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I don't think this is a party political thing. For all I know the CIA already reads all my emails. What is just daft is the assumption that terrorists will send emails that say "I will collect the bomb tonight and meet you at ...", when they will actually write "I'm off to Jane's birthday party tonight". And that's before considering possibilities such as anonymous remailers, burying messages in pictures, or posting an innocuous message on a third party site.

- TonyB, Melbourne, Australia

@Mat. No point in voting Labour out, until we get cast-iron manifesto pledges from either the Tories or Lib Dems to undo all the repressive legislation already in place. Let's face it, it isn't the politicians who think these things up, it's the intelligence and security community, and the spineless politicians go along with it because they think they're being tough on crime, terrorism etc. We need politicians like David Davies who might possibly stand up to these faceless securocrats.

- Andy, Bexleyheath UK

Digital diddling, by a decidedly dodgy undemocratic dictatorship, desperate to demonstrate demonic duristiction.

(Try saying that with no teeth in)

- David Duddlesworth, Doncaster

What an EVIL government we've ended up with. A Gestapo State here we come, already one stage has been past when an innocent civilian is executed by the police without any sanctions being imposed on the perpetrators and now everybodies private lives will be spied on. How long before the formation of concentration camps for people who dare not to worship our Glorious Leader, Hiel Gordon

- john hunt, alton/uk

We are going full tilt down a very slippery slope. Those who argue that 'If you have nothing to hide, you have no need to worry' need to get a grip. But would a different political party scrap this idea? Anyone ditching this would have my vote. Failing that it's emigration. But are there any 'free' countries left?

- Christine Carter, Halifax England

another liebour control big brother government lets get them out.

the next thing will be to stop blogs like this for fear

that they will discredit the liebour party and mcbroon

and cronies

- arthur ruse, london

All labour and conservative members are guilty of complicity in the illegal invasion of Iraq [UN ].
Their leaders are criminals who want to impose their manic thug mentality. They should be arrested and tried to deaths, some for a thousand deaths.
Anon.

- Anonymous., Varies

TThis is just one more example of the direction our country, and it's people, are being taken. We are, possibly now, one of the most watched peoples in the world. Everything we do, say, transact is recorded somewhere for future retrieval. What exactly, did all those people die for since World War 1 - they died for our supposed freedom. They would be wondering what the hell they did it for, if they could see it all now - especially those of World War 1! They suffered like no other, before or since!
We are led these days by incompetent, inefficient and gutless politicians. The security of our precious data is farcical - now the proposition is for even more surveillance of what we do and say!
The time is fast arriving when ordinary folk might be compelled to say "enough is enough" and rise up. The time for change is now, or perhaps I underestimate the dumb-down, restrictive practices, already in place by successive controlling governments and security agencies, having already knocked the fire out of a once-proud, and mighty nation, now diluted with insurgents and undesirables! The road ahead is indeed grim - if allowed to continue on its current course of government ineptitude, and increasing control of all our daily lives - this, all in the name of security - mmmmm... I wonder for who?

- Jeff, Leicester, UK

Please, everybody, vote this government out at the next election. The lunacy of wanting to collate this information in the first place, on top of all our other civil liberties they have eroded, is matched only by their incompetence in believing that a private company could safeguard it.

- Mat, dorchester, uk

Apparently the aim is to pay for the development of the database with revenue from the soon to be proposed sex tax.

- Paul, Lincolnshire

The next thing will be the be the Secret Police on every street corner and in every pub in the country.Neighbour will spy on neighbour and our mail will be censored.The Communists didn't have to invade to do it! or did they when I wasn't looking? Who thought George Orwell wrote fiction.

- Trevor Brand, Clacton, Essex

We know that Jacqui "Jackboot" Schmidt's excuse for fighting crime and terrorism is rubbish, because the police often don't bother about crime, and with regards to terrorism, isn't that what GCHQ is used for?
No, it's because Liebore is a party of nosy and irresponsible control freaks.
Let's see all of HER phone calls (transcripts), e-mails and what websites SHE visits, after all, Jacqui, if you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear, right?

- Ralph, GB

Yes, I am in complete agreement with other comments made, especially about the French, as they had a successful revolution, there is always a collective recognition with successive French governments that their public has the ability to remove them. It is a true shame that a certain historical figure inour history failed to blow up parliament! Of course if Jacqui Smith had her way, this statement of mine would end up on a database, and Police would come to my house and drag me off for insighting terrorism! .... although it ould probably just end up on a laptop travelling the northern line....

