Ireland - Mobiles registry to aid anti-drugs drive (Ireland)

[Lunar Loops]

Yet another erosion of personal freedom and privacy. What's more it is hardly likely to work. Of course all dealers are going to buy the phones themselves and provide legitimate details. There is a subtext here of tracking and interception of text messages and voicemail without the need for a warrant. The old "if you have nothing to hide" cliche is trotted out again. If we have nothing to hide, why are they even bothered about our phones? Would Minister Carey care to give us a transcript of all of his messages over the last couple of months? If privacy does not really matter anymore, why the hell are politicians continually ranting on about invasions of their privacy?

Anyway, this from The Independent:

Mobiles registry to aid anti-drugs drive

By Michael Brennan
Monday July 23 2007


ALL mobile phones will have to be registered as part of a Government plan to improve surveillance on drug dealers.

Currently, any person can buy a pay-as-you-go mobile phone anonymously, which makes it harder for the gardai to track those involved in the drugs trade.
In an interview with the Irish Independent, new Drugs Minister Pat Carey said registry would help to tackle the "rampant use" of mobile phones in prisons, as well as small-time dealers working in the "shopping-centre carpark, the church car park or the local football field".
"If you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear. There may well be confidentiality or civil liberties issues but there are lives of people at stake as well, which I believe overrides any of those."
The measure is part of the anti-drugs strategy agreed with the Green Party in the programme for government.
Mr Carey said there were also plans to provide a Criminal Assets Bureau officer in every garda division to target mid- and lower-level drug dealers.

[podge]

As swim heard on the radio a few minute's ago - anyone can register under fake detail's. So for anyone wishing to deal this law wont really be any hasstle. I thinks it's more to appear like they are taking an even harder stance on drugs....when in reality it's a law which is easily avoided and most people are aware of this.

[Joe Duffy]

That’s one of the most stupid and ridiculous ideas I have heard in a long time. I suggest it would be better to introduce some sort of mandatory intelligence screening among politicians, this would hopefully weed out some of the chronically dim-witted proposals.

[Lunar Loops]

The reponse from the mobile phone firms from today's Independent:

Mobile phone firms seek meeting with Drugs Minister

Tuesday July 24 2007

Mobile phone companies are seeking a meeting with Junior Minister for Drugs to discuss his plan to force all mobile phone users to register their details.

At present, people can buy a pay-as-you-go mobile without giving a name and address.
Drugs Minister Pat Carey is planning to force these phone users to register their details as part of an initiative to improve surveillance on drug dealers and crack down on mobile phone use in prisons.
Digital Rights Ireland has already described the plan as a blatant breach of people's rights, saying it will allow the Government to track the movements of every citizen with a mobile phone.
The mobile phone companies, meanwhile, say the measure is not feasible and will create a number of difficulties.
They say no other European country has attempted a mobile register and it would be easy for a criminal to purchase a SIM card abroad and use it here without detection.

[Nature Boy]

This is a bloody disgrace!!

Something very fishy is going on with mobile phone monitoring in Ireland at the moment. It's already started. Gardaí are able access suspected drug dealers' text messages and I've heard of cases where this has been used as evidence. What's more, I suspect that line tapping may be taking place. A contact of SWIM's (yes, a drug "dealer" if you will) was shocked a couple of weeks back when a friend of his accidentally discovered something on his voicemail when his phone was powered down. It was something along the lines of: "Mr. (and his name), investigation" followed by some strange beeping noises and interference. He decided to change his phone and SIM card immediately.

Be extremely weary of this. The Irish government is hellbent on invading everyone's privacy and will be able to justify these actions to their sheepish followers.

[Nagognog2]

Next up: Semaphore-flag signals from hilltop to hilltop.

[dutch-marshal]

the dutch government is doing just the same
all our phones messages ect are kept in record...and they can follow u arround as u go...trough ur phone signal...

only way to protect urself from it...onll "work" with friends and don't take ur phone anywhere when u "work"...thats kinda like impossible...

we have to invent some easy to use new standard way of communication..
any suggestions?

[x cynic x]

Paper cups with strings through them.

[Coconut]

Originally Posted by Nature Boy

This is a bloody disgrace!!

Something very fishy is going on with mobile phone monitoring in Ireland at the moment. It's already started. Gardaí are able access suspected drug dealers' text messages and I've heard of cases where this has been used as evidence. What's more, I suspect that line tapping may be taking place. A contact of SWIM's (yes, a drug "dealer" if you will) was shocked a couple of weeks back when a friend of his accidentally discovered something on his voicemail when his phone was powered down. It was something along the lines of: "Mr. (and his name), investigation" followed by some strange beeping noises and interference. He decided to change his phone and SIM card immediately.

Be extremely weary of this. The Irish government is hellbent on invading everyone's privacy and will be able to justify these actions to their sheepish followers.

I agree completely.

[podge]

Most people swim knows use code words while texting in relation to drugs anyway so this measure aint gonna cause too much trouble swim hpes.