2007 Government Surveillance Map

[ZenGum]

From New Scientist, the 2007 Government Surveillance Map:


Edited highlights from the story:

The US, the UK, China and Russia are "endemic surveillance societies", according to a recent study ...published by advocacy groups Privacy International of the UK and the Electronic Privacy Information Center in the US.

The UK's has the world's largest network of surveillance cameras, plans for national identity cards rich with personal and biometric information, and little government accountability when personal information is lost.
"This government has access to its people and technology that China doesn't," says Hosein. "It really is that bad here."


The US fell to the bottom rung for the first time this year due to increasing government surveillance and decreasing federal oversight.
The Bush administration was specifically called out for tapping international phone calls and emails without a warrant for those with suspected links to terrorists.

The only country judged to have "adequate safeguards" was Greece.

Despite their low ratings, the US and UK do not compromise privacy as much as China or Russia, says John Palfrey, of the OpenNet Initiative.

Well, this might get a few folks all riled up.

P.S.: Just noticed ... where is Vietnam? It not even in gray! Maybe we did bomb it right off the map after all.

[Radar]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

From New Scientist, the 2007 Government Surveillance Map:
Attachment 16471

Edited highlights from the story:



Well, this might get a few folks all riled up.

P.S.: Just noticed ... where is Vietnam? It not even in gray! Maybe we did bomb it right off the map after all.

Vietnam is black on that map

[ZenGum]

Still looks missing to me. Matter of fact, Laos appears to be AWOL too.





But I have figured out that the reason a lot of countries haven't been given colours, is that there is no colour darker than black. What colour could you do North Korea, where making international phone calls is a capital offense?

[Clodfobble]

They may also have left off countries for which no information was available.

[piercehawkeye45]

I thought those were the gray countries?

[glatt]

I think that's what all the gray countries are supposed to be.

[lookout123]

that might be the gray countries?

[g1att]

Yes, I'm pretty sure that is what the gray countries are.

[Undertoad]

It's the gray countries that give them away, isn't it. It's not hard to find information on them.

Maybe the Committee to Protect Journalists top-10 list of the world's worst censors shines some light on the situation. ALL OF THE COUNTRIES THEY LIST ARE GRAY on the NS map. It strikes me as obvious that part of the problem is listening in, but the bigger problem is what the consequences are. And if the state controls the media they are surely listening in.

1 North Korea

All domestic radio, television, and newspapers are controlled by the government. Radio and television receivers are locked to government-specified frequencies. Content is supplied almost entirely by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). It serves up a daily diet of fawning coverage of “Dear Leader” Kim Jong Il and his official engagements. The country’s grinding poverty or famines are never mentioned. Only small numbers of foreign journalists are allowed limited access each year, and they must be accompanied by "minders" wherever they go.

2 Burma

Burma’s few privately owned publications must submit content to the Press Scrutiny Board for approval before publishing; censorship delays mean that none publishes on a daily basis. In 2005, the junta took control of Bagan Cybertech, Burma’s main Internet service and satellite-feed provider. Citizens have been arrested for listening to the BBC or Radio Free Asia in public.

3 Turkmenistan

The state owns all domestic media and Niyazov’s administration controls them by appointing editors and censoring content. Niyazov personally approves the front-page content of the major dailies, which always include a prominent picture of him. In 2005, the state closed all libraries except for one that houses the president’s books, and banned the importation of foreign publications.

4 Equatorial Guinea
5 Libya
6 Etritea
7 Cuba
8 Uzbekistan
9 Syria
10 Belarus

[L.J]

Wait. So is it the gray countries, or not?

COCK!

[glatt]

[Clodfobble]

My new theory is that some unpaid intern from "Privacy International" actually colored this map for their boss, and they did it in MS Paint, and there was a pixel-or-two gap in the border of Vietnam so when they filled the oceans white it filled in 'Nam too. Their website certainly proves there are no graphics gurus working over there. I'm betting the guy who did last year's map (which does have Vietnam) isn't there anymore.

[Undertoad]

That's not forward-thinking, because normally when you do a really top-rate bullshit job like this, donations go up. They should really spare no expense with their bullshit, like Amnesty Int'l does.

[piercehawkeye45]

UT, I don't disagree what you are saying but why wouldn't they add gray to the key then?

And why would Antarctica be on there? I always new the Antarctican government was censoring their people, but I didn't think it was that bad.

[Undertoad]

Here's the fine detail page:

http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd[347]=x-347-559597

Ah shit, the link didn't work, you'll have to cut and paste it.

They have a table that explains their bullshit in great hilarious detail. I'll hotlink it from their server, below: