tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73174373144425779082024-03-06T00:07:39.026+13:00OASISOrganising Against state intelligence and surveillance. We are a group formed after the NZ SIS Amendment Bill was announced. We aim to raise awareness around the issues of state surveillance.OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-2789289296203536952021-09-23T10:08:00.003+12:002021-09-23T23:00:54.038+12:00COVID Vaccine Passports: normalising surveillance<p>Whether we like it or not, it seems that ‘vaccine passports’ are set to become the norm. They are being introduced as a fait accompli by the NZ government and will be in use by the end of 2021. <br /><br />Currently, most discussion about the passports (and even mandatory record-keeping) has focussed on the question of equity. Criticisms include that mandatory signing-in assumes the majority have android or i-phones and that the problem with the vaccine passport is unequal access to vaccination. This is true: there is a disparity of access to vaccines both within and between countries. <br /><br />As it could be years, if ever, before access to vaccines are equitable, vaccine passports will ensure travel becomes even more privileged than it was before COVID. Planes will be full of privileged people from privileged countries travelling the world. And some countries will even open their borders to the privileged vaccinated tourist because it’s good for the economy, regardless of the vaccination status of their own population. <br /><br />However, it is likely that the vaccine passport will not be limited to only international travel. Grant Robertson has said that there is a <a href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/09/conversation-underway-on-whether-covid-19-vaccine-passport-will-be-used-at-nz-businesses-venues-grant-robertson.html" target="_blank">'conversation underway'</a> on the use of vaccine passports to access public places and businesses, an idea supported by many, especially those in the hospitality industry.<br /><br />A vaccine passport becoming a domestic vaccine pass will mean not just dividing the world between privileged international travellers but also the country between privileged people. Domestic vaccine passports could become the key to access both work and social life and, as vaccination rates in this country are not equitable, we will see a new form of discrimination: discrimination based on vaccination status. <a href="(1) https://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/column/20210915/a-covid-passport-a-two-tier-society/" target="_blank">Researcher Alapasita Teu</a> has pointed out, "It is easy to see us creating a two-tiered society between the vaccinated and unvaccinated." Historically this has been true.<br /></p><p><a href="https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2019/01/28/how-yellow-fever-shaped-19th-century-new-orleans-a-qa/" target="_blank">Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificates</a> in the US are said to have helped create and maintain the southern US class system. Society was already sharply defined by race, income and free-status: there were whites, gens de couleur libre (free people of colour) and slaves. However, there were also sub-groups of people who did not have certificates. Only those white non-slaves with immunity certificates could get jobs, have bank loans, or get married and the value of a slave was based on their immunity status. The <a href="https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-03-historian-yellow-fever-outbreak-19th-century.html" target="_blank">Vaccination Certificates</a> saw the creation of more underclasses of excluded people. The same will happen here; vaccine passes will create further inequalities and discrimination in already oppressed and undervalued communities. <br /><br />There are definitely ethical concerns around the use of vaccine passports. And there are also concerns about the practical aspects of the vaccine passport. There are a multitude of questions, including: Will the vaccine passport be limited to use only during the COVID pandemic? Will only vaccine status be stored on it? How will the meta-data be stored? Who will have access to the data? How can we stop it becoming a form of permanent bio-surveillance? </p><p>But there is another deeper discussion about the vaccine passport that needs to be had and that concerns surveillance. This discussion is crucial. Vaccine passports are definitely one step too far on the slippery slope to the normalisation of state surveillance. <br /><br />Over recent years there has been a huge paradigm shift in our expectation of privacy and surveillance. We have become inured to ubiquitous surveillance. We leave traceable electronic footprints everywhere: think of phone data and eftpos card transactions, or even loyalty cards. Data is the lifeblood and it feels like we give over more data buying a Ticketek ticket than we used to have to give for a passport. A lot of this change is also through (supposedly) freely informed choices: using Facebook, google location, fit-bits and TikTok, and even some activist groups ask people to pre-register attendance at a protest by using an on-line registration form. The introduction of a vaccine passport, though, is at a very different level.<br /><br />Carrying a vaccine passport around for access to public places and businesses is changing the understandings of privacy. In the long-term it is ensuring more wide-spread acceptance of state surveillance as normal. <br /><br />With mandatory signing-in and record-keeping already in place for all levels of COVID lockdown and with a vaccine passport on top of that, the government is creating an embedded surveillance system. <br /></p><p>It is about now that many people start the mantra of ‘nothing to hide, nothing to fear’ as there is a common belief that mass surveillance is just a passive collection of material with the odd targeted focussing. But surveillance is much more than that. An 18th Century French Minister of Policing, Joseph Fouché, put it well when he said surveillance was needed to maintain control of the population. By watching and observing and noting what is happening in society, surveillance can ensure the ‘preservation of the political regime’ (read <a href="https://www.paperplus.co.nz/shop/books/non-fiction/history/general/phantom-terror" target="_blank"><i>The Phantom Terror</i></a>).<br /><br />Carrying around a vaccine passport will enable more widespread surveillance, and the result is likely to be a chilling effect on civil liberties. <br /><br />The COVID pandemic is an ‘extraordinary time’ but the introduction of a domestic vaccine passport is equally extraordinary. The decision to introduce vaccine passes cannot be narrowed down to the immediate choice between surviving COVID and ‘the return to normal’ in our daily lives versus the future long-term ramifications of normalising state surveillance. Practices and laws put in place during extraordinary times do cause dramatic changes in society. <br /><br />Vaccine passports are complicated and dangerous, they cannot be introduced as a fait accompli. <br /></p>OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-53410877354102187722021-08-26T10:42:00.002+12:002021-09-23T10:09:33.327+12:00COVID Mandatory Scanning and Signing-in - A Game Changer<p>Scanning and signing-in is to become mandatory. The government has announced that seven days after this latest lockdown ends mandatory record keeping will be required at all alert levels for <span style="color: #2b00fe;">‘<a href="https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/record-keeping-become-mandatory-most-events-and-businesses" target="_blank">busy places and events’</a></span>. <br /><br />The fear of COVID is real and we do need to protect ourselves from the virus, but we also need to look at the costs and long-term effects of practices and procedures introduced to assist in controlling outbreaks of COVID.<br /><br />Making scanning or signing-in mandatory is a major change in our social behaviour and will have long-term ramifications. Mandatory signing-in is definitely on the slippery slope to normalising state surveillance.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><br /><br />The expectation of privacy and awareness of surveillance have been steadily changing over recent years, but this has been through (supposedly) personal informed choices such as the use of Facebook, google location, fit-bits, playing PokémonGo, and for many of us, scanning in using the COVID-19 app (or the paper equivalent). However, now it will be mandated by the state. Making it mandatory to scan or sign-in to certain places really expands the normalisation of surveillance.<br /><br />A variety of people have raised concerns about how the mandatory signing-in will work and especially how difficult it will be to be enforced. Some though, including Law professor Andrew Geddis and Privacy Commissioner John Edwards, have raised concerns about the lack of legislative guarantee that the information gathered can only ever be used for Covid-related contact tracing purposes. The Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has indicated that a legislative change is not planned.<br /><br />But there must be some legislation governing the practice of mandatory scanning and signing-in. At the very least, mandatory signing-in must be limited to the pandemic. The data must be used for the purpose of COVID tracking only, and the practice must have a sunset clause. <br /><br />However, beyond legal changes – we should be considering the long-term effects of normalising state surveillance. Making it a government requirement to sign-in is changing the understandings of privacy and data sovereignty, and in the long-term it is ensuring more wide-spread acceptance of state surveillance as normal.<br /><br />The Privacy Commissioner, John Edwards has said that maybe we should explore alternatives to ‘<a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018809299/covid-19-privacy-commissioner-worried-about-risks-of-mandatory-record-keeping" target="_blank">a coercive state-enforced system of signing-in and scanning</a>’ before accepting mandatory scanning-in. He is right.<p></p><p>Changes have come with COVID and outside of the health issues, it is bringing many negative effects on society. In the rush to get back to ‘normal’, we are entering a dangerous, ethical minefield. Mandatory signing-in may just be the tip of the ice-berg, the next step could be vaccine certificates and or passports and even ID cards.<br /><br />Making signing-in mandatory is a game changer.</p><p></p><p> </p><p>Further Reading:</p><p><a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/24-08-2021/the-tricky-legal-grey-areas-around-mandatory-masking-up-and-scanning-in/" target="_blank">'The tricky legal grey areas around mandatory masking up and scanning in'</a> by Andrew Geddis in The SpinOff, 24 August 2021. </p><p><a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/govt-urged-to-ban-police-from-using-contact-tracing-data?amp=1&__twitter_impression=true" target="_blank">'Govt urged to ban police from using contact tracing data'</a> by Marc Daalder, Newsroom, 24 August 2021.<br /></p><p><br /><br /></p>OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-6387492565902586502021-06-24T00:08:00.022+12:002021-08-26T10:28:12.542+12:00Submissions on the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Bill<p class="MsoNormal">Friday 25 June is the last day to <a href="https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission/document/53SCJU_SCF_BILL_109913/counter-terrorism-legislation-bill " target="_blank">make submissions</a> on the
<a href="https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2021/0029/latest/LMS479298.html" target="_blank">Counter-Terrorism Legislation Bill</a>. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> The Bill is the government’s response to <a href="https://christchurchattack.royalcommission.nz/the-report/executive-summary-2/summary-of-recommendations/" target="_blank">Recommendation 18 of the Royal Commission Terrorist Attack on Christchurch Mosques</a> to <i>“…Review
all legislation related to the counter-terrorism effort…to ensure it is current
and enables Public sector agencies to operate effectively, prioritising
consideration of the creation of precursor terrorism offences in the Terrorism
Suppression Act…”</i>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To do this, the <span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Bill </span><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: black;">amends three
current Acts: the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002 (TSA), the Search and
Surveillance Act 2012, and the Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Act 2019</span>,
and it:</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">A.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">widens the definition of terrorism </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">B.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">introduces three new offences -</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">planning
or preparing to carry out a terrorist act, </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">providing
or receiving combat and weapons training for terrorist purposes, </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 72pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">international
travel to or from or via NZ with intention for terrorist acts.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">C.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">widens the offence of financing
terrorism to include providing material support</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">D.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">extends Control Orders.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"> </span><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: black;">All three Acts the Bill is amending are
controversial. The <b>TSA 2002</b> was criticised by many as a rushed through knee-jerk
reaction to 9/11, eroding fundamental rights and freedoms. The <b>Search and
Surveillance Act</b> removed the right to silence and the privilege against
self-incrimination whilst also dramatically expanding search and surveillance
powers. The <b>Control Orders Act</b> allowed secret courts and punishment and state
intrusion into people’s lives. The Privacy Commissioner said Control Orders
were <i>“an affront to the principles of due process and the principles on which
our criminal justice system are based.”<span></span></i></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: black;"> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: black;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: black;">When these Acts were first proposed,
people fought back against them and said that once they became law, they would
be expanded – this Bill is a classic case of that happening. But b</span><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: black;">y expanding controversial laws, giving
police and state agencies more powers and widening the definition of terrorism,
we will not be making this country safer.</span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: black;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: black;"><a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/124820505/government-to-close-gap-in-counterterrorism-laws-criminalising-terror-attack-planning-and-preparation" target="_blank">Kris Faafoi was asked when introducing the Bill</a>, </span><i><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">"…could any of these changes have prevented the attack?"</span></i><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"> His answer was: "<i>In terms
of legislation, I don't think they would have been able to prevent the attack...what
they do give authorities now is more tools so that they are able to monitor and
see preparations or attempts... they have more tools available for them to take
action...</i>".</span></p>
<p><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Giving the authorities more tools won’t help. They wouldn’t have been able to prevent
the attack in Christchurch because of the inherent racist bias that exists within the
police, intelligence agencies and the state – and this Bill does not address
that underlying issue. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As <a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/04-05-2021/widening-the-definition-of-terrorism-wont-help-the-communities-most-at-risk/" target="_blank">Anjum Rahman saysin a Spinoff article</a>: <i>“… Unfortunately, the way legislation is applied is in
a context of discrimination and marginalisation.” </i>She goes onto point out that
the UN’s list of terrorist entities which forms part of the TSA and is amended in
Clause 5 of the Bill, <i>“..does not include a single white supremacist, white
nationalist, alt-right or neo-Nazi organisation.”</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Clause 5 of the Bill expands on the UN list by designating 20
more entities as ‘terrorists’ on the TSA list. Of these 20, there is one which
is white-supremacist – the Christchurch terrorist, but it’s only one individual
rather than any groups. The exclusion of the networks of white nationalist groups
supporting and promoting people like the Christchurch killer can actually
support the fairy tale of the ‘lone wolf’ terrorist. It allows what they do to
be seen as one off attacks by just crazy isolated individuals. It allows the
bias to continue in our so-called intelligence and state agencies. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">By individualising
terror acts, it also <span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">makes it
easier for the state to play on the fear factor and expand surveillance power. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Bill is also proposing a broadening of the definition of
terrorism. Instead of saying that the intention must be to either induce ‘terror
in a civilian population’ or ‘to unduly compel’ a government or organisation to
carry out (or abstain from) an action, now the intention must be to either
induce ‘<b><i>fear in a population</i></b>’ or ‘<b><i>to coerce</i></b>’ the
government.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fear is less of a threshold than terror, as is the
difference between ‘unduly compel’ and ‘coerce’. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Bill also introduces three new offences: </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 50.2pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>planning or preparing to carry out a terrorist
act,</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 50.2pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>providing or receiving combat and weapons
training for terrorist purposes, and</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 50.2pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>international travel to or from or via NZ with
intention for terrorist acts</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">However,
laws already exist to make it illegal <b>to plan or prepare to carry out a
terrorist act</b>. As to ‘<b>training for terrorist purposes</b>’ the TSA 2002
already states that it is an offence “<i>to enhance the ability of any<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>entity…to carry out, or to participate in the
carrying out of, 1 or more terrorist acts</i>” (Section 13, 2. TSA Act 2002).
