my plate...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Look out stomach, here it comes!

  14. RichardB
    WTF?

    The answer is Yes.

    Surely by entering your details into a search in their database, you will pretty much defacto enter their database, so the only real option they have is to say, Yes you are in our database.

    1. Fat Northerner

      Re: The answer is Yes.

      Ah. Brilliant, the non-existentialism argument.

      "Everything exists at least conceptually, because if you can think of something which doesn't, you've made it so by imagining it."

      (That's how thick middle class kids get onto Oxbridge philosophy courses.)

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    As they are international maybe they should set up an office in Nigeria wantings bank details for good of checking as you are bestowed moneys from spyings on you and helpings remove from datahouse.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'm limiting my searching to all the people I don't like's details so they make the watch list :-)

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    My spook experience (mid 1980s)

    they hadn't a clue what went on in the Uni computer centre. We could have been eating babies and throwing the bones out the window for all they knew.

    However, they *did* have an awfully good idea of what was going on in real life. To the extent that when I started some offline research for an idea I had for a project to do some serious data crunching, I was approached and gently persuaded that maybe another avenue would be more productive.

    Bearing in mind this was pre internet days, when things written down stayed where they were unless they were faxed, and the only people who knew what the project was were my supervisor, course colleagues, and a couple of people in the local authority.

    In the intervening 27 years, I find it illuminating that no-one has - publicly at least - attempted to pick up my project. Given the "big data" buzz, it should have been the first idea in many peoples heads. The silence is suggestive.

    1. LucreLout

      Re: My spook experience (mid 1980s)

      @AC

      A very intriguing post. I'd love to ask you to provide further details of your project, but that would rather give the game away as to your identity. I've a reasonable understanding of big data, and whatever it is you think everyone else has missed, well, I'm most certainly missing it too.

      Have you thought about resurrecting your project? The world has moved on a lot from the 80s, so you may find the powers that be more receptive?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Have you thought about resurrecting your project?

        My worry would be someone else already has.

        1. Otto is a bear.

          Re: Have you thought about resurrecting your project?

          All the more reason, at least you know your integrity.

          A principle I use to the good all the time.

          1. Jediben

            Re: Have you thought about resurrecting your project?

            It's Jake. It's always bloody Jake.

            Hi Jake!

        2. LucreLout

          Re: Have you thought about resurrecting your project?

          @AC

          My worry would be someone else already has.

          Harold, is that you?

        3. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. Fat Northerner

      Re: My spook experience (mid 1980s)

      They did.

  18. Hellcat
    Big Brother

    "GCHQ, I'm concerned that you might be spying on me."

    "Oh really? That is interesting."

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