The controversial Interception Modernisation Programme (IMP), which will see all YOUR email accesses and website visits (not content) monitored and stored for a period of one year, was revived in yesterdays Spending Review after the previous Labour administration put it on hold prior to the 2010 General Election.The system is expected to cost a staggering £2bn over a 10-year period and many organisations, such as the NHS, Local Councils and even Royal Mail could be granted access to this data, not just the police and security services.
Government Spending Review 2010 Statement
[We will] introduce a programme to preserve the ability of the security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies to obtain communication data and to intercept communications within the appropriate legal framework. This programme is required to keep up with changing technology and to maintain capabilities that are vital to the work these agencies do to protect the public.
Communications data provides evidence in court to secure convictions of those engaged in activities that cause serious harm. It has played a role in every major Security Service counterterrorism operation and in 95% of all serious organised crime investigations.
We will legislate to put in place the necessary regulations and safeguards to ensure that our response to this technology challenge is compatible with the Government’s approach to information storage and civil liberties.
[We will] introduce a programme to preserve the ability of the security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies to obtain communication data and to intercept communications within the appropriate legal framework. This programme is required to keep up with changing technology and to maintain capabilities that are vital to the work these agencies do to protect the public.
Communications data provides evidence in court to secure convictions of those engaged in activities that cause serious harm. It has played a role in every major Security Service counterterrorism operation and in 95% of all serious organised crime investigations.
We will legislate to put in place the necessary regulations and safeguards to ensure that our response to this technology challenge is compatible with the Government’s approach to information storage and civil liberties.
The text itself was buried deep within the government's Strategic Defence and Security Review, which isn't surprising since the new coalition government had originally pledged in May 2010 to "end the storage of internet and email records without good reason".
The Strategic Defence and Security Review (PDF)However contrary to some reports, the coalition has never officially said that it would completely scrap the IMP like some other privacy invading programmes. Crucially the IMP itself does not record the content of a communication, only access data.
Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty
Earlier plans for a centralised government database to store all the information were scrapped. Instead UK broadband ISPs were required to maintain the information. As it stands the new announcement doesn't offer much detail, merely proposing to "preserve" rather than expand the IMP.
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Comments: 5
Carrot63Posted: 21 October, 2010 - 11:07 AM
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So much for rolling back Labour's police state, although it's hardly a surprise that the ConDems couldn't resist once they were in power.
"Crucially the IMP itself does not record the content of a communication"
Unless a warrant is issued by the Home Secretary.
timelessPosted: 21 October, 2010 - 6:24 PM
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... £2bn... granted it might be over a 10year period but what the hell? while we have to scrimp our pennies because of the tax dodgers in parliament they want to use our money to pay for something we dont need.
JamesPosted: 22 October, 2010 - 9:30 AM
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Just remember we are guilty until proven innocent. Everything is illegal unless expressly approved. We the slaves have no rights and are terrorists unless they decide otherwise, no judge, no jury. They can detain you indefinitely.
We shouldn't have a government. We didn't vote in Conservative or Liberal Democrat, so why are they managing the shop? Same goes for the EU parliament, we didn't vote in a president for Europe either...
Just wait until Monsanto with its band of merry Blackwater mercenaries start enforcing GMO crop staples and meat in the UK since the armed forces are being culled as we speak. You know hired guns will be used in case of dissent. Also when these crops are consumed its likely they will alter your DNA, you will no longer be considered human and therefore will just be livestock.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.
MarkJPosted: 22 October, 2010 - 10:03 AM
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Actually we did vote in the Conservative's and Liberal Democrats (unless you voted for somebody else hehe), although we didn't necessarily vote for them to u-turn on their promises, even though it would be a naive individual to expect all those pledges to be retained.
BobAt101Posted: 24 October, 2010 - 4:56 PM
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It is a complete waste of time any terrorist organization can work around this logging in seconds, it will achieve nothing it just the level of stupidity in the government to think this will have any affect.
The INTERNET has this thing called secured proxies, from the Internet client to the proxy is encrypted, proxy can be anywhere in the world.
ISP's wont have a clue on emails etc if you use the proxy.
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