Thread: Seriousness They want to know all about you
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Old 09-28-2010, 10:32 AM   #15
ShortNCuddlyAm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dsvick View Post
Seriously though, I've always been of the opinion that if you're not doing anything wrong then this should not concern you too much.
Why should it not concern me? The UK law (I know the original article is about changes in US law, but the whole "nothing to hide, nothing to fear" mentality is not limited to any one country) still has a presumption of innocence; monitoring my conversations "just in case" presumes that I am being considered potentially guilty.

Quote:
No, because they can still only punish you for things that are illegal. Ok, that is not exactly true, but anything they did to you for something that was not illegal would, in itself, be illegal. And I don't think that were so far gone as a society that they could get away with that sort of thing for very long.
You can be punished under suspiscion of doing something that may be illegal, as well; even if you are later found innocent at trial, or even released without charge before trial.

OK, you may not get a jail sentence, and your name may end up being officially cleared, but the simple act of being investigated could have devasting effects. Some accusations, it seems, don't easily shift once the suspiscion has been planted.

For example, imagine people you knew - family, friends, employers, co-workers etc - found out you were being investigated for paedeophilia because your credit card had been used to buy child porn. That as part of the investigation the police had conducted a raid on your house, seized your PC etc. You may lose your job, the support of friends and family. There will be that suspiscion attached to you. And this before a trial has even taken place.

Then imagine that it is discovered that your card has been used, but not by you - that you are a victim of credit card fraud, to be precise. Even if at this stage your name is cleared you have still been punished for something you didn't do. And because many people subscribe to the "no smoke without fire" mentality, you may continue to be punished by parts of society for a crime you didn't commit.
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