Further, one of the proposed changes in this Bill widens the offence of
financing terrorism to include providing material support, and the definition
of ‘material support’ explicitly includes ‘training’, that is material support
is: <i>“…advice, or other services, derived from acquired skills or knowledge
(for example, agency, brokerage, translation, driving or pilotage, or <b>training</b>
to impart skills)</i>” (See Clause 10 of the Bill and material support in Section
4 Interpretation). </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">‘Training’
could also too easily expand surveillance of certain communities. It will be all too easy for the NZ
Intelligence agencies and police with their institutional bias to perceive some
training as illegal under this proposed Act when it is in fact just communities
organising to empower and protect themselves. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">As to
weapons, it is already an offence to have certain weapons in this country, and
licensed gun holders can only legally have a gun if the gun is being used for
“lawful, proper and sufficient purpose”. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">The
other new offence is against <b>international travel to or from or via NZ with the
intention to carry out a terrorist offence</b>. There is a long history of
people travelling the world to support others in their fights – it is dependent
on ones perspective if those fights involve either terrorist entities and acts.
For example, under this new offence it would have been illegal to go to South
Africa and assist in the fight against apartheid. More modern equivalents would
be travelling to Turkey to support the PKK and could also include travelling to
Indonesia to support the West Papua people (Indonesia has designated members of
the Free West Papua Movements as terrorists). </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Bill also <b>widens the offence of financing terrorism
to include providing material support</b>. Again, this section of the Bill is
extremely problematic as it is based on the assumption that there is no bias in
the labelling of terrorist acts and entities. It is so true that one person’s
terrorist is another’s freedom fighter. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Further, it’s not necessary for the prosecution to prove
that any support was used for any terrorist act and the support given may only
be ‘reckless’ rather than intentional support.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finally, the Bill expands <b>Control Orders</b>. People
convicted and imprisoned under any of the three proposed new offences (and also
<span style="color: black;">of an offence under certain sections of the Films,
Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 that ‘<i>involves a
publication that is objectionable…and </i></span><i>promotes or encourages acts
of terrorism</i><span style="color: black;">’) can be subjected to a Control
Order. Control Orders consist of secret evidence in which a judge rules on the
basis of information supplied by the state. Neither the defendant nor their
lawyer have a right to be at the court. However, after the Control Order is made
a court-appointed ‘special advocate’, who must have security clearance to view
the evidence, can appeal the Order on behalf of the defendant – but again, the defendant
cannot see the evidence. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nor are they
allowed to speak about the Control Order, if they do speak out then it becomes
a criminal case.</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">There
is a lot wrong with this Bill.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">It is
another expansion and legalisation of powers to criminalise and control certain
people and parts of society. Nothing will change and the people that will feel
the brunt of this Bill will still be those from over-policed, over-surveilled,
over-criminalised communities. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"> </span></p>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">For more information about the Bill,
please read:</span></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">Anjum Rahman's opinion piece on Bill: <a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/04-05-2021/widening-the-definition-of-terrorism-wont-help-the-communities-most-at-risk/" target="_blank">Widening the definition of terrorism won’t help the communities most at risk</a><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">Peace Action Wellington's <a href="https://peaceactionwellington.wordpress.com/2021/05/24/action-alert-submit-on-the-new-terrorism-law/" target="_blank">ACTION ALERT: Submit on the newterrorism law</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">Tina Ngata's article '<a href="https://tinangata.com/2021/06/07/the-callous-rhetoric-of-the-nz-right-and-the-risk-it-poses-to-maori/" target="_blank"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>The Callous Rhetoric of the NZ Right, and the Risk it Poses to Māori.</a>' </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Journal of the Anti-Bases Campaign June 2021,
article: <a href="http://www.converge.org.nz/abc/" target="_blank">Action Needed. The New Counter-Terrorism Bill Must Get Your Attention</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><h4 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">To make a submission:
</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission/document/53SCJU_SCF_BILL_109913/counter-terrorism-legislation-bill " target="_blank">https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission/document/53SCJU_SCF_BILL_109913/counter-terrorism-legislation-bill</a></p>
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{margin-bottom:0cm;}</style></p>OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-81514763161174040662020-05-21T22:33:00.001+12:002021-08-26T10:25:59.788+12:00The NZ COVID-19 Tracer App<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Since Tuesday 19<sup>th</sup> May the New Zealand government’s official ‘NZ COVID-19 Tracer’ app has been available for download. This first iteration, though, is little more than the promised sign-up form Jacinda Ardern told us about in early April when she said, “<a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/413892/app-being-developed-to-improve-covid-19-contact-tracing" target="_blank"><i>it will help update our national health database with users' contact details.</i></a>”</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Apart from ensuring our details are up-to-date, the other official benefit is that people get used to scanning themselves into premises. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Having available an electronic list of places visited will be a memory aid to assist us in case we test positive, but it will not do much to ‘protect your friends, whānau and community by enabling faster contact tracing’ as the download page states.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">The Director of the Centre for Social Data Analytics, Dr Rhema Vaithianathan, tweeted on the night the app became available, “<i>This makes no sense - how does it help moh [Ministry of Health] locate contacts that have visited the same place as the case? Am I missing something here??</i>”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">She wasn’t. The app cannot help with locating people who were in the same premises that a person with a COVID-19 positive test visited. The only way to help with that is a register but under Lockdown Level 2 it is only hospitality places that must keep a register.<span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Here’s a possible scenario:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">A Wellingtonian has the afternoon off work and spends 40 minutes taking a bus into town, an hour browsing at a book shop which includes sitting on a chair and chatting with a stranger, followed by another hour browsing in another shop and then finally dinner at a restaurant for another hour with a group of friends before taking the bus home.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">A few days later they test positive for COVID-19. They’re phoned by an official Ministry of Health Contact Tracer and using the results on the app can tell that person where they’d been earlier in the week. But the only data that is going to be any good for contact tracing is the dinner with the friends. The restaurant is a hospitality business so they have a register. The Contact Tracer can contact the restaurant and get the names of all the other customers who were there at the same time as the infected person. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">The people on the bus, the other customers and browsers at shops that either came into direct contact with the positive person or were in the premises at the same time, cannot be contacted. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">If the only data that gets shared with the contact tracer is from the person with the positive test, the app cannot help with close contact tracing. Which is why after criticism and questioning, Ashley Bloomfield admitted that, “<i><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12333385" target="_blank">Bluetooth tracing capability could be added in a June update</a>.</i>” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><br />
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span face=""calibri" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU" style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></span></span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">He has also said, “<i><a href="https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE2005/S00123/nz-covid-tracer-app-released-to-support-contact-tracing.htm" target="_blank">In the next release, NZ COVID Tracer will be able to notify you if you have been at the same location at the same time as someone who has COVID-19 and will allow you to send your digital diary directly to the National Close Contact Service.</a>"</i> Marc Daalder, a Newsroom journalist, has also reported that “<a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/05/19/1180137/government-releases-contact-tracing-app" target="_blank"><i>The app will eventually have a daily health check-in feature.</i></a>” A feature which already exists on the Government's official WhatsApp channel. </span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">These are different developments and technologies. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">The open endedness is unacceptable. Future plans for the app need to be made public. Like most apps, the majority of people will automatically or blindly update the application without realising the consequences. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We need to have open discussions now about this app. We need to be considering the possible consequences of normalising tracking and tracing weighed up against any benefits. But most importantly, we need to ask if an app is really the answer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We need to think about the future. COVID-19 is here now and will probably be around for at least a few more years. It is also likely that other pandemics will appear and we need to prepare for that prospect. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Rather than looking to technology for an answer to assist human contact tracers, could that time and money not be better spent on healthcare, housing and communities? Wouldn’t it be better in the long-term to improve the general public health so that fewer people are vulnerable? Improve systems and communities so we can cope with sudden increases of people needing urgent medical attention? Have warm and safe homes for all before there is a sudden need to self-isolate or lockdown whole communities again? A universal basic income is also a good idea.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">This first release of NZ COVID-19 Tracer is a tool getting us used to tracking. The next release will be tracing. We are building a possible architecture of surveillance. Open and transparent discussion is needed now before we advance any further. </span></div>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style>OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-81086011230685072742020-05-05T19:59:00.000+12:002020-06-09T20:52:13.843+12:00Think Carefully About Any COVID-19 Tracing AppAs one of the tools to fight COVID-19 the NZ government has promised that there will be a contact tracing app available by mid-May. The first iteration they have said, will be in the form of an on-line sign-up form, and could be out by 11th May.<br />
<br />
But there has been minimal discussion about the pros and cons of COVID-19 apps. Rather, our fear of the virus and its effect on our world has meant that most people are unquestioningly accepting the necessity of using apps to keep the spread of the virus under control.<br />
<br />
However, we need to break away from the fear factor and consider the long-term societal results of any COVID-19 apps. We need to consider possible consequences weighed up against any benefits. We need to not only question the short-term need for contact tracing but think of their long-term use and effect. We need to look at what we are being asked to give up. <br />
<br />
Decisions made today about any tracing or tracking apps will have huge implications for our futures. <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Yet open discussion and debate will be hard as the fear is now and it is real. People want action. ‘Moving out of level 3,’ said Dr Ashley Bloomfield on 3rd May, ‘is being threatened by rulebreakers’. When we finally hear the official announcement of any apps, he and the government will be saying the move is hindered by people debating the requirements of any COVID-19 apps. Then after that the blame will be on those not signing up for the app. <br />
<br />
Our fear will be manipulated to make the debate personal: ‘if you break lockdown, you make people sick’; ‘if you don't have the app, you make people sick’; ‘if you don't use your QR code, you make people sick’. ‘By keeping us in lockdown, you are destroying the economy’.<br />
<br />
The pressure will be on to make us all part of the team to fight COVID-19. The social pressure to confirm will be huge. Those questioning the app will be unpatriotic and not on the same side as most ‘kiwis’. It will be an 'either you're with us, or against us' mentality.<br />
<br />
All along the rhetoric around COVID-19 has been ‘war language’ and this is deliberate. Just a few weeks of lockdown have trained us to see each other as threats and to be suspicious of anyone outside of our bubble. And now we are being asked to voluntarily subject ourselves to a level of surveillance that, just a few months ago, would have been unthinkable.<br />
<br />
We are being asked to sign up to what will probably be a centralised tracing app, and for those without SmartPhones, a QR tracking code app. <br />
<br />
We are being asked to be comfortable with a tool that could allow governments and corporations to know when and where we are. The companies and institutions that are building these tools are the same companies that abused trust in the past. The anti-terrorist surveillance world they wanted to build will now be sold to us as a pro-health world. Why are we suddenly thinking we can trust them? <br />
<br />
But many people will trust the surveillance companies. We are already trained to use apps; we download and agree to so many different privacy and data sharing protocols and the consent we give to share our data is never really informed. Many people already have apps to track their families, even their own bodies and fitness levels, so it will not be a big step for many to consent to using a COVID app. <br />
<br />
Many people will believe that the data contact tracing and tracking apps will be deanonymised but to be meaningful the data cannot be anonymous. <br />
<br />
There is an argument also that the apps will be only around until we get a vaccine, but once (or if) there is a vaccine, what will the guarantee be that the apps expire at the end of their time frame? When we look at the history of the use of sunset clauses, the sunset never comes. Laws that were passed decades ago with limited duration still exist and have often expanded and become accepted as the norm. <br />
<br />
We have no idea of how any COVID-19 apps can be used in the future. <br />
<br />
In the next few months they will probably be used to create new divisions in society. One of the proposals here in NZ is a QR code to register entering public places and taking public transport. That means places that only those with a QR code or app can go. The first iteration may be based on consent but to access public spaces it appears we may need one. <br />
<br />
If we have an app, we need to ask will our health status become part of a dossier accessible by government? And what about all those companies that the government contracts with? Health data is already highly prized. <br />
<br />
We need to ask which companies and people will be behind any app? Already we know that the government has been in discussion with TradeMe founder Sam Morgan and former Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe. And the government has been approached by Palantir, the company founded by Facebook billionaire Peter Thiel. We need to consider who will profit financially from our data now.<br />
<br />
Data is precious, data sovereignty is important. <br />
<br />
We should be thinking long and hard about the benefits and consequences of any tracking and tracing app.<br />
<br />
The fear of COVID-19 is viral. That play on our fear means that we may be rushing to introduce surveillance apps that we will later regret.OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-55770081139387722622020-05-03T22:36:00.000+12:002020-06-09T20:53:14.187+12:00COVID-19: Tracking and Tracing Apps in NZ Desperate to stop the spread of COVID-19 and to get the economy going again, the NZ government announced at the end of lockdown level 4 that they will introduce a tracing app within two weeks. That means there will be some type of an app by 11 May (unless they change their mind). The first iteration they have said, will be to just register your contact details with the Ministry of Health. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4F1phtiILm1DuezFkc_JZVkuju7-I8Vw-4Vg_GvwmaOlObqRtTG-_zRX0JOKh_T1rqcxkAYDyvwucQj27_gDMc6MdDMEo_RsYQbKjQXIyS7LgPH4bL4pEjT74M_oEJ2FYJdtkbD0hD8_4/s1600/NZ+Herald_27+May.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="55" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4F1phtiILm1DuezFkc_JZVkuju7-I8Vw-4Vg_GvwmaOlObqRtTG-_zRX0JOKh_T1rqcxkAYDyvwucQj27_gDMc6MdDMEo_RsYQbKjQXIyS7LgPH4bL4pEjT74M_oEJ2FYJdtkbD0hD8_4/s400/NZ+Herald_27+May.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12327738" target="_blank">Covid 19 coronavirus: NZ's own tracing app on way....NZ Herald, 27 April 2020</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Little more is known about what the government is planning, so OASIS has gathered together an overview of some
