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Email snooping powers to win go-ahead despite abuse warnings
Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor09.11.09
Ministers today vowed to press ahead with new powers to retain the email, text message, computer and phone records of every citizen despite warnings that the safeguards against abuse are inadequate.
Under the £2 billion plans - which will also cover social networking and gaming sites - telecom, internet and other firms will be required to keep records of their customers' communications for a year so they can be made available to police when necessary.
The Government insists that the powers, which already exist in more limited form, are essential for combating terrorism and that such data is currently used in 95 per cent of serious crime cases.
Examples include the capture of the murderers of Shakilus Townsend, 16, who was lured to his death in a "honey-trap" trick by rival gang members in Thornton Heath, and the conviction this year of the terrorists behind the plot to blow up transatlantic airliners flying out of Heathrow.
Despite such cases, the Home Office today revealed that 50 per cent of those who had responded to a government consultation on extending the powers believe that the safeguards to prevent abuse are insufficient.
By contrast, only 26 per cent of the respondents - who include police, MI5, prosecutors, civil liberties campaigners and members of the public - said that they were satisfied with the safeguards.
A similar lack of support was highlighted by a separate question in which 38 per cent of respondents to the consultation said they did not back the Government's approach towards retaining data, compared with only 29 per cent in favour. The remainder expressed no clear view.
Most of the critics said they thought the Government should "do nothing", in some cases because they believed existing powers to be sufficient, while others said they were opposed to "surveillance" in general.
Under the proposed system, which builds upon existing powers, police will be able to use the records to trace with whom suspects have been in contact. The records will not contain the actual content of calls or messages.
Reader views (8)
Funny that this story should be appear the same day as we are told that “Citizen Snoopers recruited to spy on Londoners.” So addition to being spied on by our neighbours we are now to have our email, text messages, computer and phone records kept by the government. What ever happened to the expectation of privacy in this country?
- Michael, London, UK
Maybe Mr Brown will be less enthusiastic about recording all our converstations and emails after his stitching up earlier this week...
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one
Where are the communists when you need them. ?
- Mr S.Port, London
Relax, people. The information is the same that your provider, that you signed a contract with, already retains. They will just have a legal minimum time to hang on to it, in case it is demanded under a Court Order.
- Alan Griffiths, Forest Gate, LONDON
We do not look like a fascist state Roz. We have become one under this ridiculously authoritarian government.
- Mark, London
It'll be interesting to a) see if they even bother trying to explain themselves to the electorate, or b) if they'll manage to find something that is somewhat less than contemptuously asinine nonsense to tell people why they are not to be permitted 'reasonable expectation of privacy'. What next - opened letters arriving in people's homes taped shut with an offical seal tape to tell people that it's ok, it was only the government checking their correspondence?
This is a situation that even the conspiracy nuts couldn't get wrong in their wildest imagination!
I keep beating the same drum on this, but I have yet to hear anyone refute the contention that in every case where authorities have been given an opportunity to use anti-terror legislation 'out of the box', they have done so, often stretching credibility to the limit!
- Rogan, Irving
What do peeps in the EUSSR expect?
Humble peeps living in Third World banana republics have infinitely more freedom - and enjoy a better quality of life - than the vast majority currently do in the EUSSR.
- Reuben Camara, Plot 1, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR
So how does this work with accounts held with web-based email providers like Hotmail, which you can access from (and hold) anywhere in the World?
The stories on here today just make the UK look depressingly more like a Fascist state.
- Roz, France
