October 2008
Britain is preparing to match the world's biggest DNA database with the world's most comprehensive "Big Brother" surveillance operation: A database monitoring and collecting every single phone call, email message and internet visit made in the UK.
The Independent has a round-up of how the database is being formed, along with criticism of it from the government's own anti-terror legislation "independent expert."
The newspaper publishes more criticism:
"Under the proposal, internet service providers and telecoms companies would hand over millions of phone and internet records to the Home Office, which would store them for at least 12 months so that the police and security services could access them. It is understood that more than £1bn has been earmarked for the database.
"Richard Thomas, the Information Commissioner, has described the plans as "a step too far for the British way of life". Yesterday his office added: "It is clear that more needs to be done to protect people's personal information, but creating big databases... means you can never eliminate the risk that the data will fall into the wrong hands."
"Dominic Grieve, the Shadow Home Secretary, said: "The Government must justify the case for any such massive increase in state acquisition, sharing and retention of data, spell out the safeguards to prevent abuse and – given its appalling record – explain how it will protect the integrity of any database holding sensitive personal data.""
The new act is expected to be a step up from the current system:
"Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), some 650 public bodies – including police and local authorities – can require internet service providers or mobile-phone companies to hand over details of their customers' phone, email and internet habits. About 500,000 requests were made last year. The rules say public bodies can only access records if it is for a legitimate purpose and proportionate – criteria which critics complain are too vague."
We have protested for years about this database. It is good to see Stephen Glover speak out against the surveillance state in the Daily Mail today. Glover says Britain "will soon be a country more spied upon than Communist East Germany under the Stasi," and he's got a point.
No other large country on earth spies on its own citizens to the same degree Britain does. France's EDVIGE project to spy on all email and phone calls has been halted for review following a public outcry, but Britain's surveillance state gets bigger daily. Only this year, France outlawed the practice of taking "tip offs" from disgruntled neighbours in the the income tax services: Yet this week, police in one British region encouraged citizens to "Give us a ring" if they notice their neighbour has "Too much bling."
Not only are they storing our medical records, DNA and every communication on a series of databases, allowing CCTV cameras to record our every move, giving hundreds of agencies and thousands of civil servants the right to spy on us: They are recruiting their own spies from among our communities.
"If this had been proposed ten years ago, no one would have believed it", write Glover.
When will it end?
We have argued for years that Britain's government has been developing the infrastructure and society of a totalitarian state. Sinister illiberal and authoritarian laws, outrageous invasions of privacy and complex systems of information gathering and surveillance have been put into place under our noses. Only the opportunity to "flick the switch" has been missing. That time is never far away...
http://eursoc.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/2778/The_Stasi_State.html
Comment :
EDVIGE is not 'halted', but modified and renamed "Edvirsp".
Britain is preparing to match the world's biggest DNA database with the world's most comprehensive "Big Brother" surveillance operation: A database monitoring and collecting every single phone call, email message and internet visit made in the UK.
The Independent has a round-up of how the database is being formed, along with criticism of it from the government's own anti-terror legislation "independent expert."
The newspaper publishes more criticism:
"Under the proposal, internet service providers and telecoms companies would hand over millions of phone and internet records to the Home Office, which would store them for at least 12 months so that the police and security services could access them. It is understood that more than £1bn has been earmarked for the database.
"Richard Thomas, the Information Commissioner, has described the plans as "a step too far for the British way of life". Yesterday his office added: "It is clear that more needs to be done to protect people's personal information, but creating big databases... means you can never eliminate the risk that the data will fall into the wrong hands."
"Dominic Grieve, the Shadow Home Secretary, said: "The Government must justify the case for any such massive increase in state acquisition, sharing and retention of data, spell out the safeguards to prevent abuse and – given its appalling record – explain how it will protect the integrity of any database holding sensitive personal data.""
The new act is expected to be a step up from the current system:
"Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), some 650 public bodies – including police and local authorities – can require internet service providers or mobile-phone companies to hand over details of their customers' phone, email and internet habits. About 500,000 requests were made last year. The rules say public bodies can only access records if it is for a legitimate purpose and proportionate – criteria which critics complain are too vague."
We have protested for years about this database. It is good to see Stephen Glover speak out against the surveillance state in the Daily Mail today. Glover says Britain "will soon be a country more spied upon than Communist East Germany under the Stasi," and he's got a point.
No other large country on earth spies on its own citizens to the same degree Britain does. France's EDVIGE project to spy on all email and phone calls has been halted for review following a public outcry, but Britain's surveillance state gets bigger daily. Only this year, France outlawed the practice of taking "tip offs" from disgruntled neighbours in the the income tax services: Yet this week, police in one British region encouraged citizens to "Give us a ring" if they notice their neighbour has "Too much bling."
Not only are they storing our medical records, DNA and every communication on a series of databases, allowing CCTV cameras to record our every move, giving hundreds of agencies and thousands of civil servants the right to spy on us: They are recruiting their own spies from among our communities.
"If this had been proposed ten years ago, no one would have believed it", write Glover.
When will it end?
We have argued for years that Britain's government has been developing the infrastructure and society of a totalitarian state. Sinister illiberal and authoritarian laws, outrageous invasions of privacy and complex systems of information gathering and surveillance have been put into place under our noses. Only the opportunity to "flick the switch" has been missing. That time is never far away...
http://eursoc.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/2778/The_Stasi_State.html
Comment :
EDVIGE is not 'halted', but modified and renamed "Edvirsp".