of the types of contact tracing and tracking apps that have come to
light in the media.<br />
<br />
<h3>
The Aim of Contact Tracing</h3>
The aim of a contact tracing app is to be able to alert anyone who has been in contact with an infected person and warn them to isolate themselves. It is not a system that warns anyone of the presence of a person who is infected (as a recent article on Stuff claimed).<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Assume person A finds out that they are infected. The idea is that person A can very quickly contact person B and any other person with whom they have had contact. Person B may or may not already be infected, so the tracing doesn’t help B, but B can now isolate themselves so that they do not present a risk of spreading the virus to more people. This is important to keep in mind - the tracing doesn’t help anyone who is infected or who has been in contact with someone who is infected. It helps those people who the second person would normally be in contact with.<br />
<br />
The idea is that by warning people of possible contacts with someone who has tested positive, the spread can be contained very quickly. Health departments all over the world have been doing the same thing with infectious diseases forever – that is why most countries have an infectious diseases register. But the traditional work by health departments is slow and labor intensive and the fear is that with the corona virus it won’t be able to keep up with the rate of infections.<br />
<br />
The planned app will only supplement, not replace, the existing manual system. The NZ government has said <i>"Our big focus has been on getting our in-person contact tracing right because that is what we will all be relying on."</i> An app <i>‘‘would only ever be an addition to, rather than a replacement for, human contact tracing methods.”</i> This precondition excludes some of the technology options, as we will see later on.<br />
<br />
<h3>
The App</h3>
There are various data models and technologies, but they all have a similar way of operating. The app detects that it has been close to another phone (which also has the app installed) for a certain period of time. It records that piece of information and when the owner of the other phone is tested positive, the app is informed of that and can warn its user to isolate themselves. <br />
<br />
The differences between the possible implementations are what technology is used to detect ‘contact’, where the data is stored, how much is stored, who has access to it, how long it is stored and whether the owner of the app can be identified.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Proximity detection</h3>
There are generally two options, GPS location data and Bluetooth. GPS data is largely out of the question now because it is not accurate enough and is inextricably linked to the phone and the owner and can easily be used to create a movement profile of a person. The other option is to use Bluetooth technology, which can send and receive signals over short distances making it possible to estimate the distance between two devices from the signal strength. Each phone would constantly send and receive signals, called beacons, and store the ids of the beacons it has sent and those it has received. The method is independent of the actual location of the phone and the data is not necessarily linked to the phone number. Bluetooth technology is not specific to smartphones, it can be put on a device of its own for people who don’t have a phone. The Bluetooth way of proximity tracking is already in use, for example some museums use it to find out how much time visitors spend in front of which exhibit.<br />
<br />
However, different phones use different Bluetooth implementations and the signal strength will vary, so the question of whether the technology will be accurate enough for the intended purpose remains to be seen.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Data storage</h3>
Again, there are two options, centralised and decentralised. For both options there are various techniques of generating beacon ids so that they can’t be followed or predicted or traced back to a phone. These are not the subject of this short overview. <br />
<br />
In the decentralised model, the information about which beacons were sent and received is stored only on each phone. When person A is tested positive, they give permission to transmit the list of signals their phone has sent over the last 14 days to a central database. All phones are accessing the central database comparing beacon ids and when a phone finds a match that means it has been in contact with person A, it alerts its user. There is a central database involved but it only holds beacon ids which are meaningless except for the phones that have stored them, and the data can be deleted after 2 weeks. If implemented properly, it is pretty much impossible to identify who the owner of a phone is, or where and when the contact took place. <br />
<br />
In the centralised model, each phone sends its list of sent and received beacons to a central database, where they are stored permanently (or at least until the tracing is over). When person A tests positive, the matching between sent and received beacons is done on the central database and the affected phones are notified from there. This means that the beacon ids have to be somehow linked to the phone they were generated from, i.e. they are no longer anonymous. It also means that the decision to trigger the warning is made by a government department and not by the affected person. And it means that the database provides a list of phone numbers of people who have tested positive, which presents a risk of this information being used for other purposes. We know how government departments like to hang on to information and share it once it is collected. <br />
<br />
Given the NZ government’s requirement to have an app that supplements the existing manual system, the centralised solution seems to be the only option. If a Ministry of Health worker is supposed to use the tracing data from the app to phone possibly affected people, then the link between the Bluetooth beacons and the owner’s personal information must be present in the MoH database. That is why the government seems to favour the Singaporian TraceTogether solution, which is a centralised one. It is also the reason why we are currently being asked to update our contact details with the DHBs.<br />
<br />
<h3>
What does Google and Apple have to do with it?</h3>
Recently Google and Apple - the two main developers of smartphone operating systems - have announced a co-operation to incorporate part of the tracing functionality into their operating systems. They are not developing a tracing app, they are building functionality into the phone itself that can be used by tracing apps. This will make it easier to develop tracing apps because phones currently restrict the way apps can use Bluetooth in order to prevent the development of stalking apps. The proposed interface for tracing apps would primarily support apps using the decentralised model and not so much apps using the centralised model. Of course, Google and Apple are also well known for collecting lots of personal information, so the user will have to trust them regarding the anonymisation of the data - but that is the case for any other function of a SmartPhone as well.<br />
<br />
<h3>
And the QR Code?</h3>
At the same time the debate about the SmartPhone app is held, the idea of a QR code has been thrown into the mix. It is difficult to get concrete information about what the QR code (which is a glorified bar code) has to do with the app, but it seems to be a tracking method, as opposed to a tracing one. The QR code would be issued to everyone and is not tied to a particular technology, i.e. it can be part of an app on a phone or it can be printed on a piece of paper (or even tattooed to a person’s forehead for that matter). The code will be scanned by businesses or organisations upon entry and exit so that in the case of one person being tested positive, all other people who were at the same location at that time can be notified. Again, the link between the QR code and the person’s identity has to exist for this to work.<br />
<br />
The fundamental difference to the Bluetooth data is that recording the location and time is essential, which makes it possible to create a complete movement profile of a person. <br />
<br />
While the QR code solution is said to be voluntary, that is a hollow promise because the reality will be that any organisation can make it a condition of entry that the person allows their code to be scanned. This applies to private businesses, where we may have a degree of choice, but also to government agencies where there is no choice. No QR code, no WINZ appointment. <br />
<br />
There is also a real danger that the card with the QR code becomes a form of universal ID card - an idea that various governments have attempted to introduce but never succeeded due to public resistance.<br />
<br />
Given the government’s rallying cry that we are all in this together, any idea that is labelled ‘voluntary’ may in fact end up not being that. The stated reason for the extension of level 4 lockdown was that the tracing capability wasn’t at the capacity required. This argument can be extended to the uptake of any app solution - the lockdown restrictions will simply not be lifted as long as the percentage of people who have ‘voluntarily’ downloaded the app does not reach a certain threshold. Australian PM Scott Morrison called the COVIDSafe app “your ticket [...] to a COVID-safe Australia”. No ticket, no escape from lockdown.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
CovidCard and govt.nz</h3>
The government seems to be exploring many options at once, which doesn’t sound like they know what they’re doing. While there was a lot of talk about adopting the TraceTogether phone app from Singapore, there are at least two other projects under way or in consideration. <br />
<br />
One of them has come from TradeMe founder Sam Morgan in conjunction with IT company ClearPoint. They have developed an extension to Facebook’s WhatsApp, called govt.nz, which is actively promoted by the government. It is staged in five phases, with the final phase providing an unspecified tracing functionality. As of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/05/01/1151690/govt-app-quietly-rolls-out-daily-health-check-ins&sa=D&ust=1588499213822000&usg=AFQjCNGh6auniYfymyVDBNlCEsCwYzAuSg" target="_blank">21 April</a>, it appeared to be in phase 2 or 3, with approximately 500 people using it. The app took less than a week to be developed and it is unclear what if any security testing has been performed. <br />
<br />
Another project is the CovidCard, a Bluetooth device that works similarly to the TraceTogether app. It records Bluetooth signals from other cards and in the case of an infection, the owner would hand the card over to MoH who would download the data. Stuff reported that the solution was presented to the government on 12 April, without saying by whom. The article included a photo of a card, complete with the owner’s name, a credit card-style number and a QR code. The name TrustCircle is printed across it, however, there is no registered company of that name. The plan was to send a card to every person in the country but it is unclear where the project is at now.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnR09C-P1_w4x3EWkw90M2Dlt4Wrn6MjQfOnedSl1J3cssKCvG5l52YTX0Rs-53fQfp9ZzjrK21ZMzxRomqWNcQngSMk_VXj_LbuEEuAIGJYO8h_JIXgk4m6Y0NBRC5UmD0-O0CvF2PT8/s1600/COVIDCard_trust+card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="970" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnR09C-P1_w4x3EWkw90M2Dlt4Wrn6MjQfOnedSl1J3cssKCvG5l52YTX0Rs-53fQfp9ZzjrK21ZMzxRomqWNcQngSMk_VXj_LbuEEuAIGJYO8h_JIXgk4m6Y0NBRC5UmD0-O0CvF2PT8/s320/COVIDCard_trust+card.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/04/17/1132682/nz-considering-100m-contact-tracing-covidcard" target="_blank">NZ considering $100m contact tracing ‘CovidCard’, Newsroom, 17 April 2020</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The government has also been contacted by Palantir, a surveillance company co-founded by facebook billionaire Peter Thiel. Palantir's original purpose was to ‘uncover terror networks using the approach PayPal devised to fight … cybercriminals’. Palantir's clients include various governments, military, intelligence, policing, and border operations. Leaked reports show Palantir has targeted activitists, reporters, labour unions and political organisations and also hacked into activists’ computers.<br />
<br />
In the past Palantir has advertised for engineers to be ‘embedded’ within the New Zealand government, Palantir and Thiel are linked with very disturbing surveillance tools.<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
The lure of technology</h3>
There is a real danger here for the debate to be driven by technical possibilities rather than the requirements of contact tracing. There are daily reports of technology being offered to solve the COVID-19 crisis, often using repurposed existing products. One such example is a temperature sensor that is supposed to send an alert when someone with a fever walks through a door. It’s already been trialled at the police’s call centre in central Christchurch, an Auckland Bank and a meatworks. The vendor is quoted as saying that some companies “may choose to keep the temperature-checking system” post COVID-19 because “it’ll pay for itself.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Other thoughts</h3>
We should be talking about other options. Could the energy be better spent improving our healthcare system which has been underfunded by successive governments for many years. (The Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) in 2018 estimated there were 5.14 ICU beds per 100,000 people in New Zealand. It trails well behind Australia (8.92), nearly all countries in Europe (average 11.5), and Canada <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12327738" target="_blank">(13.5).</a>) <br />
<br />
We need to keep our eye on the endgame and envisage what sort of society we want to live in. Do we want one based on control by surveillance or one based on respect for each other? We need a world where people are able to self-isolate in a safe place without worrying about income. We need housing, healthcare and workers' rights. <br />
<br />
Or do we want to live in a 'Smart City' where one is constantly tracked?<br />
<br />
<h4>
Further information:</h4>
<ul>
<li>NZ-focused article by Andrew Chen that provides an introduction to using technology to enhance pandemic tracing: <a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/29-04-2020/covid-19-the-tough-questions-on-a-digital-contact-tracing-app/" target="_blank">Covid-19: The tough questions on a digital contact-tracing app</a> </li>
<li>Privacy Foundation NZ:<a href="https://www.privacyfoundation.nz/resources/"> resources</a></li>
<li>Privacy International: <a href="https://www.privacyinternational.org/long-read/3675/theres-app-coronavirus-apps" target="_blank">There's an app for that: Coronavirus apps</a> </li>
<li>Brussels Privacy Hub: <a href="https://lsts.research.vub.be/en/data-protection-law-and-the-covid-19-outbreak">data-protection-law-and-the-covid-19-outbreak</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.tracetogether.gov.sg/">TraceTogether</a> as used in Singapore.</li>
<li>Google/Apple proposal: <a href="https://www.xda-developers.com/google-apple-contact-tracing-coronavirus/" target="_blank">google-apple contact tracing coronavirus</a> </li>
</ul>
<br />OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-6085263267219212772019-11-08T01:21:00.000+13:002020-06-09T20:53:43.207+12:00The Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) BillThe Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill will turn on its head the idea of ‘innocent until proven guilty’. The ramming of the Bill through parliament is yet another dog whistle to the mantra of terrorism. This time the terror is the fear of people coming from overseas who may have been involved in terrorist-related activities overseas. If terrorism related activity is suspected but there is not enough evidence to charge someone, the person could instead be subject to ‘Control Orders’. <br />
<br />
Decisions about Control Orders could be reached and made in secret and without criminal level of guilt.<br />
<br />
Control Orders will be extremely intrusive. People could have their day-to-day life curtailed or even be detained without any charge. Orders can ‘include limits on movement, communications with others, disclosing or receiving information, use of technology, buying or selling property, and engaging in specific activities in respect of their work, and recreation. They can further include requirements to report to the police regularly, submit to electronic monitoring, and to allow police to monitor/search their house, workplace, equipment, internet usage etc.<a href="https://nzccl.org.nz/content/we-oppose-terrorism-suppression-control-orders-bill" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(1)</span></a>’ Control Orders could also last up to six years. It is worth noting that Control Orders could be a lot more invasive than any bail or parole conditions that the ‘justice system’ currently have at their disposal.<br />
<br />
The Orders will be punishment without even the pretense of a trial.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Control Orders will be extremely difficult to challenge. The evidence used to support the Control Order will be heard in secret. The suspected person will have a special security-cleared state appointed advocate who will be able to hear the evidence and argue on behalf of the suspected person and any lawyer they may have. The Green Party says it was the insertion of an ‘advocate’ in the Bill that allowed them to support the Bill at its first reading on 24th October.<br />
