While the police and surveillance state here seemingly gets worse all the time, Britain’s is about to take the Orwellian Nightmare cake.
The Draft Investigatory Powers Bill currently being considered there would allow British intelligence agencies to take over children’s toys and spy on people with them. From inside their own homes. The bill would also force Internet providers to assist in the “legal” hackings.
So long as the toy is Internet-connected, it could theoretically be remotely hacked.
Via the Telegraph:
“A range of devices that have been in the news recently, in relation to a hack, are children’s toys, that children can interact with,” Mr Walker said.
“These are devices that may sit in a child’s bedroom but are accessible.
“In theory, the manufacturer of those products could be the subject of a warrant to enable equipment interference with those devices.
“So the potential extent, I think, is something that needs to be carefully considered.”
Little Katy’s “Smart” Barbie… spying on you in your house for MI6.
The same would go for any “smart” appliances in a person’s home as well.
Can you imagine living in a world where law enforcement agencies can hack your home’s “smart thermostat” with voice recognition software to spy on you inside of your home?
And if bills like this — which give up liberty for security — are being considered and will likely pass in the UK, it’s only a matter of time before we see this in America, too.
In fact, let’s be honest with ourselves. All of this is probably happening already regardless, but the fact that it is being legally sanctioned and put right in people’s faces, however, is mind-boggling.