UK government threatens jail for journalists who work with whistleblowers

Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/03/03/brexit-means-shut-your-gob.html

This is a recommendation to the Government, rather than from the Government. It’s currently open for consultation if anyone feels like commenting

http://www.lawcom.gov.uk/project/protection-of-official-data/

Dear UK,

Please don’t copy everything the USA does. Set an example for free speech.

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Pfft they are too busy showing the USA how to keep tabs on ones own citizens.

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unfortunately true.

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I continue to be surprised at how many people in the West with wealth and power hate the institutions of liberal democracy.

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They made it a crime to report a crime.

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I am confounded by the authoritarian’s increasing approval ratings when they are doing shit like this. They have an utterly ineffectual and spineless opposition but we have a control freak in power who wants to spy on everyone and who, as home secretary, was responsible for those vile ‘go home’ vans.

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No surprise: Wealth and power is often attained by eschewing the values and expectations of liberal democracy.

Is there something other than the vast number of CCTV monitoring cameras in the UK?

You mean the snooper’s charter or are you being ironic? If you’re not being ironic then that is now law here. Check further down at the list of authorities who will be permitted to view internet connection records (without warrant) and weep.

Zero on the irony scale. I just wanna know.

Just now looked at the list of authorities allowed access. Department of Work and Pensions? Food Standards Agency?

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Yeah, quite something isn’t it? It’ll now be defeated (i can only hope at this point) in the courts since the eu court of justice ruled it was illegal*.

*Of course, we’ll soon be out of the eu so, y’know… :neutral_face:

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Whistleblowers are only needed where governments don’t work for the people. And journalists who report on whistleblowers are needed everywhere.

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I wish I could say I was surprised by this.

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Here’s a suggestion: In response, journalists should just refuse to cite any politician elected or otherwise, until such time as this is reversed.

“In news today, some random politician said X.”

Lets see how they go without the necessities of their occupation.

When rapists write the laws, rape whistles get outlawed.

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