<br />
National does not support the Bill, they want it to be stronger. They want the age to be dropped to 14.<br />
<br />
When Andrew Little announced the Bill just a few weeks ago, he said it was needed because of the "likelihood a New Zealand passport holder from that region [Syria] will come back to New Zealand or will want to come back to New Zealand is rising by the day." <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/quick-turnaround-counter-terrorism-law-could-lead-unintended-consequences-amnesty-international" target="_blank">[2]</a> </span>Specifically, the government is arguing that the Bill is urgent because since the Kurdish people have had to prioritise defending themselves against Turkey rather than guarding ISIS prisoners, Mark Taylor may be able to return to NZ. (It's a whole other argument about why the Kurds got stuck with a whole lot of foreign fighters and why countries like NZ didn’t step up and assist the Kurds from the start by repatriating any NZ citizens).<br />
<br />
However, no new law should be created for people like Mark Taylor. Existing surveillance laws and policing powers should be sufficient to allow police to monitor & prosecute anyone like Mark Taylor. And in fact there already is an arrest warrant out for Taylor. <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/116686272/warrant-that-would-stop-the-man-called-the-kiwi-jihadi-at-the-border" target="_blank">[3]</a><br />
<br />
Further, despite the mess of the current Terrorism Suppression Act 2002 it does have one clause that should cover Mark Taylor. Part 2 Clause 13 states that:<br />
<i> (1) A person commits an offence who participates in a group or organisation for the purpose stated in subsection (2), knowing that or being reckless as to whether the group or organisation is—</i><i>(a) a designated terrorist entity; or</i><br />
<i>(b) an entity that carries out, or participates in the carrying out of, 1 or more terrorist acts. </i><br />
<i>And the punishment can be a sentence of up to 14 years in prison.</i><br />
<br />
Surely, if the government really believed there was an issue with Mark Taylor, he could be arrested at the border and charged with participation.<br />
<br />
But Mark Taylor is a divergence from the real issue. The real issue is the regular ramping up of the fear of terror, the threat of terror held over our heads to ensure the constant strengthening of state powers. This time it will lead to the introduction of Control Orders. And once more the people who will be disproportionately affected by them will be people with family connections from specific parts of the world and those most targeted will be refugees, migrants and asylum seekers. <br />
<br />
Control Orders must be stopped. <br />
<br />
During the early debates about the Bill Andrew Little said he was “feeling 'dicked around' by National” <a href="https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/justice-minister-feels-little-dicked-around-national-over-proposed-terrorism-laws" target="_blank">[4]</a> but this Bill and the speed at which it is being rammed through is dicking us all around. OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-79448863506348384822019-06-09T19:31:00.000+12:002019-06-09T19:31:47.288+12:00A Security Services & government Timeline"Where were our intelligence agents when Ernie Abbott was murdered and the Rainbow Warrior blown up?" <a href="https://oasisfromsurveillance.blogspot.com/2015/08/widespread-trust-in-security.html" target="_blank">a speaker asked</a> during the <a href="https://oasisfromsurveillance.blogspot.com/2016/03/intelligence-merge-not-new.html" target="_blank">2015 Security Intel Review</a> by Michael Cullen and Patsy Reddy <br />
<br />A common concern also voiced at the time was that 'the GCSB was an outpost of the NSA and that its activities were linking us to America's wars'. The timeline below shows the validity of the concern. From RadioNZ '<a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/385902/timeline-security-services-government-and-muslim-community-before-the-christchurch-mosque-attacks" target="_blank">Timeline: Security services, government and Muslim community before the Christchurch mosque attacks</a>', the timeline highlights the anti-Arabic anti-Muslim focus of the security intelligence in this country.<br /><br />Hand in hand with the timeline though, should be a timeline of the constant fear mongering anti-Muslim rhetoric that the government and its agencies led and participated in. Remember Rebecca Kiterridge and the government on the '<a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/299119/nz's-'jihadi-brides'-left-from-australia" target="_blank">Jihadi Brides</a>' and the <a href="https://oasisfromsurveillance.blogspot.com/search?q=drone" target="_blank">November 2013 killing of a NZer</a> in Yemen as a result of a US drone strike? Remember that we supply data used in drone strikes?<br />
<br />
NZ is so intertwined with the Five Eyes that we blindly accept the US’s lead in who should be the 'enemy'. We need to be fearful of the Five-Eyes. <br />
<br />
<h3>
From RadioNZ: <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/385902/timeline-security-services-government-and-muslim-community-before-the-christchurch-mosque-attacks" target="_blank">Before the Christchurch mosque attacks</a> </h3>
<ul>
<li>
<b>2002 </b>- New Zealand enacts Terrorism Suppression Act. As of 2019, no one has ever been charged under Act</li>
<li>
<b>2009-2019</b> - Not <a href="https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/385173/no-mention-of-right-wing-extremist-threats-in-10-years-of-gcsb-and-sis-public-docs">one specific mention</a> in this period of the threat from white supremacists or right-wing nationalism in SIS or GCSB public documents</li>
<li>
<b>2010-2017 </b>- Figures from this period <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/world/a-history-of-terrorism-in-europe/">show 92 far-right attacks compared</a> with 38 by jihadists* in US</li>
<li>
<b>July 2011 </b>- 77 people killed in Norway by white supremacist shooter</li>
<li>
<b>2012 on</b> - Series of <a href="https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/254663/key-and-dotcom-the-story-so-far">reviews</a> of NZ security agencies <a href="https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/116519/gcsb-used-%27unlawful-interception%27-in-dotcom-case">after scandals including the Kim Dotcom spying</a>
</li>
<li>
<b>2013 </b>- National-led government abandons intrusive internet surveillance</li>
<li>
<b>2013 on</b> - Flood of refugees into Europe begins</li>
<li>
<b>2014 </b>- Suite of changes to national security set up including
three new entities - a Strategic Risk and Resilience Panel, Security and
Intelligence Board and Hazard Risk Board</li>
<li>
<b>2015-2018 </b>- Series of budget boosts for SIS and GCSB, including (in 2016) of $178m over 4 years</li>
<li>
<b>2015</b> - Corrections Department sets up Countering Violent Extremism working group as part of government's counter-terrorism strategy</li>
<li>
<b>June 2015</b> - Nine killed by white supremacist at African-American church in South Carolina, United States **</li>
<li>
<b>December 2015</b> - New Zealand Muslims hold first community meetings to discuss counter-terrorism</li>
<li>
<b>June 2016</b> - Two men <a href="https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/307117/men-sentenced-for-islamic-state-material">sentenced in Auckland over Islamic State material</a>
</li>
<li>
<b>October 2016</b> - Islamic Women's Council raises fears of far-right with SIS</li>
<li>
<b>2017-18</b> - Security agencies set up new National Risk Unit and new
National Security Workforce team, plus get a new specialist coordinator
for counter-terrorism</li>
<li>
<b>2017</b> - Research finds NZ Muslims <a href="https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/385487/sis-accused-of-breaching-nz-muslims-rights-it-s-unethical-misleading-says-critic">believe government surveillance is excessive</a>
</li>
<li>
<b>2017 to early 2018</b> - Muslim community in numerous meetings with government seeking but failing to get national wellbeing strategy</li>
<li>
<b>January 2017</b> - Six killed at mosque in Quebec, Canada</li>
<li>
<b>September 2017 </b>- New Zealand's new Intelligence and Security Act 2017 comes into force</li>
<li>
<b>June 2018</b> - SIS <a href="https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/385026/terror-attack-nz-spy-agencies-gscb-sis-open-to-inquiry-into-their-workings">begins to increase its efforts</a> to assess far-right threat</li>
<li>
<b>November 2018 </b>- Eleven killed by far right shooter in Pittsburgh, US</li>
<li>
<b>March 2019 </b>- SIS and GCSB confirm they had no intelligence about the Christchurch terror accused</li>
</ul>
* Global Terrorism Database by the Washington Post<br />
** This list of far-right attacks is far from exhaustiveOASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-37569468400375011652018-12-20T00:51:00.001+13:002020-06-09T20:54:38.656+12:00Peter Hughes Inquiry on Public Service Spying<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">‘This is not the way we do things in NZ’ State Services Commissioner Peter Hughes said as he described connections between government agencies and private agencies at the public release of the ‘Inquiry into the Use of External Security Consultants by Government Agencies’. Hughes sounded truly aggrieved. But the problem is that this is the NZ that many people know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">NZ has a long history of both state and private surveillance. For years a wide variety of groups and people have been spied upon, if not by state agencies themselves then by private investigators contracted by the public service. People surveilled include political and environmental activists, Māori and migrant communities, sexual abuse survivors and earthquake survivors - the list is long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">And one of the most infamous private investigation companies is Thompson and Clark (TCIL). TCIL’s main business appears to be working for a range of both state and private agencies. TCIL, started in 2003 by two former police officers: Gavin Clark and Nicholas Thompson, has been consistently employed by a range of both government and private agencies. (Thompson resigned from his directorship on 6 July 2018.)</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Over the years TCIL’s spying has come to light. In 2007 there was news that they infiltrated and spied upon activist groups in Christchurch and Wellington. In Christchurch it was the State Owned Enterprise (SOE) Solid Energy that employed TCIL. In Wellington it was more difficult to find who had employed them, but the groups and people spied upon were Peace Action Wellington and animal rights activists. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The then Labour government’s reaction at the time was to condemn the use of spying of State owned Enterprises.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">But the spying went on and Solid Energy was exposed two years later as still employing TCIL. The Pork Industry Board were also exposed in 2010 as using TCIL, then in 2012 TCIL were noted as being used to spy on Occupy protestors. They published a regular ‘National Extremism newsletter’ that was bought by government agencies such as MBIE and other groups such as the Pig Industry Board and even Massey University. In 2016 TCIL were involved in Protest Karangahake and the TPPA signing. They spied on Greenpeace and set up TOGS: Taranaki Oil and Gas Security Group. And of course, there is their use by Southern Response. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The use of TCIL continued under both Labour and National governments. It was only after the publication of the inquiry that MBIE announced they served TCIL with ‘a notice to terminate their position on the All of Government (AoG) contract for Consultancy Services.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">But it is not only TCIL that has been employed by state agencies, there are other private investigators used, including Insurance and Commercial Investigations Ltd (ICIL), again a company with former police involved in it. Peter Hughes should be aware of ICIL as he was the CEO of the Ministry of Social Development when ICIL were used to spy on people attempting to sue the Ministry. These were people who had been abused whilst they were children in state care. The ‘White Case’ received minimal press coverage at the time; the reason for the spying was that civil claims had to be stopped otherwise it ‘would have broader application in future claims’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Peter Hughes comments that ‘this is not the way we do it in NZ’ are naïve. This is the way it has been done in NZ for a long time and Peter Hughes and people like him, CEOs and public service management, politicians, and the cult surrounding the NZSIS and GCSB, have enabled a culture of surveillance to dominate. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">Some articles about spying in NZ:</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://oasisfromsurveillance.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-quick-look-at-some-spying-gone-wrong.html" target="_blank">A Quick Look at Some Spying 'Gone Wrong' </a>(16 July 2015)</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.indymedia.org.nz/articles/811" target="_blank">Lies & More Spies</a> (16 April, 2013)</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.indymedia.org.nz/articles/520" target="_blank">Surveillance by Default</a> (2 December, 2012)</span></div>
OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-49170863617053809862017-06-22T00:42:00.000+12:002020-06-09T20:56:15.262+12:00GCSB Director wanted to be useful - offered spies to Groser<pre wrap=""><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4e443c; font-family: "adelle" , "cambria" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 19px; white-space: normal;">"Mindful of the importance of being useful", GCSB Director Ian Fletcher offered the GCSB's services to Tim Groser.</span></span></pre>
<pre wrap=""><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When information about the GCSB spying on Tim Groser´s competitors for the job of Director of the WTO became public in 2015, the general assumption was that this was a case of the government leaning on a supposedly politically neutral agency to advance its agenda. </span></pre>
<pre wrap=""><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Instead, what the IGIS´s report portraits is an agency taking it onto itself to do some extra-curricular spying in order to be in the good books with the government.
The report by Inspector General Cheryl Gwyn is similar to Ian Fletcher´s memory - very specific in some details, but extremely vague in others. It states that it was Ian Fletcher´s idea to approach Tim Groser and offer him some extra spying to help him get the top job at the WTO. The report explains this by Fletcher being "mindful of the importance of being useful", i.e. he wanted to lick Groser´s boots, possibly because there was some public concern about his appointment (he had been appointed by personal recommendation from the PM, somewhat bypassing the usual selection process).
<a name='more'></a>Groser agreed that it was a good idea and told Fletcher to go ahead ("expressed his acceptance"). This is where the report becomes fluffy. This "acceptance" is subsequently equated with a ministerial approval, for which Groser - then Minister of Trade - was not authorised. The Minister in charge of the GCSB was the PM John Key. The report is silent on whether Fletcher thought that Groser had the authority to approve the spying or whether he just didn´t care. And because record keeping is not the GCSB´s thing and Fletcher´s memory suddenly stopped working after that meeting with Groser, we will never know.
So it looks like Ian Fletcher used the tools of his organisation to buy himself favours with the government, or to express his gratitude for getting a job for which he wasn´t really qualified. That is the essence of it and it shows how easily a spy agency can be used for personal gain. This is why many of us campaigned so hard against giving these agencies more powers.
The remainder of Gwyn´s report is interesting, but insignificant.
There is some consideration given to the question of whether the spying was in the interest of NZ´s national security, as required by the GCSB Act. Gwyn quotes the law, which allows for spying being done for "economic well-being", but only if it advances national security. But then it turns out that this ominous national security isn´t really defined anywhere: "The lack of a statutory definition gives scope for the government to determine as a matter of policy what its approach to national security will be." In other words, the government is free to declare anything it wants to be a matter of national security. Again, this is what many people pointed out as a real danger when all the anti-terrorism legislation was introduced and the powers of the spy agencies were expanded.
Gwyn then refers to the New Zealand National Security System (NSS) framework, which declares "sustaining economic prosperity" to be important for national security. And voilà, Tim Groser becoming head of the WTO is suddenly a matter of national security, because with him in that position, NZ might secure another free trade deal or two. Surprise, the economy is political. The strange thing about the report is that Gwyn clearly describes this circular argument, but then concludes that because it is that way, there is nothing wrong here.
Another aspect the reports spends some time on is that of the political neutrality of the GCSB. First it turns out that at the time this concept wasn´t actually part of the law. It was, however, mentioned in both the GCSB´s and the DPMC´s internal manuals.
But Gwyn only looks at this issue from a domestic perspective of party politics. She argues that because Groser´s nomination had been supported by both National and Labour, there was no political advantage here for the government. The issue of international politics doesn´t enter here. As Paul Buchanan points out in an interview with RNZ, the issue of NZ spying on allied countries (who put up their own candidates) is at least problematic and should have been considered.
