don@allegra.UUCP (D. Mitchell) (04/09/84)
AI and criminology I totally agree with DW's article in net.crypt. Computer techniques would be used to keep track of "political criminals". Middle class intellectuals are far more vulnerable to this sort of control than are street criminals and drifters. Already, right wing organizations use this technology to keep track of people they consider politically dangerous, and while the government is not allowed to do this, they have received information from these organizations under the table. In some cases, victims are chosen simply by correlating magazine subscription information.
riddle@ut-sally.UUCP (Prentiss Riddle) (04/09/84)
>> Computer techniques would be used to keep track of "political >> criminals"... In some cases, victims are chosen simply by >> correlating magazine subscription information. Good point. From now on, I think I'll start ordering magazines and such under various assumed names, and encourage others to do the same. (This will have the further advantage of letting me know where my junk mail comes from.) Paranoia? Perhaps, but in times such as these, a bit of the right kind of paranoia may be healthy. --- Prentiss Riddle ("Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada.") --- {ihnp4,seismo,gatech,ctvax}!ut-sally!riddle
saquigley@watmath.UUCP (Sophie Quigley) (04/17/84)
I would recommend a very good article on the matter in the one before last issue of "Science for the People" (unfortunately I do not have the issue under my eyes, but I'd be willing to give more details if anybody's interested). The article is titles "Computerised Big Brother, From a german perspective". It seems that West Germany is well ahead of other countries in the use of computers for internal police. "In Germany there is a constitutional separation of powers between the secret services and the police. In reality, their information systems have in part become mutually shared and increasingly cross-linked. Firthermore, by citing reasons of national security, the police and secret service can gain access to data compiles in public or private data collections. For example, a "social data bank" on 55 million people includes such information as medical reports, income, job ability and so on. ..... Border crossings into and out of East Germany are routinely registered by customs agency computers, and Western bloc country border-crossings are also often recorded. If leftist litterature is seen by officials during a customs search, this can be recorded as well. Already underway are on-line connections between BKA (equivalent of FBI) computers and the federal car license registra- tion bureau as well as state agency address files. Even PUBLIC LIBRARIES (my capitals (SQ)) have delivered data to these information systems. Many companies in order to protect against sabotage, electronically collaborate with police to check all employees for suspicious "anticonstitutional activities" Anyone who deviates from "standard behaviour" will eventually appear in one of these electronic files. "Deviants" include political activists, members of communes, criminals and criminal suspects, alcoholics, drug abusers, homosexuals and even people who have contacts with these." (reprinted without permission) It goes on like this. Definitely an interesting article even if what is said is not really surprising. Sophie Quigley ...!{clyde,ihnp4,decvax,allegra}!watmath!saquigley