20200327 Edward Snowden warnt vor Überwachung

27.03.2020 Edward Snowden warnt vor Überwachung

Fundamental rights interventions must be appropriate and limited in time

Edward Snowden, who has been our honorary member* for many years, thinks the current developments in many countries are paving the way to a surveillance state. Many countries are unlikely to completely withdraw the surveillance measures that are currently being introduced.

In Germany, too, many basic rights are currently restricted. In addition, people are being advised to voluntarily waive further rights. People are asked to install an app that compares their own movement profile with that of others in order to identify contact persons if necessary.

A completely unsuitable tool

... which can only be used for general surveillance. The geolocation of a person via radio masts is only accurate to 50 to 100 metres, in rural areas only to a few 100 metres. Even GPS tracking is only accurate to 10 to 20 metres, Such results are worthless in predicting a possible infection.

And yet Austria and other countries still want to force people to use such apps. We can only reiterate Edward Snowden’s concerns. In Hungary, the final seizure of power by the ruling party is imminent. Victor Orban is currently obtaining unrestricted authorisation from Parliament. The first two votes failed because of the opposition, but next week, in the third vote, his 2/3 majority in parliament will be enough to abolish fundamental rights. His line of argument: The opposition is for the virus.

All interventions in fundamental rights must be limited in time and regularly evaluated for their appropriateness.

Who still has the overview?

Even within the European Union, measures lack coordination and differ completely from country to country, whether they are restrictions on fundamental rights or just "additional measures" such as financial support or border controls. Let’s not forget that yesterday marked the 24th anniversary of the Schengen Agreement, which opened the borders between many EU countries.

The Czech Republic and Poland have closed their borders with Germany and, as of today, no longer allow workers to enter their workplaces. Brandenburg has reacted to this with an additional daily allowance of €65 and an overnight stay offer if those affected stay in Germany. Both measures are the opposite of solidarity within the EU.

If we look beyond the EU, we see medical aid deliveries from China and Russia and doctors and nurses from Cuba who have arrived in Italy and Spain. We know nothing about European aid deliveries to China in December/January.

It is time for an inventory and assessment of the developments and measures to deal with this crisis. As a first step, we need an overview – final assessments may well be different. We can assume that the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Transport will be patting each other on the back this year for achieving the climate targets. Do send us information for such an overview (which will certainly remain incomplete) to kontakt@aktion-fsa.de

How should we proceed?

Pope Francis will be the first Pope in 2,000 years to pronounce a special Urbi et Orbi blessing this weekend, whereby he will forgive all people or at least all Catholics their sins. Such a thing has not even happened when the plague killed 1/3 to half of the population in Europe.

We think it would be more helpful to sign these petitions on OpenPetition:

a petition for a baseline study to finally obtain valid statistics on the danger of the virus, https://www.openpetition.de/petition/online/fuehren-sie-die-baseline-studie-durch-wir-brauchen-endlich-saubere-corona-daten
a petition for the withdrawal of restrictions on fundamental rights, https://www.openpetition.de/petition/online/sofortige-aufhebung-aller-in-der-corona-krise-verfuegten-einschraenkungen-buergerlicher-freiheiten

The hygiene demo, which starts tomorrow, Saturday, March 28, at 3.30pm on Rosa Luxemburg Platz, is also intended to help people regain their basic rights:

First hygiene demonstration for the constitution, basic rights & transparent design of the new economic rules by the people themselves.
With 2-metre distance, face mask* and Basic Law. From now on every Saturday at 3.30pm. Freedom, equality, solidarity!
https://www.nichtohneuns.de/

*) Edward Snowden is honorary member of Aktion Freiheit statt Angst e.V.!

Kommentar: RE: 20200327 Edward Snowden warnt vor Überwachung

Pardon Edward Snowden
The European Parliament voted in favor of protecting Snowden from prosecution in 2015. Now 26 Members of the European Parliament have sent a letter to President Trump, asking him to pardon Snowden.
The Members of the European Parliament note that Snowden exposed a "potential threat to civil rights of Americans and people overseas," and that the case underscores "*the vital role whistleblowers play in safeguarding fundamental rights. We can't in good conscience allow such whistleblowing to be punished, when it needs to be rewarded.
The letter continues:
Our common goal of building an accountable and transparent society is violated every time we persecute those who put public interest far above their personal well-being and security.
The United States and many nations are engaged in a struggle between the growing surveillance state and precious civil liberties. Edward Snowden boldly stepped forward as a whistleblower to expose the National Security Agency's vast spying on phone records and online communications.
Explaining his actions, the computer expert, now effectively exiled to Russia and threatened with extradition and prosecution, said: "I can't in good conscience allow the U.S. government to destroy privacy, internet freedom, and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they're secretly building."

RootsAction, 12.7.2020 14:53