Can the police track your search history?

[Red Panther]

I am a Marxist Revoutionary. At the moment I am too young and I want to finish my studies, but in the future I want to fight the capitalist system (with violence if neccessary!). Films like the Baader Meinhof Complex just fuel that desire!
However, I was wondering if the UK Police can track your search history and whether they can prosecute someone of, for example, firebombing a shop just because you were searching it a couple of weeks/months before hand. Is it also possible to track someone down who searched things like that? It seems a bit Big Brothery if they can!
Not that I'm thinking of firebombing a shop by the way, I'm just wondering...

[Q]

If you're a known activist, better count on it that the security services have a file on you and can do such searches if they deem necessary. The EU also has implemented a data retention policy of your use of the internet at ISP level for up to two years (I think it as two).

[Red Panther]

Thanks! :) Good job I'm not a known activist (yet!). As long as they can't arrest me for looking up how to make molotovs!

[Quail]

If you're a known activist, better count on it that the security services have a file on you and can do such searches if they deem necessary. The EU also has implemented a data retention policy of your use of the internet at ISP level for up to two years (I think it as two).

How do you become a "known activist"? I've been photographed a couple of times, but that's about it.

[pastradamus]

How do you become a "known activist"? I've been photographed a couple of times, but that's about it.

Then you are probably registered in their intelligence as a "know activist". Basically if your arrested for something then those photographs will be used against you. Trust me, been there, done that.

[The Feral Underclass]

At the G20 last April, I was stopped and searched by two Transport Police Officers. There were a couple of FIT Officers there too. When they searched me, they asked me for my name, which I refused to give. As one of the Transport cops was filling out my search report card, his colleagues went over to speak to one of the FIT Officers. When he returned I started to leave and as I did he said "Thank you Mr Morris" (which is my surname).

I have never been arrested in London. I have never met any of those Transport cops before, yet the Forward Intelligence Officers were able to recognise me somehow and give him my name. Probably because of past arrests. I was likely on one of their spotters cards. Suffice to say, It was one of the freakier moments of my political activism.

The point being, the state is a highly organised and efficient mechanism when it comes to gathering intelligence on potential threats to its existence. Anything is possible.

[theblackmask]

Two words. Public terminal.

[coda]

one word: Evidence..... make them provide it!

[IndependentCitizen]

Your hard drive would be ceased, and then searched. So, what you probably want to do is get an admin to delete this thread, then never talk about this shit on the internet again.

Talking about violent action against the capitalist system will just be used against you, and then not helping you at all.

Action is not words, so keep the words minimal, and then that makes the action maximum ;]

[Ele'ill]

Thanks! :) Good job I'm not a known activist (yet!). As long as they can't arrest me for looking up how to make molotovs!


http://www.peterf.net/blog/content/binary/picard-facepalm.jpg

[Ele'ill]

At the G20 last April, I was stopped and searched by two Transport Police Officers. There were a couple of FIT Officers there too. When they searched me, they asked me for my name, which I refused to give. As one of the Transport cops was filling out my search report card, his colleagues went over to speak to one of the FIT Officers. When he returned I started to leave and as I did he said "Thank you Mr Morris" (which is my surname).

I have never been arrested in London. I have never met any of those Transport cops before, yet the Forward Intelligence Officers were able to recognise me somehow and give him my name. Probably because of past arrests. I was likely on one of their spotters cards. Suffice to say, It was one of the freakier moments of my political activism.

The point being, the state is a highly organised and efficient mechanism when it comes to gathering intelligence on potential threats to its existence. Anything is possible.


It gets creepy when they're a step ahead.

Did you consent to the search? How did that work?

[The Feral Underclass]

If there is a provision in place to give them the power to stop and search, you can be arrested for refusing. Obviously, I'm not going to get arrested in the middle of London during a weekend of protest for not consenting to a search, that would have been silly, especially since I wasn't carrying anything. You can refuse to give them details though, which I did. They always tell you that you have to, but you don't.

[Rjevan]

When they searched me, they asked me for my name, which I refused to give.
You don't even have to give them your name? Interesting, here you have to, otherwise you will be charged a fine and if they are really out to get you, you can get arrested, too.

[Pavlov's House Party]

They always tell you that you have to, but you don't.

95% of the time, the police use your assumed ignorance of the law against you. Just knowing some basic legal information scares away most of them because they realize they can't mess around with you.

I took a course on Canadian law, so whenever my friends go drinking in alleys I get dragged along to talk with the police when they try to do things like search bags without warrants, tell people they have to state their names & date of birth etc. Like I said before, if a police officer just runs into someone doing suspicious stuff (even if it's drinking outside), they'll bullshit their way so they can bring you in/give you a hefty ticket.

[tracher999]

Thanks! :) Good job I'm not a known activist (yet!). As long as they can't arrest me for looking up how to make molotovs!

dont think about the cops do your thing i search to many things i never been arestet:D

[pastradamus]

one word: Evidence..... make them provide it!

Thats true enough. But they dont need any evidence to constantly harass you. A friend of mine (who dosent even have a parking ticket to his name) is constantly pulled over when driving, walking down the street, pulled out of demos, has his house searched etc... and despite all that he still manages to maintain his resolve - something I could never do. Basically, the cops do this kind of thing in order to make one eventually break the law out of sheer frustration.