Scientific Dictatorship

Big Brother alert over surge in 'citizen spies' as thousands more volunteer to snoop on neighbours

9,831 snoopers have already signed up

UK Daily Mail

Councils across the country have recruited thousands of ‘citizen snoopers’ to report ‘environmental crime’.

They target dog foulers, litter louts and neighbours who fail to sort their rubbish properly.

The volunteers act as the ‘eyes and ears’ of their neighbourhoods and are encouraged to take photos of ‘environmental crime’ and send them in with location details for a rapid response.

They are given hand-held GPS computers for the task or phone cards to cover the cost of using their own devices. Evidence gathered this way is sometimes used in criminal prosecutions.

There are already 9,831 snoopers signed up – a 17 per cent increase on the number two years ago – and a further 1,310 are set to be recruited and trained as part of schemes run by 18 councils.

Volunteers often apply to become ‘street champions’ through council websites, but many have also been lured by recruitment drives in local newspapers.

Critics said yesterday the trend to create an army of neighbourhood detectives was leading to a Big Brother society and a culture where prying on neighbours was considered the norm.

Nick Pickles, director of the civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: ‘It should be deeply troubling for us all that councils seem not content with their own snooping and are now recruiting members of the public to assist them...[Full Article]

Labels: big brother, spies

Report: US Contractors Hired Iranian Spies, Taliban, Warlords To Guard US Troops In Afghanistan
Senate Investigators Say Chaotic Security Contracts Pose 'Grave Risk' To US Troops

A scathing Senate report says US contractors in Afghanistan have hired warlords, "thugs," Taliban commanders and even Iranian spies to provide security at vulnerable US military outposts in Afghanistan. The report, published by the Senate Armed Services Committee, says lax oversight and "systemic failures" have led to "grave risks' to US forces, including instances where contractors have employed Afghan subcontractors who were "linked to murder, kidnapping and bribery, as well as Taliban and anti-coalition activities." The chairman of the committee, Sen. Carl Levin, D.-Michigan, said the report was evidence that the US needs to reduce its reliance on contractors. "We need to shut off the spigot of US dollars flowing into the pockets of warlords and power brokers who act contrary to our interests," said Sen. Levin. The committee reviewed roughly 125 unclassified Department of Defense security contracts between 2007 and 2009, and found that there are some 26,000 private security contractors operating in Afghanistan, the majority of whom are Afghan nationals. The review found "systemic failures" of the military oversight for contracts, including the hiring of what Levin called "many too many" security contractors who had been improperly vetted, improperly trained or were not provided weapons...

[Full Article]

Labels: Afghanistan, contractors, spies, Taliban

Now Labour Recruits Army of Child Spies to Report Anti-Social Neighbours

Child spies will be encouraged to report their neighbours as part of the latest drive to cut thuggery and anti-social behaviour on estates.

As part of a campaign launched yesterday, youngsters will look for residents with untidy or litter-strewn surroundings and then try to persuade them to clean up their homes.

Children involved should also write to authorities to demand action against those whose houses are labelled anti-social, ministers recommended...

Labels: child, children, privacy, spies, spying