The UK Home Office has launched a consultation into its Interception Modernisation Programme (IMP), which is part of the wider Communications Data Bill and will see all YOUR email accesses and website visits (not content though) stored for a period of one year. The system is expected to cost a staggering £2bn over a 10-year period, though mercifully plans for a centralised government database to store all the information have been scrapped.
Personally we don't believe that monitoring the private personal activity of ordinary law-abiding citizens is the proper way to behave. It could also encourage the profiling of innocent people or even be abused for commercial/political gain. The EU is currently investigating use and abuse of related Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) technology (here).
The Internet Services Providers Association (ISPA) has welcomed today’s consultation into Communications Data. The ISPA said it was committed to assisting law enforcement agencies in the investigation of serious crimes and threats to national security, and supports effective legal measures that combat terrorism.
Still, of most concern will be who has access to view this data and how it is regulated. Recent drafts and amendments have indicated that local councils, the National Health Service (NHS) and even the Post Office could be granted permission. Since when did they need to know about our website and email activity?
Naturally the government is keen to avoid talking about that, instead plugging the system as a means of tackling online/cyber crime and terrorism. The consultation, called ‘Protecting the public in a changing communications environment’, hopes to find the right balance between privacy and security by suggesting ways to collect and store communications data; ends on 20th July 2009.
It's worth adding that mobile phone calls, text messages and land-line call logs (again, not the call or txt itself) are also part of the data that will be tracked. ISPreview published its own article on the matter during May last year - 'ISPs Raise Concerns Over Data Retention'.
The UK Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, said that her key priority was: "To protect the citizens of the UK. To do nothing is not an option as we would be failing in our duty to protect the public," she said.
"Advances in communications mean that there are ever more sophisticated ways to communicate and we need to ensure that we keep up with the technology being used by those who would seek to do us harm. However, to be clear there are absolutely no plans for a single central store."
"Advances in communications mean that there are ever more sophisticated ways to communicate and we need to ensure that we keep up with the technology being used by those who would seek to do us harm. However, to be clear there are absolutely no plans for a single central store."
Personally we don't believe that monitoring the private personal activity of ordinary law-abiding citizens is the proper way to behave. It could also encourage the profiling of innocent people or even be abused for commercial/political gain. The EU is currently investigating use and abuse of related Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) technology (here).
The Internet Services Providers Association (ISPA) has welcomed today’s consultation into Communications Data. The ISPA said it was committed to assisting law enforcement agencies in the investigation of serious crimes and threats to national security, and supports effective legal measures that combat terrorism.
Nicholas Lansman, ISPA Secretary General said, "ISPA advocates a proportionate approach to data retention. To ensure that any updated law enforcement requirements do not place extra financial burdens on internet service providers, ISPA stresses the importance of cost recovery. We will continue discussions with the Home Office and other stakeholders on this matter and look forward to a constructive dialogue."
Still, of most concern will be who has access to view this data and how it is regulated. Recent drafts and amendments have indicated that local councils, the National Health Service (NHS) and even the Post Office could be granted permission. Since when did they need to know about our website and email activity?
Naturally the government is keen to avoid talking about that, instead plugging the system as a means of tackling online/cyber crime and terrorism. The consultation, called ‘Protecting the public in a changing communications environment’, hopes to find the right balance between privacy and security by suggesting ways to collect and store communications data; ends on 20th July 2009.
It's worth adding that mobile phone calls, text messages and land-line call logs (again, not the call or txt itself) are also part of the data that will be tracked. ISPreview published its own article on the matter during May last year - 'ISPs Raise Concerns Over Data Retention'.
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Comments: 5
TRIaXOR™Posted: 27 April, 2009 - 7:44 PM
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This is getting ridiculous, whats next, CCTV in the home making sure you conform (should that be conphorm?) to the state? the quicker we vote these morons out the better..
otesterPosted: 27 April, 2009 - 10:25 PM
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@1
Wow you still believe in the political system?
They are all just as corrupt as each other, if a Labour MP ratted on a Tory MP it'd probably end up taking out 1/2 of all the MP's.
timelessPosted: 27 April, 2009 - 10:37 PM
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to be honest this is one large waste of money, this government needs to be thrown out with the trash.. they are spending money like tap water and who has to pay for it?
we do, and we will continue to pay for the state they have left our country in for many years to come, Labour is a farce, Gordon Brown signed our nations death warrant...
Carrot63Posted: 28 April, 2009 - 7:07 AM
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All this government are good for is "repackaging" last weeks unacceptable, draconian policy as something new, bright and shiny - and of course completely different. I can't see the slightest difference where the data is stored; one giant database or ISPs storage. What matters is that it is stored at all and that every jobsworth Tom, Dick and Harriet can access it on a whim in the talismanic name of "security".
Notable that Jackboots Schmidt chose to cite Ian Huntley and the Soham murders as an example on the basis that he used a mobile phone. Something simple that even Mail readers can understand - presumably anyone challenging this idiotic rape of personal privacy is supposed to be seen as a supporter of paedophile murderers.
Fishing expeditions should be left to those with rods.
timelessPosted: 28 April, 2009 - 11:26 PM
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even if the information isnt located on some large "central" database how do we know that when an "official" requests information from an ISP that the disk(s) wont get lost in the mail and we later we be told that they were unencrypted!!
dont forget they have a very bad habit of doing that, whats more they say they will only log certain parts of our usage but we only have their words for it, in which case the information if lost can have the potential to be damaging if somehow details of our credit cards end up profiled, still like lve said before l bet government bods will have a way around this system, l feel if our usage is intercepted we should have the right to view where they go online as well since public money is being used to pay for their connections, for all we know they use them for porn.
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