news round-up
Snoopers charter not welcome
A survey commissioned by Liberty has revealed that the vast majority of British adults believe state surveillance remit as proposed by the Government’s Investigatory Powers Bill are ultra vires.
They instead argue it is only acceptable for the Government to access and monitor records of their emails, text messages, phone calls and online browsing history if they’re suspected of - or have committed - a crime or otherwise say this practice is never acceptable.
Liberty believes that targeted access to communications data based on suspicion, with a robust system of independent judicial oversight, is extremely important in terms of preventing and detecting serious crime.
The results of the survey emerge as MPs prepare to debate the new ‘Snoopers’ Charter’ in the House of Commons.
The Bill would force telecoms companies and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to store every individual’s communications data – records of calls, texts and web activity – and entire Internet browsing history for a year. This data could then be accessed by dozens of public bodies with no need for suspicion of criminality.
Just 8% of those individuals polled believe that it would be acceptable for the Government to access and monitor records of e-mails, text messages, phone calls and online browsing history in all circumstances, whether or not someone has committed (or is suspected of committing) an act of crime.
Liberty suggests that the polling also exposes a lack of public awareness of the legislation – currently being “rushed through” Parliament, according to Liberty – which will grant these and many other “even more intrusive” mass surveillance powers.
More than 70 per cent of those people questioned say they have either never heard of the Bill, or know nothing about it at all.
