BB: Watching, Listening And Shouting Created 17 years ago2006-11-29 09:37:01 UTC by Jahzel

(Good article by Steve Watson from Prisonplanet.com - Notice how every claim is hyperlinked in order to back up the information. This is not just some "conspiracy theory" this is the actual direction this Government is considering taking. However, when I look around, I see the same old excuse being uttered by many: "If you haven't got anything to hide, then you have nothing to fear." This kind of wild rationalisation helped the likes of Hitler rise into power.)

Big Brother: Watching, Listening And Shouting

Behavioural control agenda continues as cameras will now record our conversations in the street and determine whether we are aggressive

Steve Watson
Infowars.net
Tuesday, November 28, 2006

In an amazing story, that was passed over as if completely by-the-by, it was revealed over the weekend that London police and councils are considering monitoring our conversations in the street using high-powered microphones attached to CCTV cameras.

The microphones, which are already in use in the Netherlands, can pick up "aggressive tones" on the basis of 12 factors, including decibel level, pitch and the speed at which words are spoken. They are so advanced that background noise is filtered out, enabling the camera to focus on specific conversations in public places.

The excuse being touted is that in 2012 London will host the Olympics. So what?

These devices may be successful in recording the murmurs leading up to a scuffle between a couple of hobos but they're certainly not going to prevent any major security threats. What are they going to do, monitor conversations and despatch emergency squads of argument police if it looks like it might turn nasty?

Step by step our free and open society is being transformed into one of hi-tech authoritarian panopticon state control.

This latest suggestion even has the former Home Secretary David Blunkett, (an MP who for so many years pushed the ID card database in the UK) up in arms. Blunkett yesterday remarked that the listening cameras "smacked of the "surveillance state".

Once again this about having total information awareness, the ability to monitor everyone, anywhere, all the time. It's about getting used to being controlled and eliminating any backlash towards living under total surveillance. Note how the primary function of the cameras is to detect aggression or dissent.

In addition to simply watching and scanning us 24/7 with the ability to positively identify who we are, which many now consider perfectly normal, the latest technology is being used to monitor and manipulate our behaviour.

Face scanning cameras are another example of such technology. Some of these devices are programmed to sound an alarm when they spot suspicious behaviour, such as waiting somewhere for a prolonged period of time or just walking in a suspicious way.Don't think that these are just proto-type tools either, we have seen how their use in airports and train stations has been hyped over the past year.

Those who are lucky enough to work out of the big cities or those who drive to work have their movements and personal behaviour monitored by traffic cameras all over the UK.

In an even more shocking move we reported last month that the cameras may even start shouting at you in order to publicly humiliate you and let everyone else around know if you are doing something they deem to be wrong. "UNMUTUAL, UNMUTUAL". This way you might be shamed into never stepping out of line in that way again.

Such forms of eavesdropping and monitoring conversations are not new, they are now simply less covert and more out in the open because there is an excuse to justify their use.

In the US you can call your cell phone company, ask them where you are and they will tell you down to a few feet. That is a federal operation that's hooked into the NSA right at this moment and about to be hooked into every major police department and squad car.

Your name, everything about you, what you're doing, where you're going and the cop can punch in a few keys and use your phone as an audio sensor.

Major cities such as Austin, Texas have already installed gunshot detection microphones. The government assured us that they respect our privacy but the very companies installing them bragged about how they can listen to a kid on the street talking to his friend two hundred yards away.

And now, from Rochester New York to Austin Texas to Chicago, the government has announced that they are being used as microphones and they will be used to listen to us.

And it's not just in the street that you can be listened to.

Private industry and eventually government is planning to use microphones in the computers of an estimated 150 million-plus Internet active Americans to spy on their lifestyle choices and build psychological profiles which will be used for surveillance, invasive advertising and data mining.Check your computer now, if it is a fairly new model it more than likely has a built in microphone that really serves no obvious purpose at this time. Cable and satellite boxes also have the microphones. Why does your TV need to listen to you?

Even if you believe the agenda is purely a consumerist drive to aggressively advertise (why should you when the government wants warrantless wiretapping and the power to detain without trial) this is still a flagrant invasion of our privacy and an attempt to manipulate our behaviour.

A government engaging in escalating criminal actions and becoming more and more secretive should not be watching and tracking us as if we're all criminals. The same goes for all forms of watching, listening, shouting, singing, dancing, flying CCTV surveillance. That's not freedom.

The very matter of fact announcing and the creep of this surveillance nightmare works on two levels. On the one hand the placement of the technology allows a literal big brother monitoring system to function. Secondly the fallout is shaping individual behavior, which means it doesn't much matter what slips past the surveillance grid, because people are cowering in fear of speaking out or being active in any way.

