PC Pals Forum
Technical Help & Discussion => General Tech Discussion, News & Q&A => Topic started by: Clive on July 16, 2008, 14:01
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The UK's Information Commissioner has called for a full public debate about a proposed "super-database" that would log every phone call, text and email in Britain.
The database, which would hold the details of everyone's telephone and internet communications and could be accessed by a wide range of security agencies, would be a "a step too far for the British way of life", said Richard Thomas.
"Do we really want the police, security services and other organs of the state to have access to more and more aspects of our private lives?" the Information Commissioner asked at the launch of his annual report.
The proposal to introduce the Orwellian surveillance systems is still in the discussion stage between the Home Office and the telecommunications and internet industries.
The radical shake-up of surveillance would give police new powers to monitor phone lines and internet communication, letting them store details on every individual's browsing and communication traffic.
Although police would not be able to view content, they would be able to build a profile of an individual and their network of contacts.
The proposed database would have to be enormous to handle the volume of the UK's communications. Last year about 57 billion text messages were sent in Britain while an estimated three billion emails are sent every day.
www.ico.gov.uk
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agreed, i think they are going way too far... but I understand why they would want this - if I did the job they do I'd want all the info I could get.
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I'd be surprised if it wasn't already here.
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What the police want, the police get. Any Home Secretary who stands up to them is portrayed as being weak, a mealy-mouthed politician failing to support our gallant boys in blue and failing to protect our country from evil infiltrators.
We're already pretty close to living in a totalitarian state. This sort of power would only mean it's the police cracking the whip as opposed to the civil service.
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yep :cry:
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I'd be surprised if it wasn't already here.
Have you not heard of "Echelon" ?
Its the listening post in Menwith Hill, not that far from where Tony lives as it happens ;D
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/503224.stm