Re: [privacy] US vs EU

["David Harley" <david.a.harley () gmail com>]

With respect:
* this isn't necessarily about litigation, and "privacy advocates" are not
the only dissident voices in Europe, or even the UK.
* it's perfectly possible for UK citizens or groups to take legal action
against government departments. It happens all the time. It isn't successful
all the time, of course. ;-) It's true that there are multiple exceptions in
pro-privacy legislation to accommodate the "national interest", but that
doesn't mean such activities can't be challenged. I assume no US agency ever
pleads "national interest" then? ;-)

> Why not question their own country about why they're letting them?

We do. But many of us don't see any reason why liberties taken by our
government justify liberties taken by yours. :)

> While I doubt if the British privacy advocates can sue to get their 
> own ministry of intelligence to stop snooping (like our infamous EFF 
> vs AT&T/ACLU vs NSA/ETC vs ETC) suit) on them, 

I don't know why you assume that. I'm not even sure why you'd assume it
would be unsuccessful. I might, but I don't have much faith in anyone's
version of democracy...

> They can't sue their own country, according to you, 

I'm not sure how you sue a country...

> but somehow they're going to sue a foreign country? 
> Where has that ever worked?

Whether it works is not always the point. :)

-- 
David Harley
Security Author & Consultant
Small Blue-Green World
dharley () smallblue-greenworld co uk





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