- Paul Black, Oxford

This would constitute the end of personal freedom. Short of putting wires in our heads to read our thoughts all privacy would end. But then this Government and the Nanny Think-tanks will never admit that the reason they need this is because their approach to law and order is just plain wrong. Their ideology is wrong along with their PC obsession. As others have said 1984 happened, it is here already. With Bio-ID cards, DNA profiling CCTV on every corner,logging our every email, Net movement, mobile calls & position; use of our organs by the state; we are no longer people, just state owned meat?

- Paulbg, Bath, UK

At last I see people are beginning to realise the truth of 2008. We are, believe it or not, in a "police state" and have been for some time. Its just that the police are too busy currently chasing motorists/terrorists/activists et al to watch the whole population. This is however done for them by private security firms and councils who run all these cameras in the interests of anti-terrorism etc.
As far as keeping the data secure? Forget it. I wouldn't expect any 'official' of any sort to safeguard my shopping let alone my private data.
Do I have anything to worry about with all this snooping? No. But then neither does anyone else until the totalarian society is complete.
And its nearly there with the DNA database. It will be almost complete with the phone/email/internet record. You see content doesn't matter its who you contact that matters.
Oh well, roll on 1984. At 67 I don't think I shall worry too much. But you youngsters? Watch your backs.

- Pat, Havant, UK

Can we assume that MPs' and Ministers' emails will be exempt (apart from obviously opposition MPs' communications)?

- George, London

This is one of the worst ideas I have come across. My Father always votes Labour and up to now so have I but over the past few years I have become angry about the intrusive society we now live in. We are captured on CCTV whenever we drive or shop or go for a walk. There are limits and the government has breached them, unless we vote a different party in that will oppose such foolishness we are in great danger of losing more civil liberties than we already have. I don't know if the Tories would be any better but I am now willing to give them a chance. Change for it's own sake is not what I believe in but I think we have been given enough good reasons to use our votes to change things. Roll on the next election my friends......

- Gurpreet Singh Khaira, Gravesend, UK

The Labour Government is at last showing it's true colours towards being a totalitarian state. Though I have voted for them on various occasions in my life, I've always felt that there was a possibility underneath it all,they are no better than communism or fascism. 1984 is just round the corner or in some respect it's already here. Where is the freedom to protest, strike or speak your mind without the possibility of arrest. What's happened to our democracy, that millions of people died for in the last war. WAKE UP BRITISH PEOPLE OR WE WILL BE IN CHAINS BEFORE LONG. THIS COUNTRY WAS ONCE THE HOPE OF THE WORLD FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM, LET IT BE SO WITH YOUR HELP AND RESILIENCE. Unfortunately I don't believe we have a decent party to get us out of the mess were in, Margaret Thatcher didn't do much better when she was in office, she became deluded and though she was God like. For GOD'S sake don't look at BNP as we will be back to 1939/45 again. After this rant I should be at the top of the list for political asylum.

- Peter Maguire, Bracknell, Berkshire.

What happened to Democracy, don't this Government stick their noses into our private lives enough already. They already hold the World record for losing critical, personal and private databases.

Already they contravene the Data Protection Act over and over again, when is it all going to stop?

I’m not in love with the French, but at least they revolt against their government when they are unhappy with something!


PS How long will it be before they put CCTV Cameras in our houses?

- Steve Martin, London

This government will never learn by its previous mistakes.Could there be a hidden agenda?

- John Sowden, Chester United Kingdom

I have to agree with Mr Macdonald and for once with the EU Minister. I quite often find myself bashing the EU for one reason or another normally on something where they have shot themselves in the foot e.g. straight bananas etc. but every now and then they say something worthwhile e.g. making us clean up our beaches.
Its unfair to say 'this government' is at best unreliable with our data as no other government has been in power during the internet/data revolution, I'm sure the conservative would have been as bad but I am digusted that an elected body feels it can overlord us without even asking us, this should be a reforendum matter if ever I heard one. Otherwise we end up living in a can do/will do state that is only a democracy every 4 years or whatever the election cycle is.
If this goes through I will not be voting for Labour or any other party that supports it. End of story!

- Degsy, Watton, UK

If Jacqui Smith wants people on the streets rioting, she is going the right way about it. For a Government that manages to lose everything it lays its grubby hands on there is absolutely no chance of anything being secure. Yet another blunder by blunder woman and her shabby fellow MP's.

- Roger, Surrey

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