And the argument with bi-partsianship for Groser´s candidacy falls short - because it suggest that if Labour had not supported Groser, then the spying would have `arguably´ been illegal. It seems strange to define political neutrality via the absence of an effective opposition. </span></pre>
OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-5568992822042289352017-06-05T13:53:00.000+12:002017-06-05T13:53:46.441+12:00Protest Tillerson's Visit - Unwelcome the US Secretary of State<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "bitstream charter" , serif; font-size: 16px;">Action alert: On Tuesday, the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson is landing in Wellington to meet with the NZ Government. </span><a href="http://350.org.nz/" style="border: 0px; color: #743399; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">350 Aotearoa</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "bitstream charter" , serif; font-size: 16px;"> have organised an</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "bitstream charter" , serif; font-size: 16px;"> for him at 12:30 pm at Parliament. </span><br />
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350 Aotearoa are asking people to help '<i>provide the opposite of the warm welcome Wellington normally gives: we need to unwelcome Tillerson from our Parliament, and protect our Government from climate denial and warmongering.</i>'<br />
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If we do want to protect this country from warmongering, one thing to do would be to withdraw from the Five Eyes.<br />
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As a member of the Five Eyes we are involved in an international intelligence and surveillance network built to meet the needs of US national security. Our membership of the ‘club’ ensures our continual role in war and expansion of the military and surveillance industries. It means we are active in global mass surveillance and social manipulation.<br />
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Our membership in the Five Eyes means we are following Donald Trump.OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-83561405703532054892017-03-13T23:00:00.001+13:002020-06-09T20:57:01.475+12:00Intelligence and Security Bill The week beginning 13 March the Government aims to progress the New Zealand Intelligence and Security Bill.<br />
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<a href="https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/00DBHOH_BILL69715_1/intelligence-and-security-bill" target="_blank">Parliament says</a> the “bill seeks to replace the four Acts that currently apply to GCSB, NZSIS and their oversight bodies, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, and the Intelligence and Security Committee. The Act will be a single, comprehensive piece of legislation to cover these agencies and seeks to improve their transparency.”<br />
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The bill, in fact though, is a complete rewrite of the four Acts and creates a one-stop surveillance shop with one law to rule all. It strengthens and entrenches state surveillance powers by removing any real meaningful distinction between the SIS and GCSB. The distinction between internal and external intelligence is totally blurred.<br />
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It is worthwhile to remember that over the years many people have protested the expansion of surveillance, including both the SIS and GCSB powers. Between 2009 & 2012 thousands of people protested against the Search and Surveillance Bill. In 2013, John Campbell, on 'Campbell Live’, conducted a poll on the then expansion of GCSB powers - 89% said no to increasing the GCSB powers.<br />
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The majority of people do not want the expansion of state surveillance powers but are snowed under by the constant law changes and reviews, and the powerful DPMC PR machine. A PR machine that constantly raises the spectre of terrorism and cyber-threat, but they are only spectres - consider the 'Jihadi Brides'.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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As this Bill goes through, the PR machine will kick in and it has already begun. On Monday 13 March the new Anti-money Laundering & Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill was introduced by Justice Minister Amy Adams. This combined with Lisa Fong’s report of '<a href="https://securitybrief.co.nz/story/ncsc-report-counts-338-recorded-attacks-nzs-nationally-significant-organisations/" target="_blank">multiple attacks on NZ’s nationally significant organisations’</a> (whatever they are) will mean the words ’terrorism’ and ‘attacks’ will be in the media. (Lisa Fong is the director of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) for the GCSB).<br />
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But it is not only the surveillance powers within NZ that are expanding, NZ’s role in the Five Eyes is also further entrenched by the Bill.<br />
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Rather than heeding what has been uncovered about the Five Eyes over the last few years (thanks primarily to whistle-blowers such as Edward Snowden), the Bill ensures we are supporting the continual growth of the Five Eyes. New Zealand is the fifth member of the Five Eyes and our membership means we are involved in an international intelligence and surveillance network built to meet the needs of US national security (the dominant member of the Five Eyes). Membership of the ‘club’ ensures our continual role in war and expansion of the military and surveillance industries. It means we are active in global mass surveillance and social manipulation.<br />
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Some people say the Bill will set a better standard for warrants and will improve oversight of intelligence agencies. But for those people who have hope in that, consider just some points in the Bill - it still allows 24 hour warrantless surveillance, the retention of incidental data and doesn't even define national security.<br />
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And just like <a href="http://stopthespies.nz/" target="_blank">Stop The Spies</a> pointed out at public meetings and <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11814346" target="_blank">Keith Locke stated in the NZ Herald on Friday 10 March</a>, ‘under the new security legislation the head of an intelligence service can withhold from the intelligence and security committee any information he or she determines to be "sensitive”.’<br />
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The definition of sensitive is anything that “would be likely… to prejudice the security or defence of New Zealand or the international relations of the government of New Zealand”.<br />
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Keith goes onto point out that the Bill also ‘allows overseas intelligence agencies to censor what the intelligence and security committee can see. For example, information the US Central Intelligence Agency provides our Security Intelligence Service can be provided to the committee only if the CIA agrees.’ (Consider the CIA spying and hacking that was recently leaked through <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/mar/07/wikileaks-publishes-biggest-ever-leak-of-secret-cia-documents-hacking-surveillance" target="_blank">Vault 7</a>)<br />
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The government's original plan was to have the Intelligence and Security Bill law passed at the start of this year. It will be happening very soon and it will be a day of great shame.<br />
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OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-41996914762909697512017-02-02T23:55:00.000+13:002017-02-02T23:56:22.749+13:00Waihopai - A Public ShameMore than 70 people gathered outside Waihopai Spy Base in Blenheim on 28 January.<br />
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The base has been in operation since the end of the 1980s and from Waihopai NZ hoovers up data to give to the NSA. The NSA have said, the GCSB "<i>continues to be especially helpful in its ability to provide NSA ready access to areas and countries ... difficult for the US to access</i>".<br />
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From Waihopai NZ spies on China, Japanese/North Korean/Vietnamese/South American diplomatic communications, South Pacific island nations, Pakistan, India, Iran and Antarctica and this data is given to the NSA.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dqG_gKv3aaVGFcJRc52sKoM5CEgt0dg5RHUsS6_Iq1W63J55pJkEWwysB1pBvKlCeBZhclHXnvZdKmjlUfPEuDt9TrhKftsdprNU4DhRoWiwz8ICpjjZ8iwsSk0fC1a-XC5YvfI0vjr6/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-02-02+at+11.52.54+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dqG_gKv3aaVGFcJRc52sKoM5CEgt0dg5RHUsS6_Iq1W63J55pJkEWwysB1pBvKlCeBZhclHXnvZdKmjlUfPEuDt9TrhKftsdprNU4DhRoWiwz8ICpjjZ8iwsSk0fC1a-XC5YvfI0vjr6/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-02-02+at+11.52.54+PM.png" width="320" /></a>Waihopai is the most public emblem of the Five Eyes in this country. It became even more visible after one of the domes was slashed in 2008 exposing the satellite beneath. Later Edward Snowden managed to expose more of the doings of the Five Eyes, Waihopai is not a dirty secret anymore - it is a public shame. <br />
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We cannot deny that Waihopai and the operations of the GCSB mean we are part of a global mass surveillance, data collection and social manipulation alliance. An alliance established by the UKUSA Agreement at the end of WW2.<br />
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The protest outside the base on Saturday 28 January may have been brief but it was followed by a day of workshops in Blenheim where the history of the spybase, the role of the GCSB and campaigning against the base were spoken about.<br />
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Waihopai spy base must be closed down and we must dismantle the Five Eyes.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Further Info:</span><br />
<b>NZ Herald articles</b> on role of GCSB & Waihopai<br />
<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11411759" target="_blank">Snowden revelations / The price of the Five Eyes club: Mass spying on friendly nations</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11412039" target="_blank">#snowdenNZ / How foreign spies access GCSB's South Pacific intelligence</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11415172" target="_blank">Snowden revelations: NZ's spy reach stretches across globe</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11417386" target="_blank">Revealed: The names NZ targeted using NSA's XKeyscore system</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Nicky Hager</b> <a href="http://www.nickyhager.info/category/intelligence/">http://www.nickyhager.info/category/intelligence/</a><br />
<b>Anti-Bases Campaign</b> - <a href="http://www.converge.org.nz/abc/">http://www.converge.org.nz/abc/</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Films</span></b><br />
<b>The 5th Eye</b> - <a href="http://cutcutcut.com/#">http://cutcutcut.com/#</a><br />
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<b>iSpy - The Five Eyes Alliance</b> - <a href="http://ispydoc.com/select">http://ispydoc.com/select</a><br />
<br />OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-88328745295073544972017-01-05T21:55:00.001+13:002017-01-05T21:55:53.735+13:002017 Waihopai SpyBase Protest<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4__pjeAEeQ4QV_fBQWFB17jsmXE8Nm1hjw8spnSK1utfmCDJ2VLpf_xLwJZR_ZGcs7n4zdqNDakRyxp9pIfC9L6rI4mTcU_PGfE2Z98bSjjjKaS5WlNhXiwLpcdcE3RX-S-OcAe3pJuSW/s1600/gcsb-waihopai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4__pjeAEeQ4QV_fBQWFB17jsmXE8Nm1hjw8spnSK1utfmCDJ2VLpf_xLwJZR_ZGcs7n4zdqNDakRyxp9pIfC9L6rI4mTcU_PGfE2Z98bSjjjKaS5WlNhXiwLpcdcE3RX-S-OcAe3pJuSW/s200/gcsb-waihopai.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The <b>annual protest at Waihopai </b>will take place <b>January 28th</b> this year beginning with a morning demonstration at the base and then continuing with a day of workshops in Blenheim, including talks and discussions covering the GCSB and the role of the Five Eyes, research skills and the history of non-violent direct action, including the nearly 30 years of protests against the Waihopai base.<br />
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Further information can be found on <a href="http://www.converge.org.nz/abc/">http://www.converge.org.nz/abc/</a><br />
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OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-65121895497947623662016-10-17T22:49:00.000+13:002016-10-18T21:29:27.590+13:00Submissions on the Bill - round oneWith minimal media coverage the submission cycle in response to the NZ Intelligence and Security Bill began last Thursday, more submissions will be heard this coming Thursday (20th October).<br />
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In 2014 Chris Finlayson described the Select Committee process as 'chit-chat', and for all intents and purpose it appears to be just that.<br />
<br />
Not all members of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee were present at the first round of submissions on Thursday, 13 October. And as <a href="http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1610/S00191/dont-give-spies-get-out-of-jail-free-cards.htm" target="_blank">David Small gave his submissions via a Skype call</a>, another member left the room. Others turned pages of paper - possibly they were reading David's submission whilst he was talking, it is hard to know.<br />
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There has been minimal media coverage of this Bill, there may be a little more coverage after the submissions this coming Thursday. But then there will be quiet again.<br />
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After the Select Committee hearings close there will be 'in-house' discussions and then the Bill will then be taken back before the Committee of the House before having its third and final reading and being passed into law.<br />
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There may be a few tweaks and changes here and there but this Bill will then become law sometime after February 2017.<br />
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Over the years thousands of people have protested and given submissions against the expansion of state intelligence and security laws, but each time the Bills are passed. Some of these Bills passing by only a handful of votes, consider the 2013 GCSB Amendment Bill which was passed by only two votes.<br />
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The government does not listen to protests nor submissions - so put pressure on the other parties in the House: currently both Labour and the Maori Party support this Bill - tell them not to support it.<br />
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Submissions on the Bill can be found on the <a href="https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/00DBHOH_BILL69715_1/tab/submissionsandadvice" target="_blank">Select Committee page</a>.<br />
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<br />OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-66385628312311358532016-09-26T11:43:00.000+13:002020-06-09T20:57:53.493+12:00Oppose the Intelligence & Security Bill<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Submissions are being called on for the new
<a href="https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/00DBHOH_BILL69715_1/new-zealand-intelligence-and-security-bill">Intelligence and Security Bill</a> – but we say it is time to draw a line in the sand. The
unrelenting expansion of the NZ Intelligence Community must be stopped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">A brief over-view of the last few years
shows how relentless the changes have been:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Since 2007 the NZ SIS Act has been <a href="http://oasisfromsurveillance.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/sis-minister-suffers-from-key-memory.html">amended
a half a dozen times</a>. In 2011 the <a href="http://stopthebillnow.blogspot.co.nz/2011/10/urgent-action-alert-to-stop-video.html">Video
Surveillance Bill</a> became law; a year later the <a href="http://stopthebillnow.blogspot.co.nz/">Search and Surveillance Bill</a>
was passed. This was followed in 2013 by two changes: the <a href="http://techliberty.org.nz/?s=tics">TICS Bill</a> (t</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">he
Telecommunications Interception Capability and Security) </span><span lang="EN-US">and the <a href="http://oasisfromsurveillance.blogspot.co.nz/#uds-search-results">GCSB and
Related Legislation Amendment Bill</a>, a Bill passed by two votes. At the end
of 2014 the <a href="http://oasisfromsurveillance.blogspot.co.nz/2015/04/the-countering-terrorist-fighters.html">Countering
Terrorist Fighters Legislation Bil</a>l became law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">There has also been a seemingly
never-ending series of reports, reviews and a concerted PR blitz:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">In 2009 there was the <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11345892">Murdoch
Report</a> of the SIS, GCSB and EAB. In 2011 <a href="http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/34081/opening-of-pipitea-house-2011">Pipitea
House</a> was opened enabling most of the NZ intelligence community to operate
under one roof and thus uniting the intelligence culture. In 2012 <a href="http://oasisfromsurveillance.blogspot.co.nz/search/label/Paul%20Neazor">Paul
Neazor</a> reported on GCSB spying in relation to the Dotcom saga, this was
followed in March 2013 with the <a href="http://oasisfromsurveillance.blogspot.co.nz/2013/05/how-gcsbs-illegal-spying-got-exposed.html">Kitteridge
Report</a> on the GCSB and then in 2014 the <a href="http://oasisfromsurveillance.blogspot.co.nz/2014/07/nzic-report-july-2014-report-on-nz.html">State
Sector Review</a> of the intelligence community was released. In 2015 the <a href="http://stopthespies.nz/2015-intelligence-review/">Cullen and Reddy
Intelligence Review</a> began and there was a lot of talk of ‘Jihadi Brides’.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Now, in 2016, we have the Security
Intelligence Bill, and also the <a href="http://oasisfromsurveillance.blogspot.co.nz/2016/07/review-of-nz-search-and-surveillance_29.html">review
of the Search and Surveillance Act</a>. As soon as people finish submissions on
the Security Intelligence Bill, the next round will begin on the <a href="http://oasisfromsurveillance.blogspot.co.nz/p/search-and-surveillance-bill-2009.html">Search
and Surveillance Act</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">We say it is time to say stop the spying.
We do not need an expansion of the intelligence communities’ powers. As the <a href="http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/nzs-privacy-regime-needs-teeth-says-un-rapporteur-cannataci-b-188859">UN
Rapporteur in May 2016</a> said, the NZ government had ‘no case for more
surveillance’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">But the reality is that this Bill will
become law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">In 2013 many of us wrote submissions and thousands of us took to
the streets to oppose the GCSB Bill, and <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">we lost</span>. That law was passed with a two-person majority. We know
that, with only be a few token changes to the Security Intelligence Bill, this
new law will be passed, too. </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">The reality is that <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">unless
the opposition parties vote against it, the Bill will be passed</span>.
