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I didn't mean to imply that it's happening any time anyone tweet something, but there have been an alarming number of cases of cops showing up at peoples houses

I didn't mean to imply that it's happening any time anyone tweet something, but there have been an alarming number of cases of cops showing up at peoples houses for tweets they've made. A far greater number than anything happening in other western countries, which doesn't even have anything close to compare it to. Just to be clear, even 20 times is significant here, I think the actual number is much higher, but even a low number as 20 is concerning when the tweets don't promote violence, terrorism, CSASM or anything illegal.

foldr 2y ago
What exactly is it that you are saying has happened 20 times? Described in objective terms, not using vague and emotive language like “thought police”, etc etc.
- kennysoona 2y ago
  People in the UK tweeted something online that didn't break any laws. Police showed up to question them. Many of the tweets in question were around gender identity, but were not directly hateful let alone offensive to the point cops need be involved.
  - foldr 2y ago
    It’s still not clear where you’re getting the number 20 from or which incidents you’re talking about. But it sounds like these are cases of people being questioned by police and then…not getting arrested because they weren’t committing a crime. I’m not sure what is supposed to be concerning about that in the abstract. Maybe there’s something concerning about the specific incidents, but you don’t seem inclined to give any details about them.
    - kennysoona 2y ago
      > It’s still not clear where you’re getting the number 20 from or which incidents you’re talking about. Eh, I think it's been abundantly clear enough that a quick search would fill in the blanks, but here is one such example: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6636383/Twitter-user-investigated-police-posting-poem-social-media-site.html https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6636383/Twitter-use..., and it doesn't matter that it's from the DM in this case. > But it sounds like these are cases of people being questioned by police and then…not getting arrested because they weren’t committing a crime. The problem is cops showing up at all for people sharing an opinion. The tweets were visible at cop HQ. Sending cops out reads like intimidation which is something cops do in authoritarian societies.
      - foldr 2y ago
        Were you not aware of the subsequent court judgment in favor of the guy in the 2019 article? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-59727118.amp https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-59727118.... No country can prevent all police officers from doing stupid things at all times, but it’s painting a very one-sided picture to leave out this important context. Incidentally, the Daily Mail is not a news source.
        kennysoona 2y ago
        > Were you not aware of the subsequent court judgment in favor of the guy in the 2019 article? It. Doesn't. matter. The article linked is but one incident. There's been plenty others, some involving public figures. Cops are literally acting like thought police and no, that isn't hyperbole. The problem that this occurs in the UK far more widespread than it does. I get you want to defend your country but I think you're taking it a bit far here. Denying the issues out of a sense of patriotism is how they worsen. > Incidentally, the Daily Mail is not a news source. As I said, the fact that it was a DM article is irrelevant here.
        foldr 2y ago
        Erm, it matters because the police were required to change their approach in light of that court judgment, as explained in the article that I linked. How can it possibly not matter that the checks and balances provided by the court of appeal succeeded in preventing future police action infringing on free speech? It’s because of this court decision that your Google search turned up a Daily Mail article from 2019 and not something more recent! You’ll have to remind me of the Chapter of 1984 in which the actions of the Thought Police are reined in by a system of legal checks and balances… > Denying the issues out of a sense of patriotism is how they worsen. You’re way off base here. Complaining about the UK is the UK’s national sport. I’m still bitter about Brexit and could write an essay about everything that’s wrong with this silly country. But it’s not a sinister Orwellian police state. If you want something genuinely sinister, look to the motivations of the people posting nonsense about the UK on Twitter.
    - rpdillon 2y ago
      Having the government show up at your door for non-threatening things you've written online is very concerning.
      - foldr 2y ago
        There have been some instances of people being inappropriately contacted by the police over things they wrote online. I think that this has largely stopped following the court judgment that I mention downthread. I think there's broad agreement here on what the police should and shouldn't be doing. The issue is whether it's actually accurate to paint a picture of the UK as a country where the police regularly harass people about their online postings. If people in the UK strike you as unduly unconcerned, consider the possibility that it's because this isn't actually happening to anything like the extent that some people on Twitter would like you to believe that it does. By the way, you seem to be using 'the government' in a very broad 90s internet libertarian sense. The police in the UK are operationally independent of the government of the day. As Wikipedia explains: > Police officers [in the UK] hold office and are not employees. Each officer is an independent legal official and not an "agent of the police force, police authority or government". This allows the police their unique status and notionally provides the citizens of the UK a protection from any government that might wish unlawfully to use the police as an instrument against them.

