By Nick Heath, 20 May 2008 15:34
NEWS
All email, blogs, instant messaging and VoIP calls could be monitored under government proposals - but critics warn the plans go too far.
As of last September telecoms providers must keep all text and phone call records for up to two years under an EU directive, and this is to be rolled out to include all online traffic by 2009 at the latest.
These can be accessed by national authorities to help in a criminal investigation.
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A spokeswoman for the Home Office described how the draft Communications Data Bill could broaden the scope of records demanded under the EU directive.
She said: "We are looking at the wider provision, there are a huge number of communications that could be covered by it, email, text messages, blogs."
A Home Office statement explains the difficulty faced by law enforcers in monitoring modern communications.
It says: "Many people use a wide variety of communication methods which were unavailable even 15 years ago to contact each other and to exchange information, for instance email, instant messaging, blogs and social network sites.
"We are at the very early stages of deciding how to update the law to allow public authorities to continue to obtain and have access to communications data essential for counter-terrorism and investigation of crime purposes."
It says that ministers have yet to make any decision on whether a central database will be included in the draft bill.
But the Home Office insists that any database would not keep the contents of emails and web traffic - only information on who's been emailing or phoning who and which sites have been visited.
But Gus Hosein, senior fellow at Privacy International and fellow at the London School of Economics, said that this "simple" traffic data would be a "map of every individual's life".
And Jonathan Bamford, assistant information commissioner, warned in a statement: "We are sleepwalking into a surveillance society.
"We are not aware of any justification for the state to hold every UK citizen's phone and internet records. We have real doubts that such a measure can be justified, or is proportionate or desirable."
The UK currently has a voluntary system of data retention that asks telecoms providers to keep subscriber information and phone data for 12 months and basic email, web and text data for six months.
The Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA) has been consulting with the government over the draft bill.
An ISPA spokesman said: "We want to know more about the government's intentions regarding 'modifying the procedures for acquiring communications data'."
Full details of the draft Communications Data Bill will be released later this year.
Comments
There are 9 comments. Join the discussion
1. Radical Meldrew
Another kick in the teeth for us consumers. The EU are negotiating reductions in service charges for the UK but this snooping charter could negate any benefit. The ISPs and Telcos will justifiably raise their charges again to cover the extra cost of retaining user's data.
2. Roger Huffadine
Let them do it - the people that they need information about have already stopped using mobile phones & e-mail for communication - if they want to continue monitoring my messages who cares?
All this proposal does is demonstrate, once more, just how little the government knows about covert operations - maybe that's because we have junior advisors in Whitehall who have GCSEs in ICT so they are already well qualified in knowing nothing about ICT.
3. Martin Anderson
With a benign government (which we don't currently have) this would be very dangerous opening up all sorts of opportunities for rogue elements to manipulate people. Look at the abuse of the Vehicle licensing system to see how even a little data can be misused. This would have huge implications.
Under a controlling, or dictatorial government this provides the perfect tool for keeping the masses under control.
We have already gone too far in surveillance, this is not sleepwalking into a big brother society, we are already there. This is bolting the door and throwing the key away.
This message has been recorded and will be stored for two years for analysis by the thought police!
4. Karen Challinor
we aren't sleepwalking anywhere, we are being taken against our will
hmg simply ignores objections with the "nothing to fear, nothing to hide" argument, but hmg doesn't like being under the microscope any more than you or I, so you can bet the law will be worded so it doesn't apply to government departments, ministers, politicians or local councillors as this would constitute an intolerable intrusion and possibly compromise national secrets
5. anonymous
Another appalling step towards the totally monitored society. The desire of the politicians (and police/"security community") to do this is understandable - they would not be where they are if they were not dangerous control freaks. This is alarming enough - but what is TRULY alarming is the apathy and lack of rebellion in the population at large.
The assumption of "benign government" is extremely foolish.
With an information trail like this it would be possible to portray as a "subversive" or "in support of terrorism" almost anyone with curiousity who researches anything politicised.
An appalling extension of the power of the state that will be embraced by IT suppliers slavering at the thought of all the money they can make and shrugging off any principles or ethics they ever had.
6. Mark Young
Why are they only consulting providers. Surely they should be consulting with the consumers as well. There is very little published on the draft bill and even less facility to comment or consult.
7. anonymous
Interesting that while "citzens" will have all this intrusion that "parliamentarians" will not have to publish details of what they do with public funds on their own homes.
8. Chris Tolmie
I suggest the following - when nearing a CCTV monitored area wear a hoody and also limp (look out for gait software); when texting about a meeting at the Cock and Rabbit on Friday text "Granny has laid five eggs". When driving use tinted windows. Finally make sure that you install antispy software on your PC. I really dislike being monitored but struggle to fight it when criminals have just been caught by the same tools - how do we address this?
9. Drew Stephenson
I think all you have to do is look at the way the current set of surveillance laws have been misused, designed (allegedly) for counter-terrorism purposes they have been invoked by all kinds of governmental institutions for activities as petty as observing a family to see if they fall into a school inclusion zone.
This government is both unable to draft good legislation (or even check whether it's actually required) and is also unable to ensure that its various branches are acting in a responsible manner as servants of the populace.
And once it has railroaded this bill through, how long before the database is accidentally loaded onto an open bit of web or a laptop with access is left in a cab...
P.S. will comments such as this be tracked? Would i now be a registered dissenter?