UK Phone Hacking Soon To Be Made Legal

Did you know, that while most people have been preoccupied with watching Coronation Street, Eastenders, Facebook updates and keeping up with the Jones', The UK Government has been working hard to separate you from what little privacy you have left. The Investigatory Powers Act, also known as the Snoopers Charter is expected to come into force in the UK by early 2017. That's not to say Phone hacking and snooping in general hasn't been going on for decades already, because it has. However, this new bill just legalises it so it becomes a free-for-all with no one getting so much as a slap on the wrist.

Under the guise of "Terrorism" or "Counter-Terrorism", your Smartphone can legally be hacked by a wide range of Government Agency's. That means all your personal data (meta data) will most probably be extracted, including browser history, photos, personal files, and anything else of interest. But hey, it's alright, they're just trying to protect you, right? Yeah right. There is a petition going, which now has over 200,000 signatures.

But the word is that this Bill has got the go-ahead and no amount of signatures will change that. All the Investigatory Powers Act needs is Royal Assent and then it is part of the Law. Let's hope the Royal who looks over this ridiculous set of proposed Orwellian laws thinks it's just as over the top as the rest of us do. Sadly, I doubt they will. Update: This law has now been passed - Signed, sealed and delivered. Welcome to England, the surveillance capital of the world.

Please be aware: This website is about mobile phones, so I'll stay on topic. But all of the above (and below) also applies to computers. Including Desktop PCs, Laptops, Tablets, etc. In fact, any device that can connect to the Internet. All Internet Service Providers will have to keep a full record of their customers activities. Browsing history, connection locations, and all other data must stored for 12 months. Your Mail will also be monitored. I'm talking about postal mail, not email (email is monitored also). Where was it sent from, who sent it, where to, who to, etc. A lot of Data Mining will no doubt be taking place. Read a great comment while browsing the Internet about this issue. And I agree with it 100%.

"When Theresa May gives us a 24/7 broadcast of her private life and her business then I will agree.  Otherwise, the same arguments she holds against it apply to my own life."

Government Authorities can also ask for help with hacking and decryption by the companies who made or own the websites or devices, such as Apple in order to compromise a stubborn (protected) iPhone, should the need arise.

What's the best form of protection for mobile phones?

The best method for keeping eyes out of your mobile phone is to go old school. Ditch the Smartphone and get yourself a basic Nokia 3310, 8210, 8310 or similar. Do not store any information on the phone that you don't want anyone to read but yourself. I have mentioned the following words a few times on this blog. Smartphones are tracking devices, spying on everything you do. This new law dramatically increases how many agencies can legally snoop into and basically steal your personal data. Also included, listening to your phone calls, voice mails, chat logs, and even activating your microphone without your knowledge in order to listen in on your conversations. This has been going on for years already but will now be magnified.

Best protection overall?

Throw your computer, Laptop, or mobile device in the bin and get yourself a Pager. haha. You don't need to go that far. There is a lot of encryption / protection software out there that will work reasonably well with protecting privacy to a certain degree.

These spying powers, which are soon to be given to many more British authorities, will no doubt be abused to the fullest. Warrants are meant to be needed. But that is only for bigger cases (Terrorist info and bulk interceptions need "double lock"). But for most instances nothing is needed. No level of authorisation. The databases that hold all your stored information logs can be accessed virtually and then acted upon how authorities see fit. Not to mention the security risk of public data, which will be a prime target for hackers. And we've all seen what's happened in that regard in recent years. How many big companies have been hacked and peoples information stolen. There has been a lot. The Snoopers Charter opens the door for the stealing of public data on a huge scale.

Guess who won't be getting tracked, hacked or spied on. The people in Government. MP's to be precise. Apparently, their privacy is more important than everyone else's. Can you believe the audacity! They will not be spied on but everyone else will. One rule for them and another rule for everyone else. I don't care if you think you have nothing to hide, these new "Laws" are an extreme invasion on people's privacy and should be abolished immediately. The rise in people using VPN's and VPS', also browsers like Tor and Startpage is expected to rise dramatically. With VPN's and VPS', ensure that none of the servers you use are located in the UK. Everything now needs to be encrypted if you want some level of privacy (Including phone calls).

