Gov't data retention - how much is too much?

Advances in technology could put the UK on the road to a Minority Report-style future, a security expert has warned.

The Earl of Erroll, Merlin Hay, has warned against holding increasing amounts of data - such as proposals to retain internet, email and phone records under the draft Communications Data Bill.

He predicted that the advent of petabyte storage and advanced "quantum search" algorithms could make it possible for authorities in future to trawl massive databases for behavioural traits which flag people as potential offenders.

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At present it is unclear whether the draft bill will call for data to be stored for up to two years by ISPs, as required from 2009 by the EU Data Retention Directive, or ask for it to be kept by government in a centralised database.

Hay said: "I understand targeting criminal policy and attempting to predict criminality.

"But I worry about what is going to happen when the government go to the next stage and can do everything they say they want under the draft communications data bill. To centralise all that data for them to data mine….I do not trust people looking at that to not look at mine or your habits and make the wrong assumptions."

He added: "It is open to abuse in future, governments could propose to use it to control citizens for 'their own good'."

He said the draft bill was unnecessary as government could gain access to all the communications data it needed from ISPs under the existing Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.