UK Government To Demand Data On Every Call, Email, and Tweet

[Bob Hubbard]

Posted by samzenpus on Monday February 20, @09:42AM
from the save-it-all dept.

judgecorp writes "The UK government is proposing a law that would require phone and Internet companies to store information on all communications, and hand it to the security services when required. The Communications Capabilities Development Programme (CCDP) abandoned by the last government is back on the table, proposed as a means to increase security, and likely to be pushed through before the Olympics in London, according to reports."

 

[Bob Hubbard]

[h=2]UK Plans More Spying On Internet Users Under 'Terrorism' Pretext[/h] Posted by Soulskill on Sunday February 19, @02:20AM
from the good-a-reason-as-any dept.

Wowsers writes "In vogue with other countries cracking down on freedom and democracy on the internet as discussed in Slashdot recently, the UK is joining in with plans to track all phone calls, text messages, email traffic and websites visited online, all to be stored in vast databases under new government anti-terror plans. As reported in The Telegraph, security services will have access to information about who has been communicating with each other on social networking sites such as Facebook, direct messages between subscribers on Twitter would also be stored, as well as communications between players in online video games. The scheme is a revised version of a plan drawn up by the ex-Labour government which would have created a central database of all the information. The idea was later dropped in favor of requiring communications providers to store the details at the taxpayers' expense."

 

[Carol]

While I cannot comment on legal aspects of the UK (not knowing UK law), bear in mind that data mining is everywhere and used to help learn more about consumer habits.

For a U.S. based example that doesn't include internet use, look at this recent Forbes example of how Target figured out a teen girl was pregnant before her father was advised of the situation:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmir...teen-girl-was-pregnant-before-her-father-did/

For a global example, check out Google's new (anti) privacy policy. Every click is being recorded...somewhere. And whatever is being recorded can potentially be subpoenaed for use in a court of law.

 

[Tez3]

The govenment doesn't need to do this, Rupert Murdoch and News International have been spying on us, hacking into emails and mobile phones for years.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

I just like the idea that every single email, private message, text, tweet and other online comment is wanted stored. Who you chatted with, when, how, what was said, etc.
About the only thing not on the table looks like what you thought, though if they could read minds that'd be there too I suspect.

Similar bills have wandered around the US in the last few years, also looking to hit Australia, Canada and other formerly free nations.
Stuff like this scares the crap out of me. People always bring out the usual: "Its patriotic", "what do you have to worry about" and all that.
Then 20 years from now they'll wonder why they need a form signed in triplicate to use the lavatory.

How about, all you governments stay out of all us peoples businesses and go secure the borders and feed some starving orphans or something?

I'm one of those weird people. I like my privacy. I'm not keen on needing to dig up my 4096 bit encryption keys and require those wanting to email me use them.
Course, they have laws now to require I give those up too. Damn shame I can never recall my passcodes.......

 

[Empty Hands]

I'm one of those weird people. I like my privacy. I'm not keen on needing to dig up my 4096 bit encryption keys and require those wanting to email me use them.

I agree with you. Unfortunately, I don't think things are going back to the way they were. Ever. Technology is advancing too fast, and the power and profit it brings is too great. Ironically, the only protection we have is that the invasion is so widespread and so pervasive - you can get lost, just one mote in the ocean. Unless you come to someone's attention specifically.

Damn shame I can never recall my passcodes.......

Enjoy spending the rest of your life in jail for contempt, without jury or conviction, until you come up with those passcodes. Passwords and the like do not fall under 5th amendment protection. That's what Truecrypt with plausible deniability was invented for...

 

[Bob Hubbard]

"Mr. Hubbard, Ve Vant Jer Pazz Codez!"

Sure.

"Code zero zero zero. Destruct. Zero."

Oops.

 

[Tez3]

I don't think anyone is NOT woried about it here, to think they are unconcerned wouldn't be true however we have a listening station her that does actually listen to stuff, read emails etc, has been for a long time, the thing is it's not British it's American. they won't tell us everything either but quite merrily spy on us as well as the people they told us they were spying on way back in the Cold War days.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Menwith_Hill
http://duncan.gn.apc.org/menwith.htm
http://ayup.co.uk/shuttup/shuttup1-0.html

Remember the Princess Diana Squidgygate tapes? guess where they came from.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Tez, you know how we get around those pesky "laws' right? Our listening post is in the UK, your's in in NYC, the Canadians is in an undisclosed donut shop, and the French rely on the ramblings of soldiers on leave in a Paris brothel. It's perfect.

 

[Jenna]

If we think these agency activities are somehow new maybe we have not been looking properly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON

 

[oftheherd1]

I just heard on the news this weekend how the issue of requireing social networds to provide information on demand, without search warrant, is being raised again in the USA. The news related it was given a larger chance of passage.

I am a fairly conservative person, but there are things I don't like. That is one thing I am against as much as universal health care. Many in other countries with different cultural values and laws may not understand, but I grew up during a time when people were expected to take care of themselves and family. It is how I have planned my life.

We have laws and a constitution with rights amendments here in the USA. I have this arcane expectation that they should be followed. It is why we have 3 government branches; to watch over each other. If you can't convince a judge you have a need to look at somethin, you shouldn't do it. Fishing isn't a law enforcement right. Investigating based on probable cause is fine.

Fishing leads to abridgement of rights we have gotten pretty comfortable with in the USA. I guess we just think different. I equate this with the arguement that we would rather have ten lawbreakers get away, than send one innocent person to jail. Same with privacy and terrorists. Even then in our justice system, we often err. Why would be want to take that chance with terrorism and privacy rights?