foldr 2y ago

What exactly is it that you are saying has happened 20 times? Described in objective terms, not using vague and emotive language like “thought police”, etc etc.

kennysoona 2y ago
People in the UK tweeted something online that didn't break any laws. Police showed up to question them. Many of the tweets in question were around gender identity, but were not directly hateful let alone offensive to the point cops need be involved.
- foldr 2y ago
  It’s still not clear where you’re getting the number 20 from or which incidents you’re talking about. But it sounds like these are cases of people being questioned by police and then…not getting arrested because they weren’t committing a crime. I’m not sure what is supposed to be concerning about that in the abstract. Maybe there’s something concerning about the specific incidents, but you don’t seem inclined to give any details about them.
  - kennysoona 2y ago
    > It’s still not clear where you’re getting the number 20 from or which incidents you’re talking about. Eh, I think it's been abundantly clear enough that a quick search would fill in the blanks, but here is one such example: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6636383/Twitter-user-investigated-police-posting-poem-social-media-site.html https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6636383/Twitter-use..., and it doesn't matter that it's from the DM in this case. > But it sounds like these are cases of people being questioned by police and then…not getting arrested because they weren’t committing a crime. The problem is cops showing up at all for people sharing an opinion. The tweets were visible at cop HQ. Sending cops out reads like intimidation which is something cops do in authoritarian societies.
    - foldr 2y ago
      Were you not aware of the subsequent court judgment in favor of the guy in the 2019 article? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-59727118.amp https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-59727118.... No country can prevent all police officers from doing stupid things at all times, but it’s painting a very one-sided picture to leave out this important context. Incidentally, the Daily Mail is not a news source.
      - kennysoona 2y ago
        > Were you not aware of the subsequent court judgment in favor of the guy in the 2019 article? It. Doesn't. matter. The article linked is but one incident. There's been plenty others, some involving public figures. Cops are literally acting like thought police and no, that isn't hyperbole. The problem that this occurs in the UK far more widespread than it does. I get you want to defend your country but I think you're taking it a bit far here. Denying the issues out of a sense of patriotism is how they worsen. > Incidentally, the Daily Mail is not a news source. As I said, the fact that it was a DM article is irrelevant here.
        foldr 2y ago
        Erm, it matters because the police were required to change their approach in light of that court judgment, as explained in the article that I linked. How can it possibly not matter that the checks and balances provided by the court of appeal succeeded in preventing future police action infringing on free speech? It’s because of this court decision that your Google search turned up a Daily Mail article from 2019 and not something more recent! You’ll have to remind me of the Chapter of 1984 in which the actions of the Thought Police are reined in by a system of legal checks and balances… > Denying the issues out of a sense of patriotism is how they worsen. You’re way off base here. Complaining about the UK is the UK’s national sport. I’m still bitter about Brexit and could write an essay about everything that’s wrong with this silly country. But it’s not a sinister Orwellian police state. If you want something genuinely sinister, look to the motivations of the people posting nonsense about the UK on Twitter.
  - rpdillon 2y ago
    Having the government show up at your door for non-threatening things you've written online is very concerning.
    - foldr 2y ago
      There have been some instances of people being inappropriately contacted by the police over things they wrote online. I think that this has largely stopped following the court judgment that I mention downthread. I think there's broad agreement here on what the police should and shouldn't be doing. The issue is whether it's actually accurate to paint a picture of the UK as a country where the police regularly harass people about their online postings. If people in the UK strike you as unduly unconcerned, consider the possibility that it's because this isn't actually happening to anything like the extent that some people on Twitter would like you to believe that it does. By the way, you seem to be using 'the government' in a very broad 90s internet libertarian sense. The police in the UK are operationally independent of the government of the day. As Wikipedia explains: > Police officers [in the UK] hold office and are not employees. Each officer is an independent legal official and not an "agent of the police force, police authority or government". This allows the police their unique status and notionally provides the citizens of the UK a protection from any government that might wish unlawfully to use the police as an instrument against them.