Big brother may not need to watch all the time and that is ultimately more successful, because control by fiat rather than force is something that?s far easier to accomplish and far harder to resist.

Do not cower. If you see any of these devices in your area, demand their removal. Or if your local government plans to implement listening and shouting cameras, resist them.
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So, what do you think people?

Are you in favour of these measures? Are yout absolutely outraged by them? What's your view? :

Check your computer now, if it is a fairly new model it more than likely has a built in microphone that really serves no obvious purpose at this time.

Well that's not true, the popularity of VoIP is really taking off, and applications like Live Messenger have the ability to have voice chats.

Apart from that, it's honestly pretty much what I've been expecting. The technology is certainly there, and it has been around for a while (at least, in concept stage). The fear that's been instilled into the Western World is absolutely ludicrous, a fear that'll only disappear if we wipe out everyone over 40 and let the young, more sensible folk take over (that'll present it's own problems of course, one of those being that the majority of young people these days are morons).

I fear that crap like this will affect the "feel" of countries. Take Australia for instance. Generally speaking, Australia is reknowned for its larikan (spelling) nature (in other words, an easy-going bunch of people). All this terrorism crap impedes on that, forcing us to never look another in the eye, or even place basic trust in a stranger. I've no idea if it was any better before my time, but from what I can see, it seems as though it was.

Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do about this, short of establishing a new country. But hey, there'll always be the Internet...

R-right?

All this terrorism crap impedes on that, forcing us to never look another in the eye, or even place basic trust in a stranger. I've no idea if it was any better before my time, but from what I can see, it seems as though it was.

So true. It's so horrible to see our societies being completely destroyed in favour of a jackboot police state bootlicking society where everyone's quivering in fear of being attacked by an unknown enemy that can never be located or destroyed. (Exactly like Orwell's 1984) I'm not scared of any terrorist threat because I know that most terror threats are completely staged or lost in a world of media sensationalism. It's more dangerous driving on the motorway or riding a motorcycle.

Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do about this, short of establishing a new country. But hey, there'll always be the Internet...

R-right?

There's one way of escaping the horrors of the new slave states we call home, set up an Island community totally independent from the state. The question is, how long would it last? In a lot of ways, we'd still need some connection to the mainland for supplies - what if the Government declared everyone on the Island as a terrorist and decided to go and 'raid' the Island for "everyone?s safety"? - Ok, I'm dreaming...

Good point though.

As for the Internet, the Government has already declared Internet free speech, alternative news and blogging as being 'terroristic'. They have also announced the future of the Internet - Internet 2, where we have to ask for permission to set up a website. The website has to gain full approval before it can be authorised. The Internet will eventually be left to shut down altogether, and then it will be reintroduced as Internet2. They'll probably use some "Problem Reaction Solution" technique as an excuse to abandon the old Internet.

I find it hard to believe that any sort of Government could control the Internet, in any sense of the word. It's far too large and unwieldy to enforce anything on. Any attempt made would result in a HUGE uprising as well.

The closest I've seen to something that's an attempt at controlling the Internet was the whole Pirate Bay raid earlier this year. That resulted in absolutely jack-all for the people trying to shut the site down, and gave everyone who used the site further reason to continue to do so. It's funny how on the Internet people can band together so easily and actually sometimes make a difference, yet in the real-world we're plagued by constrictions and guideless. Not that I'm saying guidelines and rules are bad, I'm just adding some food for thought. (Excuse me if this is incoherent, it's 12:30 AM here and I'm pooped)

I find it hard to believe that any sort of Government could control the Internet, in any sense of the word. It's far too large and unwieldy to enforce anything on. Any attempt made would result in a HUGE uprising as well.

So do I, but they understand that the Internet is a powerful information tool. If stopped, who knows what those assholes could get away with - all of our information would come from the lamestream media, and probably local underground newsletters - which would be labelled as 'terroristic', no doubt.

The closest I've seen to something that's an attempt at controlling the Internet was the whole Pirate Bay raid earlier this year. That resulted in absolutely jack-all for the people trying to shut the site down, and gave everyone who used the site further reason to continue to do so. It's funny how on the Internet people can band together so easily and actually sometimes make a difference, yet in the real-world we're plagued by constrictions and guideless. Not that I'm saying guidelines and rules are bad, I'm just adding some food for thought. (Excuse me if this is incoherent, it's 12:30 AM here and I'm pooped)

I guess nobody is afraid on the internet. There's no such thing as inhibition. This makes dissent a heck of a lot stronger. It's also a large community, if that community is threatened with closure, then boy I'd hate to be the dickhead who want's it closed...