Submissions may result in a few changes in the Bill but the key aims of the
Bill will be passed: the Bill will bring the Security Intelligence Service
(SIS) and Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) under one unifying
law and <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">remove all restrictions</span>
against the GCSB spying on New Zealanders.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">You may choose to write a submission on the
Bill, but also call upon the parties in opposition to oppose the Bill. Currently,
both the Labour Party and </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Māori Party support it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Contact them and </span><span lang="EN-US">tell them not to support the Bill – rather than engaging in debate
with the government about the 107 recommendations of the review, what is needed
is debate on surveillance and its role in society.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Contact both Labour and </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Māori members of parliament and their electorate offices now:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Maori Party emails:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="mailto:TeUruroa.Flavell@parliament.govt.nz" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #103cc0;">TeUruroa.Flavell@parliament.govt.nz</span></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "verdana";">, </span><a href="mailto:Marama.FoxMP@parliament.govt.nz" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #103cc0;">Marama.FoxMP@parliament.govt.nz</span></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "verdana";">, </span><a href="mailto:MaoriParty@parliament.govt.nz" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #103cc0;">MaoriParty@parliament.govt.nz</span></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "verdana";">, </span><a href="mailto:MPWaiariki@parliament.govt.nz" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #103cc0;">MPWaiariki@parliament.govt.nz</span></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "verdana";">, </span><a href="mailto:MPFlavell@parliament.govt.nz" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #103cc0;">MPFlavell@parliament.govt.nz</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Labour Party emails:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><a href="mailto:andrew.little@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">andrew.little@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:a.king@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">a.king@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:office@grantrobertson.co.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">office@grantrobertson.co.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:grant.robertson@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">grant.robertson@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:haurakiwaikato@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">haurakiwaikato@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:nanaia.mahuta@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">nanaia.mahuta@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:phil.twyford@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">phil.twyford@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:chris.hipkins@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">chris.hipkins@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:chris.hipkins@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">chris.hipkins@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:carmel.sepuloni@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">carmel.sepuloni@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:kelvin.davis@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">kelvin.davis@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:jacinda@jacinda.co.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">jacinda@jacinda.co.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:jacinda.ardern@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">jacinda.ardern@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:david.clark@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">david.clark@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:MangereMP@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">MangereMP@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:sua.william.sio@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">sua.william.sio@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:palmerston.north@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">palmerston.north@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:iain.lees-galloway@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">iain.lees-galloway@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:megan.woods@wigram.org.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">megan.woods@wigram.org.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:megan.woods@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">megan.woods@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:NewLynnMP@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">NewLynnMP@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:david.cunliffe@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">david.cunliffe@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:info@mtalbertlabour.co.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">info@mtalbertlabour.co.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:david.shearer@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">david.shearer@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:phil.goff@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">phil.goff@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:wainui.eo@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">wainui.eo@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:petone.eo@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">petone.eo@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:trevor.mallard@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">trevor.mallard@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:porthills.mp@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">porthills.mp@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:ruth.dyson@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">ruth.dyson@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:damien.oconnor@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">damien.oconnor@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:clayton.cosgrove.mp@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">clayton.cosgrove.mp@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>, <a href="mailto:suemoroneymp@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">suemoroneymp@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:sue.moroney@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">sue.moroney@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:dunedin.southmp@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">dunedin.southmp@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:clare.curran@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">clare.curran@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:mana.electorate@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">mana.electorate@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:kris.faafoi@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">kris.faafoi@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
: <a href="mailto:louisa.wall@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">louisa.wall@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:stuart.nashmp@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">stuart.nashmp@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:stuart.nash@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">stuart.nash@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:murihiku.tetaitonga@parliament.gov"><span style="color: #103cc0;">murihiku.tetaitonga@parliament.govt.nz</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 13.0pt;">, <a href="mailto:TeTaiTonga.Otautahi@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">TeTaiTonga.Otautahi@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>, <a href="mailto:tetauihu.tetaitonga@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">tetauihu.tetaitonga@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:poneke.tetaitonga@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">poneke.tetaitonga@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:rino.tirikatene@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">rino.tirikatene@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:tairawhiti@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">tairawhiti@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:tematauamaui@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">tematauamaui@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:meka.whaitiri@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">meka.whaitiri@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:poto.williams@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">poto.williams@parliament.govt.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:peeni.labour@labour.org.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">peeni.labour@labour.org.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:adrian.rurawhe@labour.org.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">adrian.rurawhe@labour.org.nz</span></a>,
<a href="mailto:jenny.salesa@parliament.govt.nz"><span style="color: #103cc0;">jenny.salesa@parliament.govt.nz</span></a></span></span></div>
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OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-38385484491664710462016-07-29T23:44:00.000+12:002020-06-09T20:58:32.844+12:00Review of NZ Search and Surveillance Act underwayThe Search and Surveillance Act 2012 is to be reviewed.<br />
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The Search and Surveillance Act is to be reviewed and a one-stop intelligence shop could come closer to realisation. Number 4 of <a href="https://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/all/files/Terms%20of%20reference%20for%20Search%20&%20Surveillance%20Act%20review_0.pdf" target="_blank">the terms of references</a> for the review is that it must look at whether the Act (or any related legislation) needs to be amended to enable broader use of the capabilities of the GCSB and /or NZSIS to support police investigations.<br />
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This would tie in nicely with the recommendations by Michael Cullen and Helen Reddy in their ‘<a href="https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/papers-presented/current-papers/document/51DBHOH_PAP68536_1/report-of-the-first-independent-review-of-intelligence" target="_blank">Intelligence Review</a>’ that the intelligence community operate under one Act, that is, in all but name there be <a href="http://stopthespies.nz/intelligence-merge-is-not-new/" target="_blank">a merge of the intelligence agencies</a>.<br />
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The review of the Search and Surveillance Act is a statutory one required by law to look at the ‘<i>operation of the provisions</i>’ of the Act since it began, to see ‘<i>whether those provisions should be retained or repealed</i>’, and ‘<i>if they should be retained, whether any amendments to the Act are necessary or desirable.</i>’<br />
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Implicit in Amy Adams announcing of the review however, is that the agencies and institutions covered by the Act need more powers.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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Amy Adams (Minister of Justice and member of <a href="http://www.nzic.govt.nz/" target="_blank">the Intelligence and Security Committee</a>) states in her <a href="http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1606/S00459/review-of-search-and-surveillance-act-underway.htm" target="_blank">press release</a> that technology has changed and therefore the powers of the Search and Surveillance Act need to also change.<br />
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<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/81542849/Cloud-technologies-prompt-Search-Surveillance-Act-review" target="_blank">A spokesperson </a>for Amy Adams further said, “We can't anticipate the outcomes of the Search and Surveillance review so don't know what new search powers they might look at, or privacy considerations.”<br />
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What Amy did not cover in her press release though was the fact that the terms of reference also state that the review must look at the use of the Act (or any related legislation) in relation to the GCSB and /or NZSIS.<br />
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The Search and Surveillance Act has been around since it was passed in March 2012 by a narrow majority. But the Bill took a long time to weave its way through parliament - it was introduced first by Labour in 2007 before finally being passed by National. Throughout that time there were wide-spread protests against its passing; the Act drastically extended the powers of not only police but many state agencies to spy and surveil. They gained more power to do unwarranted searches and surveillances. The Act also legalised past police practice that had been illegal, including the police illegal use of hidden cameras during Operation 8 (the operation that resulted in the October 15th 2007 police raids and the jailing of Tame Iti and Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara for two and a half years).<br />
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The Act also removed the right to silence and the right not to self-incriminate through the introduction of Examination and Production Orders.<br />
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When the Bill was going through parliament (there were two rounds of submissions), many people protested and spoke against a ‘Residual Warrant’ clause in the Bill. Residual Warrants were to cover as yet uninvented, unknown things - for example, it could use a technique not yet invented to surveil data stored in a way not yet known. Residual Warrants were removed in its final reading and replaced by ‘Declaratory Orders’ (clauses 65-69). At the time Judith Collins, then Minister of Justice, <a href="https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/50HansD_20120307/volume-678-week-5-wednesday-7-march-2012" target="_blank">described Declaratory Orders as</a> “an innovative regime that recognises the pace at which technology is advancing … Declaratory orders allow agencies to obtain a judicial view as to the reasonableness of a new device, technique, or procedure before using it…” Maybe Amy and Judith need to talk.<br />
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An overview of the Act can be read <a href="http://oasisfromsurveillance.blogspot.co.nz/p/search-and-surveillance-bill-2009.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Public submissions will be called for and along with consulting various government and private sector agencies and organisations there will also be an expert advisory panel. The brand new <a href="http://www.adls.org.nz/for-the-profession/news-and-opinion/2016/7/8/new-centre-for-ict-law-will-stand-out-from-the-crowd/" target="_blank">Auckland University Law School’s ICT Law Centre</a> is assumed to be one of these ‘experts’. The Law Commission and Ministry of Justice will present the final report on or by 28 June 2017.<br />
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OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-74778397644796806542016-07-22T21:04:00.000+12:002016-07-22T21:04:23.194+12:00"The 5th Eye" Documentary on Waihopai Domebusters & GCSB <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>New Zealand is very much a member of a western spy network that is quite capable of reading and recording every shred of electronic communication you've ever generated.<br /> The 5th Eye is the story of the events that underpinned so much of the farcical goings on at the 2014 general election, threaded through with the only-in-New Zealand yarn of the three men who – armed with a pair of cheap bolt cutters and a statue of the Virgin Mary – managed to break into and the Waihopai spy base and deflate the dome that covered one of the satellite dishes. A pity John Oliver wasn't paying attention to New Zealand back then. He would have a had a ball with that story. Wright and King-Jones assemble their material – new and archival – into an intelligent, informative and entertaining film. This is serious stuff, deftly done. Recommended. </i><span style="text-align: right;">Source: </span><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/culture/82317960/five-films-to-see-at-the-nz-film-festival-this-week" style="text-align: right;">Stuff.co.nz</a></blockquote>
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The long anticipated documentary, THE 5TH EYE, that follows the story of the Waihopai Three and the GCSB premieres this month in the New Zealand International Film Festival.<br />
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The film will screen as part of the festival in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin and Timaru. Other regional screenings will be announced by the Film Festival in coming weeks.<br />
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Details about ticket sales are at <a href="http://the5theye.com/" target="_blank">www.The5thEye.com </a>– Please be sure to get tickets early.<br />
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We also need your help: word of mouth and social media are currently our only promotional tools. So please join our facebook page, follow us on twitter, and please share our posts, tell your friends about the film and forward this email around to your contacts! Thanks and we look forward to seeing you at the upcoming screenings!<br />
https://www.facebook.com/The5thEye/photos/a.839891559414987.1073741828.832972370106906/1071469812923826/?type=3&theater<br />
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Errol Wright & Abi King-JonesOASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-37998116531667403872016-03-29T18:18:00.000+13:002020-06-09T20:59:07.561+12:00Intelligence merge not newIn all but name the Intelligence Review recommended a merge of the key NZ intelligence agencies. The proposal put forward by Sir Michael Cullen and Dame Patsy Reddy was to consolidate legislation governing the GCSB and NZSIS into one Act. <br />
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This idea is not new. <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/2843157/Treasury-official-lost-sensitive-notebook" target="_blank">In 2009 there was talk of merging</a> the intelligence agencies. A Treasury official's notebook had been found in central Wellington and in the pages were notes about a merge. At the time John Key confirmed a merge of the intelligence agencies was an option, “I drove the decision to have a look (at how they operate) because there is quite a bit of crossover.” Value for money was also an issue he said. (<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11345892">The Murdoch Report</a> was the result of this review)<br />
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Dollar value is a driving force and has already seen the building of the one-stop intelligence building, <a href="http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/34081/opening-of-pipitea-house-2011">Pipitea House</a>, in downtown Wellington. Now we will also see the agencies in a one-stop shop legal merge. One law to rule all.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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The GCSB and NZSIS operating under a single comprehensive Act would ensure the agencies have the same purpose, same processes, same functions, same powers, same over-sight and even the same single co-ordinator. All the modern surveillance tools could then be shared inter-agency; it would also save time and money consolidating the powers because intelligence is a costly business. The Murdoch Report forecast the aggregate cost at $123million by 2013 for the intelligence community. It was noted “it is worth considering this level of expenditure not just as a cost in budget terms but in the context of the annual 'subscription' paid by New Zealand to belong to the 5-Eyes community.” (<a href="http://www.treasury.govt.nz/budget/2015/summarytables/estimates/07.htm">The 2015 Budget</a> had the cost at $140million.)<br />
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The 5-Eyes were mentioned by Cullen and Reddy in the Intelligence Review but only from the aspect of how 5-Eyes surveillance affected New Zealanders, there was no looking at the role of the 5-Eyes and why we should be part of it. In fact, Cullen and Reddy praised the Five Eyes as “by far New Zealand’s most valuable intelligence arrangement, giving us knowledge and capability far beyond what we could afford on our own.”<br />
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It is this 'knowledge and capability' that the Intelligence Review recommends be consolidated and shared inter-agency. <br />
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It could be pondered how much influence the 5-Eyes had on the Intelligence Review: days after its release James Clapper, the <a href="http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/us-director-of-national-intelligence-in-nz/">US Director of National Intelligence, was in town</a> It is also interesting that the week the Intelligence Review was being analysed by the Intelligence Select Committee, the head of the FBI was in Wellington.<br />
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The Intelligence Review could have been a chance to look at the role of surveillance in society and especially at New Zealand's role in the 5-Eyes. Instead we will have a consolidation of the intelligence agencies and an expansion of surveillance and data-sharing between all agencies and ultimately an embedding of our role in the 5-Eyes.OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-19638482424640536692016-03-20T20:11:00.000+13:002016-03-20T20:12:09.818+13:00Surveillance Film Festival<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQN1ZtEynI0JWp8cvzZppD5Buh5QL5GxBDX4kM8lMB-uDPb8eQWER6QpFgXUbSS1q-74g9jng8hYWQ82iFdIKspfmCYe6RUOfp0SYhJ6k4KMW81E2D-lTe95juYjgmVZAlUBEm80fHwBv/s1600/Poster_52_A3_bw.+for+OASIS.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQN1ZtEynI0JWp8cvzZppD5Buh5QL5GxBDX4kM8lMB-uDPb8eQWER6QpFgXUbSS1q-74g9jng8hYWQ82iFdIKspfmCYe6RUOfp0SYhJ6k4KMW81E2D-lTe95juYjgmVZAlUBEm80fHwBv/s400/Poster_52_A3_bw.+for+OASIS.png" width="281" /></a></div><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; direction: ltr; color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 120%; text-align: left; }p.western { font-family: "Liberation Serif",serif; font-size: 12pt; }p.cjk { font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; font-size: 12pt; }p.ctl { font-family: "FreeSans"; font-size: 12pt; }</style> <br />
<div align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255) none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Has the portrayal of surveillance in films caught up with us? </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255) none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255) none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Dystopian Big Brother films from the past show glimpses of a present reality. Spy films and the machinations of spy paraphernalia capture our imagination with fantastical technology. Stasi and Cold War intelligence policing methods shock and titillate people. But Edward Snowden’s revelations opened many eyes to the ubiquitous world of mass surveillance right here and now.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255) none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">The Surveillance Film Festiva<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">l is an opportunity to explore the portrayal of surveillance</span> in films and documentaries and ponder the reality of surveillance in our lives today. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255) none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255) none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Come and enjoy some films and see where the discussion takes us. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </div><div class="western"><br />
</div><div class="western"><h4><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span></h4></div><h3 wrap=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Venue: Thistle Hall, Upper Cuba, Wellington City </span></h3><h4 wrap=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></h4><h4 wrap=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Friday 25th March </span></h4><pre wrap=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- <b>6pm</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> - </span>Farenheit451 (112mins) – then onwards for after-film discussion and drinks at a local pub.</span> </span></pre><h4 wrap=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Saturday 26th March </span></h4><pre wrap=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">- <b>11am</b> - The Program (8mins) and ABC Secret Room (9mins) - <b>Nicky Hager</b> will be present <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">for a talk a<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">fter these two short films.</span></span>
- <b>12.30pm <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Operation 8 (110<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">mins)
<pre wrap=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>- 3pm -</b></span></span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Every Step You Take (65mins) - f</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">ollowed by a chat with <b>Kathleen Kuehn</b> about the ubiquitousness of surveillance</span></span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">-</span> <b>5.30pm </b>- Maintenance of Silence (20mins)
- <b>7pm</b> - The Lives of Others (137mins) </span>
</span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="western"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></div><div class="western"></div><div align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">Film synopsis:</span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span><b><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"> </span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></b>
<pre wrap=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><pre wrap=""><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Farenheit451 (1966) 112mins</i>
In Bradbury’s dystopian future most people are mindless drones living for instant gratification, plugged into ear buds or watching screens. News is controlled in censored bites, deep-thinking and analysis don’t happen. War economy rules. Sound sort of familiar? But in Farenheit451 all books are banned, is that the only difference?</span></span>
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</div><div align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Program and ABC News, Secret Room (2012 & 2008)</i>
William Binney and Mark Klein are names that should be familiar. They are whistleblowers who spoke about mass surveillance prior to Snowden’s revelations. The info was out there for us, but so many chose not to listen. Why didn’t we want to know about the surveillance then? Why are we already ignoring Snowden’s revelations?
