Would the “cop in my pocket” accept a bribe from News International?

This week’s New Scientist features an article entitled Smartphone surveillance: The cop in your pocket (kerching). In it, a rather breathless Nic Fleming waxes lyrically about how, thanks to our smartphones, “we are all set to gain unprecedented crime-fighting abilities.” Sadly, however, it is not through being able to download mad martial arts skillz via… Continue reading Would the “cop in my pocket” accept a bribe from News International?

Confused debate over superinjunctions

I can’t help but smell a rat over the current media furore over superinjunctions. It started out perfectly honourably, with a genuine freedom of speech issue surrounding Trafigura. Clearly a company which had been caught dumping toxic waste should not be able to hide behind a legal nicety reserved solely for the wealthy. But what… Continue reading Confused debate over superinjunctions

Ashdown, Amnesty and the ippr

Background: last week I wrote a short article on Lib Dem Voice about the ippr’s new report on surveillance and data protection, pointing out how it had been funded and lamenting the fact that Lord Ashdown has, in effect, been used to legitimise the argument. This resulted in a furious response from Lord Ashdown himself,… Continue reading Ashdown, Amnesty and the ippr