Jazh, i actualy agree with you on this subject, i think.

i'm having a debate tommorow with the dutch minister from the department of justice, and this is one of the subjects that will come across.

Well, it does bother me. Bunch of sicko scum staring at us while we go to the bathroom - Oh you didn't think they had cameras in bathrooms now? What, for our safety? Nope.

It get's worse ladies and gentlemen...

More Cameras Used In School Bathrooms

Houston Police Chief Wants Surveillance Cameras In Private Homes

Peeping tom CCTV workers jailed

Rights group criticises 'Asbo TV'

These "screaming security cameras" are ludicrous. Not only are they horribly ineffective - they're also plain obnoxious (indecent behaviour!), expensive and most of all, privacy infringing. Ridiculous.

This "war of terror" always amuses me - especially the US' "National threat advisory". Honestly, this is comically stupid. Not only does it inform terrorists when security will be elevated and when it's relatively low (I mean, who the hell thought this up?), it's also only a way to fill the population with fear. When the citizens of a country are afraid, constantly, of an unknown, unbeatable threat, the terrorists have won. That's their goal, all along, damn it. Annoys the crap out of me how Americans still can't see they're helping the terrorists win. Sack 'o poop.

By the way, the internet isn't all good and glory. ISPs have already started blocking sites with inappropriate content to reach the viewers (in Denmark and Norway IIRC). Not to mention the on-going debate about "net neutrality" with companies wanting to make their sites faster and everyone else's slower. Again, ridiculous.

The raid on the Pirate Bay wasn't as much an issue with the internet itself as it was a bloody scandal for the Swedish department of justice. Those wankers should go to trial, honestly.

Security cameras monitoring special areas (like intersections) is one thing - security cameras monitoring everywhere, with people shouting at you from them is another.

How long before toilets are fitted with sensors to analyse our dietry habbits...

I hate it when people throw crap ot the windows of cars, but DNA testing - nah.

As for cigarettes, well, people need ashtray education

How long before toilets are fitted with sensors to analyse our dietry habbits...

Mr. Toilet suprises you with a morning announcement: "Too much sodium today Mr. Jazhel... administering behavioral tazer shock in 5. 4. 3. 2. ZAP!!1"

Yikes!!1

...Oh christ, that hurt!

They're ridiculous indeed, but i honestly don't care that much. All these new innovations for cameras out in public is hardly going to hinder what i do.

Cameras don't solve anything, as they always lie.

They've never been an 'accurate' source of truth. Let's rewind to Soviet Russia (don't we love it) and remember that Stalin had pictures of Lenin edited to remove Trotsky from certain scenes in order to promote the notion that Trotsky was not Leninist enough to be leader. That was in the 1900s.

Even at that early stage, image manipulation was happening. You can't trust 'em! (Cameras that is, not Soviet Russia leaders, although one might argue...)

The Houston Police Chief is an idiot.

Jahzel, your paranoid.

I feel that if they're gonna edit a simple traffic light picture then we're all in trouble.

It could happen!!

Check your computer now, if it is a fairly new model it more than likely has a built in microphone that really serves no obvious purpose at this time.

They do? I don't usually see microphones built into computers, except for some Macs. In any case, it's just one more reason for people to build their own computers!

All Macs have an inbuilt microphone. They've been there since the original PowerPCs, so it's not exactly something new and shocking.

Well, you're right about CCTV cameras. As we have seen with every terrorist related incident so far, cameras seem to be either non-functioning, turned off, or the footage confiscated by federal agents.

Such is the case with he Pentagon, the London bombings, and the death of Princess Diana in the tunnel area.

In each case, hardly any piece of good evidence was available. For some reason, cameras that are normally active 24/7 were unable to depict major events, but are able to scan our movement 24/7.

On to cameras in PC's.

We all know how Google is responsible for data mining. It is not anybody's opinion that they are going to use microphones in our PC's to listen out for information they announced it themselves.

Each time a new flash application requests permission to run on newer computers, you will notice that a privacy setting box pops up asking if the particular website you are surfing can access your microphone and webcam. Though the webcam is external, the microphone is internal and is a standard feature of all new models.

Now Google have gone a step further by announcing that they will use in-built microphones to listen in on user's background noise, be it television, music or radio - and then direct advertising at them based on their preferences.

"The idea is to use the existing PC microphone to listen to whatever is heard in the background, be it music, your phone going off or the TV turned down. The PC then identifies it, using fingerprinting, and then shows you relevant content, whether that's adverts or search results, or a chat room on the subject," reports the Register .