<i>Operation 8: Deep in the Forest (2011) 110mins</i>
Eight years ago in October dawn raids woke many people, people were briefly jailed and allegations of terrorism were thrown about based on evidence gained by surveillance. This country has a long history of surveillance, see how it was used in this most public case to hinder and control people and think about what is happening now.
<i>Every Step You Take (2007) 65mins</i>
CCTV and face recognition are examples of surveillance to keep people safe. Ten years ago the technology shocked, now it is old. How quick does it all change and how accepting do we become?
<i>Maintenance of Silence (1985) 20mins</i>
Awareness of surveillance seemed to be more common a few decades ago. Tens of thousands protested against the expansion of police and SIS powers, later the Wanganui Computer was bombed. Then Neil Roberts left the quote from Junta Tuitiva of La Paz, ‘We have maintained a silence closely resembling stupidity’. What does our silence now resemble?
<i>
The Lives of Others (2006) 137mins</i>
Surveillance and oppression on the other side of the iron curtain has been a favourite subject for a lot of films. But how different is that past from the future here?</span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div class="western"></div></span></span></pre></span></span></pre>OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-25528103508924416462016-03-09T18:08:00.000+13:002020-06-09T21:04:30.275+12:00Intelligence & security report a dream come true for the Five EyesThe release of the <a href="http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/presented/papers/51DBHOH_PAP68536_1/report-of-the-first-independent-review-of-intelligence" target="_blank">Independent review of intelligence and security</a> recommends a range of changes that are dangerous to ordinary people, both within NZ and elsewhere, and represents a massive concentration of state power.<br />
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The major recommendation is the consolidation of the two acts governing the GCSB and the SIS into a single law. As Radio NZ reported, “A single piece of legislation would mean both agencies operated under the same objectives, functions and powers and warrant authorisation framework.” This is deeply problematic.<br />
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It must be understood at the outset that both GCSB and the SIS are essentially political police: they exist to identify threats to the New Zealand state, essentially “national security.” These agencies do not exist to root out criminal activity, that is the job of the Police. And, although in 2013, the GCSB was given the power to assist police with any matter, it is not an objective of that organisation (or the SIS) to prevent, detect or prosecute criminal offending. While the definition of criminal offences are spelled out quite clearly in law with identifiable components and evidentiary thresholds, threats to “national security” are at best vague and difficult to define. Even the Law Commission, an eminent body of NZ legal practitioners, struggled to explain what the national security is, noting “While the New Zealand courts have not yet been called upon to define national security, we expect that they will also face difficulties in pinning down the concept although there are varying definitions in use.” (<a href="http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/sites/default/files/projectAvailableFormats/NZLC-IP38-National-Security-Information-in-Proceedings.pdf" target="_blank">National Security Information in Proceedings</a>,_ p.14). <br />
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Historically, the GCSB and the SIS have been organisations with quite different functions within the ambit of political policing. The SIS has been responsible for internal security, monitoring Maori, political dissidents, refugee and migrant populations, and extremist groups. The GCSB, on the other hand, is entirely a child of the US National Security Agency, is New Zealand’s contribution to the Five Eyes Network, and until relatively recently, worked on external signals intelligence (satellite, radio and internet). <br />
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Now, however, the argument goes, because of the global reach of the internet, the lines that existed between internal and external no longer matter. Thus, rationalising the two agencies into one makes sense. This reasoning dovetails nicely into the review’s recommendation that the current restriction on the GCSB to intercept the private communications of New Zealanders for its intelligence function be removed. The enormous powers of the GCSB can then be unleashed to capture all electronic communications freed of the restrictions on nationality, legalising all of the programmes that Edward Snowden told us were happening (XKeyscore, Prism, etc), but which the government has consistently denied for the past three years. These capabilities can be coupled with that of the SIS who can now install a video camera in your home for up to 24 hours with no warrant to provide “total information awareness”.<br />
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Michael Cullen’s <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/298493/one-law-for-all-spy-agencies" target="_blank">ridiculous argument</a> that the GCSB needs to spy on New Zealanders to protect them, providing the example of how hamstrung the GCSB would be should someone be lost at sea ignores the fact that the GCSB can already provide any assistance to the Police (with no thresholds whatsoever about what the Police are doing). And it is most likely that the Police would be the agency leading any missing person investigation. Cullen’s example demonstrates either a stunning lack of knowledge of the GCSB’s current powers or a desire to promulgate false examples of how such additional powers would be used. In either case, this person should not be leading a so-called “Independent review.”<br />
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After all, we should ask, just exactly how many New Zealanders lives have been protected by the GCSB/SIS ability to spy on them already? We have no evidence of any people being brought to justice for attempts to undermine national security – and surely if there was evidence of such offences, they would be followed up by both police and the courts. One New Zealander whose life was most definitely not protected by the GCSB’s ability to spy on him was Daryl Jones, a NZ citizen killed in a US drone attack in Yemen. He was subject to an intelligence warrant (we must assume a GCSB interception warrant as it is the agency with such capability) that provided the NSA with at least some data about him. Whatever your view about Daryl Jones, he was not an existential threat to New Zealand (or the US for that matter) nor did he receive any due process of law (e.g. he was never brought before any court or accused of any crime). So the evidence we actually do have is of these agencies violating the rights of New Zealanders, not protecting them. There is a list of other violations of rights regarding both agencies that have been well canvassed in the media.<br />
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The recommendation that existing laws were “inconsistent, and a lack of clarity meant both the agencies and their oversight bodies were at times uncertain about what the law does or does not permit, which makes it difficult to ensure compliance" also beggar’s belief. The GCSB law was totally overhauled in 2013, the SIS Act has been amended a half a dozen times since 2007 – and somehow at none of these points were the “inconsistencies and lack of clarity” identified and cleared up? In fact, clarity was a major issue in the GCSB Act of 2013 debate: people could see that the law allowed the agency to spy on them in a way that had previously been unlawful. The idea that the GCSB interpretation of its law makes it "risk-averse" as the review notes, (in other words, unwilling to spy on people they aren’t sure they are allowed to) is a GOOD thing that should be applauded not something that needs to be amended to widen its scope even further. <br />
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Curiously, the government is hot-footing it to change the law to eliminate this “lack of clarity” but no such urgency has been extended to the Solicitor-General’s 2007 view that the Terrorism Suppression Act was “unnecessarily complex, incoherent…and almost impossible to apply to a domestic situation’”. Rather it seems the government wants clarity to spy but not clarity on the reasons for its spying.<br />
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One final note is the commentary about the need for “bipartisan” support for intelligence law changes, such support ostensibly giving legitimacy to, and public confidence in, these agencies. But from their start, these agencies have been shrouded in secrecy and half-truths (if not outright lies). The public is hardly able to make an “informed decision” under these circumstances. What the public does know, however, has given rise to significant public unease – and that unease is not something new. In 1977, tens of thousands marched against the expansion of the SIS. In 2013, such demonstrations were repeated. These agencies act in the shadows and as such, most New Zealanders are unaware of what they are doing. It is not that they are unconcerned, but rather that other things are more obviously of urgent pressing concern: health, education, welfare and work. But when the realities of these agencies are exposed, it takes little for the public opposition to be mobilised. It is unlikely that this would ever be a make or break election issue, but that doesn’t mean that people in New Zealand consent to these agencies or to these powers, or that cross-party support gives them any legitimacy with ordinary people.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[This article was first published on <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.nz/articles/5658" target="_blank">indymedia</a>]</span>OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-3082358504416915912016-03-08T19:52:00.002+13:002020-06-09T21:02:43.440+12:00Intelligence & Security Review Public SoonThe far from independent Intelligence Review was tabled
before the government on Monday, 29th February. John Key has announced that he wants it made public before March 11th and it will not be redacted.<br />
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It will not be redacted as it will only be big picture stuff. There will probably be the usual calls that the GCSB and the SIS must follow the law, that they must be more transparent and should work more closely together.<br />
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There may be an increase in the role of the NCSC (<a href="http://www.ncsc.govt.nz/" target="_blank">National Cyber Security Centre</a>). In one of her last public talks as acting director of GCSB, <a href="http://www.minterellison.co.nz/Speaking_Notes_Cyber_Risk_Workshop_by_Una_Jagose_02-09-2016/" target="_blank">Una Jagose spoke</a> about the importance of that group and increasing links between the corporate and intelligence world. <br />
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The Review will also bring law changes. A recently released <a href="https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2504619/6-things-to-worry-about.pdf">2014 'top-secret' briefing</a> said law changes were the aim.<br />
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And the Review is to make recommendations on the life-span of the Countering Terrorist Fighters Legislation Bill.<br />
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Sir Michael Cullen and Dame Patsy Reddy, the two reviewers, cannot be relied upon for any independent insight. Cullen is a former member of the Intelligence
and Security Committee and Reddy is a flaunted state-sector
lawyer and member of many boards. A <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/editorials/68644395/editorial-spy-review-hobbled-before-it-begins">scathing editorial by the Dominion Pos</a>t condemned the reviewers as 'not equipped for the task.'<br />
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The Review's frame of reference is narrow and superficial and the official submission form was prescriptive and leading. <a href="http://stopthespies.nz/peoples-review/">Nicky Hager described it</a> as 'a primary school level questionnaire' by people who 'treat the public as children.' <br />
The results of the Intelligence Review are feared because the Review
assumes the necessity and legitimacy of the GCSB and SIS. It will not
question their purpose or practice.<br />
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Consider what has come to light in only the last decade about those
agencies: declassified SIS files show that children as young as ten were
spied on and the fall-out from the Dotcom raid revealed the GCSB spied
illegally on 88 New Zealanders.<br />
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More recently there's been information leaked by Edward Snowden. The
Five-Eyes and surveillance programmes such as PRISM have become public.<br />
A PR-blitz has been the government response and the Intelligence
Review will be the icing on the cake. It will strengthen surveillance
powers to make us safer.<br />
But safer from whom? The history of surveillance can explain.<br />
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Intelligence policing was developed to ensure the ‘preservation of
the political regime’. Many countries practised surveillance at the time
of the French Revolution. At one time every item of mail going to,
travelling through, or coming from France was purported to be opened.
People employed to deliver mail obligingly helped. <a href="http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/book-review-phantom-terror/">A diplomat at the time wrote</a>, '<i>every word can be interpreted in a bad sense; paper is nowadays an evil treasure, at any moment it may become a red-hot coal</i>'.<br />
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Over time the role of surveillance has barely changed, what has is
the technology. Taps into fibre optic cables are now the equivalent of
letter openers. <a href="http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1503/S00045/former-gcsb-director-admits-to-mass-surveillance-of-nzers.htm">Ex-GCSB director Bruce Ferguson explained</a> what the GCSB does is '<i>...sort
of like whitebaiting and trying to catch one whitebait, you can't do it
and within the net you'll get all sorts of other things - it's a mass
collection.</i>'<br />
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In Europe letters were monitored, the equivalent now is the TICS
(Telecommunication Interceptions Capability and Security) Act.