What is happening, or has happened to the UK. It really is becoming like George Orwell's 1984. A side note: Were you aware that every UK citizen's medical history was also sold to Insurance companies years ago? Ever wondered why you see those Insurance advertisements that say "no medical or health checks are required". Well now you know why.. They already have access to all your medical history.

So they don't need you to disclose it to them over the phone. Now that's sinister. And if that wasn't enough, if you make a minuscule error on your application, but the insurance you're applying for gets the nod and goes ahead, after decades of you making the monthly or weekly payments, if you ever need to claim, the Insurance company can void your contract under the non disclosure of material facts. To end on a positive note: This is a great time to invest in VPN companies!

Punkt MP01 Phone UK - Don't Get Punked

There appears to have been a trend going on for the last year where people who are usually Smartphone reliant now want to downgrade their level of pocket technology to that of just a basic phone. The phone of choice for the ever-so materialistic "you better have the right stuff or we can't be friends" brigade, is the Punkt MP01 (And also the MP02 4G). This seems to be one phone that is actually accepted as cool enough to be given a pass. Your average Samsung or Nokia Brick just won't cut the mustard. Even though the much cheaper Samsung's and Teak tough Nokia's are actually the much better phones overall.

Punkt "Dumb Phones" Costs More Than Some Smartphones

If you're too mind-frazzled, or still in a daze from the Smartphone days to not realise that your Punkt MP01 is basically telling you in it's brand name that you just got Punked for paying such a ridiculous price for a phone that looks like a calculator, then there is not much hope left for you. Don't get me wrong, I love basic phones, but what can the Punkt MP01 do that a cheaper alternative can't.. Nothing.

I'll tell you what it can do, it can leave you reaching in your pocket and only feeling your leg! By the way, they're not calling them basic phones anymore, they're now calling them Dumb phones. Dumb phones that cost the same amount to buy as a top of the range Smartphone. Is it really the phone that's dumb?.. Or the people who are buying them..

The Punkt MP01's start up screen shows a Bird. An attempt at coolness perhaps. Or a snidey way to imply that you just got roasted.. I don't care if it does have a Gorilla Glass screen and comes in a fancy black box. Have you seen how many times a Nokia 3310 can be bounced off the floor without suffering any irreversible damage. And even if it does get smashed to bits, a new case / cover and all is well again. A wise man once said: Smartphone's can be summed up in three words.. Surveillance, conditioning, reliance. It may well be true.

Punkt MP01 and MP02 Have Hundreds Of Cheaper Alternatives

You do not need to spend silly money on a basic phone in order to unplug from your Smartphone induced fever. That's just a marketing trick aimed at taking more money from you while you are under the influence of impressive social engineering. Pulling the plug from this mobile crazed world that now refuses to accept anything less than a 24 hour digital revelation into your life, and a constant update on all the things that don't really matter requires no money outlay at all really. Distractions distractions.. Just some self control and, well, maybe £10 or £20. But you can get that money back.

And now the Six O'clock news: Want to go back to basics? This is what you do. If you want to that is. Buy a cheap Samsung phone. Or even a little Nokia 8310. They are between £10 - £25 (UK money). Then, get your Smartphone and literally try to snap it in half with your bare hands. Nah, don't do that. Make some money from it. List it for sale on eBay. You should get a decent price for it. Use the money to replenish the £10 or £20 you spent on the basic phone, and the rest of the doe is your spending money.

I hope you weren't coming here to read reviews on the Punkt MP01? Or even worse, how to apply certain functions on the phone..Because that would mean you really did get punked! Send it back and stop being so brainwashingly gullible.I thought you had better cognitive function than that.

➡ Not worth reading: The only reason the video above is on this page is because I needed a thumbnail image for the popular posts widget in the sidebar (looks out of place without one) and couldn't be bothered to hunt around for a picture of the MP01 that I would be allowed to use.. Note: I got to 1:07 and never went any further. It hurts me to promote such a product. Even if I'm not saying anything good about it.