Richard Fiero wrote:
One could argue that all electromagnetic radiation is in the public domain and receivable. However it is illegal to have equipment capable of receiving cell phone conversations because the rights of the telephone company and the rights of the conversants could be violated. IR equipment is capable of seeing far more from outside a house than just the wall temperature. This kind of surveillance is clearly invasive, in my opinion.
It's only illegal for the proles to have the cell phone reception-capable EM equipment. The Public's Intrepid Guardians can use it with no meaningful restrictions. And of course the pigs need to be able to check on the activities of the proles. All together now: It for the chiiiiiildren! Pigs and, even more so, prosecutors and judges who perform or allow this kind of invasion should be severely sanctioned. At the least, any case which might _possibly_ have been tainted by illicit data acquisition should be dismissed. Throwing the offenders into a cell block wearing nothing but a sign saying "Bad Cop" and holding a tube of K-Y might be appropriate for repeat offenders. Killing, as Tim suggested at least once, is probably not a good idea, at least for the run-of-the-mill violators. While in principle I might think it's a good idea, in practice if a cop does something he knows he'll be killed for, he has much reduced reasons not to go completely rogue. Ta, SRF -- Steve Furlong, Computer Condottiere Have GNU, will travel 518-374-4720 sfurlong@acmenet.net