Interception capability is built into the servers and networks. The GCSB
have the power to surveil all NZ digital traffic.<br />
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PRISM and back-door access mean Five-Eyes agencies, of which the GCSB
is one, have access into the corporate world. Companies such as Google,
Microsoft, Yahoo, Skype and Facebook collect huge amounts of personal
data and intelligence agencies have access to it.<br />
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But the Five-Eyes do even more extreme surveillance, including espionage, sabotage and dirty politics.<br />
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Over the decades some surveillance scandals have become known:
Margaret Thatcher used Five-Eyes to spy on two MPs, Kissinger used
Five-Eyes to discredit a political opponent, the Five-Eyes monitored the
European Airbus company to ensure US companies got the deal.<br />
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Snowden revealed actual <a href="https://theintercept.com/document/2014/07/14/jtrig-tools-techniques/">dirty politic programmes</a>: WARPATH, a programme for '<i>mass delivery of SMS messages to support an Information Operations campaign</i>', similar to BADGER, a '<i>Mass delivery of email messaging to support an Information Operations campaign</i>'.<br />
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UNDERPASS, used to '<i>Change outcome of online polls</i>' and GATEWAY, the '<i>Ability to artificially increase traffic to a website</i>'. Also SLIPSTREAM, the '<i>ability to inflate page views on websites</i>', GESTATOR, an '<i>Amplification of a given message, normally video, on popular multimedia websites (Youtube)</i>'. <br />
There is CHANGELING, the '<i>Ability to spoof any email address and send email under that identity</i>'. There is also PREDATORS FACE, the '<i>Targeted Denial Of Service against Web Servers</i>' and ROLLING THUNDER, the '<i>Distributed denial of service using P2P</i>' or WILLOWVIXEN, a programme to '<i>deploy malware by sending out emails that trick targets into clicking a malicious link</i>'.<br />
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There are many more programmes, including honey-traps to '<i>destroy, deny, degrade and disrupt</i>' targeted people.<br />
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As the 18th Century Europeans knew, spying is about social control.
And that is what the NZ Intelligence Community is involved in.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11411759">Information leaked by Snowden</a>
confirms that the GCSB spies on Pacific countries and everyone
residing, passing through or holidaying in that area. They also spy on
numerous other countries, including Vietnam, China, Mexico, South Korea,
Iran and Bangladesh. The NSA describes the GCSB as the 'lead agency'
spying on Bangladesh.<br />
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The GCSB spied on Tim Groser's rivals for the position of director-general of the WTO.<br />
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Information given by the GCSB is used in drone strikes.<br />
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It is not only the GCSB though, the SIS cannot be ignored. Released
files prove the SIS spies on political dissidents, groups, children and
vulnerable refugee communities. The SIS also use dirty tactics, for
instance they were caught breaking into Aziz Choudry's home in 1996.<br />
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In 2014 the Inspector General of Intelligence and Security
investigated and upheld allegations that John Key's office had used
information from the SIS to gain a political advantage in the 2011
general election.<br />
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Surveillance is a threat to democracy.<br />
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If we want a safe world, we need to question the purpose of surveillance.<br />
But the role of surveillance and our intelligence agencies will only
be glossed over by the Intelligence Review. Michael Cullen and Patsy
Reddy are consummate insiders and their recommendations will be
pre-ordained by the terms of reference and the official public
submission forms.<br />
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In the coming weeks we will hear more fearmongering rhetoric about
Jihadi brides and terror attacks. But rather than being fearful of
Jihadists, terrorism, or for that matter burglars, we should
be fearful of where the Five-Eyes and surveillance is taking us. OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-14996063195744197172016-02-17T00:28:00.000+13:002016-02-17T22:33:26.060+13:00The deadline for the Intelligence Review Looms<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }a:link { }</style>
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Lisa Fong will be the person in the hot seat when the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament receive the promised Intelligence Review.<br />
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On Monday, 15 February, two weeks before the
deadline for the Intelligence Review is to be tabled, Una Jagose took up
her new role as the Attorney General and Lisa Fong, former GCSB
chief-legal advisor, is now the acting director.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.gcsb.govt.nz/about-us/director-of-the-gcsb/" target="_blank">According to the GCSB</a>, Lisa has been
employed there since 2012 – the date may be arguably incorrect though (or an example of incorrect data gathering on the part of the GCSB). The <a href="https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/appointment-gcsb-acting-director-0" target="_blank">official government release</a> announcing Lisa Fong's appointment as acting director states that she started work at the GCSB in April 2013.<br />
<br />
However, if the 2012 date is correct, that
puts Lisa working at the GCSB when they were found to have spied
illegally on 88 New Zealanders. She may have been giving advice then
to <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8525856/Senior-spy-had-too-much-to-do" target="_blank">Hugh Wolfensohn</a>,
the Deputy Director of Mission Enablement (DDME) and part-time legal
advisor, who resigned in March 2013 just weeks before the Kitteridge
report became public.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Regardless of whether she started in 2012 or 213 though, Lisa would have
been working there as the legal advisor when operation 'WTO Project'
was active and the GCSB was spying on Tim Groser's rivals for the
position of director-general of the WTO. The GCSB operation involved
covert surveillance of candidates from Brazil, Costa Rica, Ghana,
Jordan, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico and South Korea.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Whilst Lisa has been working there the GCSB has also been spying on Pacific countries and everyone
residing, passing through or holidaying in that area.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Lisa was working
there when it was written in tbe <a href="http://oasisfromsurveillance.blogspot.co.nz/2014/07/nzic-report-july-2014-report-on-nz.html" target="_blank">2014 NZIC report</a> that, among other things, the intelligence community had to
ensure they comply with the law.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
When the far from independent
Intelligence Review is finally released, it will probably herald law changes to make legal a lot of the
unlawful activities that have become public since the Dotcom raid and
the Snowden leaks of 2012 and 2013. </div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
To make law changes is the role of the Intelligence Review, this was clearly stated in the <a href="http://oasisfromsurveillance.blogspot.co.nz/2015/11/security-intelligence-community-must.html" target="_blank">top-secret briefing to John Key in 2014</a>.The briefing stated that the "<i>review should provide a sound basis
on which to develop new legislation."</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Any new legislation will only strengthen the already only so-called 'arguably legal' acts of the GCSB and ensure that NZ stays firmly entrenched in the Five-Eyes. </div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The next few weeks may prove busy for Lisa Fong. </div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-45225414270310561392016-01-31T22:12:00.001+13:002016-01-31T22:13:35.713+13:00Surveillance Film Festival<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://stopthespies.nz/" target="_blank">Stop the Spies</a> is hosting a Surveillance Film Festival in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin this March.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6N4CSvQ56udfcunm_aVqx1nGuQvj0cEBakRKTjrl-gLMZBvALpYKgFPWZaSjGZg81YWogrRZesYqdwDYjNTNeDtbKbjKdm2-ubFWSuRyOXOQ2hY1OAknL0e993nbnBsmQLoWdXgOJINq/s1600/poster_wellington.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6N4CSvQ56udfcunm_aVqx1nGuQvj0cEBakRKTjrl-gLMZBvALpYKgFPWZaSjGZg81YWogrRZesYqdwDYjNTNeDtbKbjKdm2-ubFWSuRyOXOQ2hY1OAknL0e993nbnBsmQLoWdXgOJINq/s320/poster_wellington.jpg" width="226" /></a><br />
<i>"Has the portrayal of surveillance in films caught up with us? Dystopian Big Brother films from the past show glimpses of a present reality. Spy films and the machinations of spy paraphernalia capture our imagination with fantastical technology. Stasi and Cold War intelligence policing methods shock and titillate people. But Edward Snowden’s revelations opened many eyes to the ubiquitous world of mass surveillance right here and now.</i><br />
<br />
<i>
</i><i>"The Surveillance Film Festival is an opportunity to explore the portrayal of surveillance in films and documentaries and ponder the reality of surveillance in our lives today."</i><br />
<br />
<br />
The Wellington festival will be held at Thistle Hall, Friday 25<span style="font-size: xx-small;">th</span> March and Saturday 26<span style="font-size: xx-small;">th</span> March. Details for Dunedin and Christchurch to be confirmed.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317437314442577908.post-55589120419580677182015-11-06T12:21:00.002+13:002020-06-09T21:05:55.172+12:00Security Intelligence Community say 'must finish what we have started'This week brought us not just one but three reports from the ‘intelligence community’. <br />
<br />
First there was the <a href="http://www.igis.govt.nz/assets/IGIS-Annual-Report-2015.pdf" target="_blank">annual report</a> of the Inspector General for Security and Intelligence (IG), Cheryl Gwen. It is pretty damning, and echoes many of the criticisms raised in the State Services <a href="http://oasisfromsurveillance.blogspot.co.nz/2014/07/nzic-report-july-2014-report-on-nz.html" target="_blank">2014 review of the intelligence community</a>, especially regarding the SIS.<br />
<br />
The IG's annual report was covered on <a href="http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1511/S00067/sis-breaks-the-law-again-igis-finds.htm" target="_blank">stuff</a>, but there is a better analysis on <a href="http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2015/11/the-sis-is-unfit-for-purpose.html" target="_blank">No Right Turn</a>. The report is littered with findings like this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>In the course of these inquiries, I identified systemic shortcomings in the procedures followed by the NZSIS. […] The process of preparing and finalising those reports has been more protracted than I would have wished because of the time required for my office and for NZSIS to work through the systemic issues that I had identified.</i></blockquote>
And it culminates in this conclusion: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>As noted above, the Service lacked a compliance framework and policy, audit framework and dedicated staffing throughout this reporting period.[...] For those reasons, I cannot conclude that NZSIS had sound compliance procedures and systems in place.</i></blockquote>
Note that the innocent sounding word ‘compliance’ means nothing less than the organisation operating within the law. <br />
<br />
As if to counter the impression of an out of control organisation a reader would get from this report, a quasi-internal <a href="https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2504982/sis-compliance-report.pdf" target="_blank">review by the SIS</a> which had concluded in July was declassified a few days after the release of the IG’s report. It comes to the almost opposite conclusion: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The reviewer did not find any evidence of (nor was given any reason to believe there was) significant non-compliance within NZSIS. </i></blockquote>
So everything is OK then? Maybe Cheryl Gwen is a bit too critical. Or maybe Rebecca Kitteridge is a lot less concerned about these things now that she is actually responsible for the SIS than she was in 2013 when she reviewed the GCSB. Her report back then read very similar to Gwen‘s report about the SIS does now. Sometimes the best way to shut critics up is to put them in charge. <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
A lot of the criticism of the SIS in the annual report by the IG is around security vetting. This is when someone applies for a job and has to pass a security clearing, which is done by the SIS. The report states that “the assessment of security clearance candidates is a significant aspect of the NZSIS’s functions. There are, at any given time, some thousands of people who require New Zealand government security clearances in order to retain their employment. Staff responsible for security clearance assessments comprise approximately a quarter of the NZSIS.” The IG investigated this area because of four complaints she had received from people who had either missed out on a job offer or had lost their job as a result of a negative security assessment by the SIS. It is likely that there are a lot more cases out there who didn’t bother complaining or never knew they failed a security clearance. <br />
<br />
According to the report, there are three things the SIS has to do in the vetting process: “obtain all available relevant information”, “analyse all of that information” and “disclose all adverse information … to the candidate and give the candidate an opportunity to respond”.<br />
<br />
That sounds easy enough, yet the report found that “NZSIS did not always obtain all reasonably available information”, that it “did not generally take steps to investigate possible bias (positive or negative) towards a candidate”, and that it “did not disclose adverse information or inferences to candidates for response.” <br />
<br />
I.e. it did none of the three things it was required to do properly, despite a quarter of its staff being tasked with this. <br />
<br />
Another area of concern was that of political neutrality, which appears to be a foreign concept at the SIS. This became public in the fallout of the ‘Dirty Politics’ saga, during which the SIS expedited an Official Information Act Request by Cameron Slater, while dragging its feet on similar requests by people who are not friends of the Prime Minister. <br />
<br />
This had already been the subject of an inquiry by the IG in November 2014. Back then she found that the “Director and senior staff of the NZSIS […] failed to recognise the gravity of the controversy”, i.e. they didn’t even understand what all the fuzz was about. <br />
<br />
The report now states that, as a result:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The position of NZIC Private Secretary has been established in the office of Hon Christopher Finlayson (as Minister in Charge of the NZSIS and Minister Responsible for the GCSB). The Private Secretary has been provided with State Services Commission’s written guidance on political neutrality. In addition, the SSC has provided a mentor to the NZIC Private Secretary.</i></blockquote>
A politician has been put in charge of teaching SIS staff how to be politically neutral. Surely, nothing can go wrong now.<br />
<br />
So staff who have absolutely no awareness of what political neutrality means have for years been in charge of determining people’s security clearance, a process that decides who gets a job in the public service. They probably don’t know what the word nepotism means either. <br />
<br />
With all this criticism being aired, someone probably thought it necessary to remind the public why we so desperately need these agencies, and declassified a year-old ‘top secret’ <a href="https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2504619/6-things-to-worry-about.pdf" target="_blank">briefing</a> to the incoming PM and the Minister in charge of the SIS and responsible for the GCSB. <br />
<br />
This extraordinary document, authored by Howard Broad, Ian Fletcher and Rebecca Kitteridge, is well worth a read – it is revealing on many levels. <br />
<br />
It is apparently aimed at a primary school audience and includes insights like “the internet doesn’t work like a telecommunications system, but more like an ocean of data with almost no respect for international borders.”<br />
<br />
The briefing starts by listing the “six security problems that you [the PM] should really worry about”:<br />
<ul>
<li>Violent extremism</li>
<li>Loss of information and data</li>
<li>Hostile intelligence operations in and against NZ</li>
<li>Mass arrivals</li>
<li>Trans-national organised crime</li>
<li>Instability in the South Pacific</li>
</ul>
No doubt John Key has never before thought about any of that. It then asks “what does the intelligence community actually do?” - also a pretty important thing to know for the Minister in charge of these agencies, so in their 'top secret' brief they make it clear:<br />
<ul>
<li>Help keep Kiwis safe (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>NB. this is not to be confused with the DOC 'Save Kiwi' campaign</i></span>)</li>
<li>Help protect and grow the economy</li>
<li>Provide foreign intelligence and assessment </li>
</ul>
The briefing is a textbook example of how bureaucrats manipulate politicians. Hidden amidst all the trivial flattery are a few sentences that contain the actual agenda. One of them is this, referring to the agencies’ continuing push for law changes: “we need to finish what we have started, but there is much more to do.”<br />
<br />
Another one is this, which explains why we have been hearing so much from the SIS and GCSB in the last few months:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The statutory review of the intelligence agencies, their legislation and the oversight arrangements must commence before 30 June 2015. The Government response to that review should provide a sound basis on which to develop new legislation. We also see this as an opportunity to help build public trust and confidence.</i></blockquote>
<br />OASIShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11874019798162188608noreply@blogger.com0