[quote][B]The government will be able to monitor the calls, emails, texts and website visits of everyone in the UK under new legislation set to be announced soon.[/B]Internet firms will be required to give intelligence agency GCHQ access to communications on demand, in real time.
The Home Office says the move is key to tackling crime and terrorism, but civil liberties groups have criticised it.
Attempts by the last Labour government to take similar steps failed after huge opposition, including from the Tories.
A new law - which may be announced in the forthcoming Queen's Speech in May - would not allow GCHQ to access the content of emails, calls or messages without a warrant.
But it would enable intelligence officers to identify who an individual or group is in contact with, how often and for how long.
In a statement, the Home Office said action was needed to "maintain the continued availability of communications data as technology changes".
"It is vital that police and security services are able to obtain communications data in certain circumstances to investigate serious crime and terrorism and to protect the public," a spokesman said.
"As set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review we will legislate as soon as parliamentary time allows to ensure that the use of communications data is compatible with the government's approach to civil liberties."
But Nick Pickles, director of the Big Brother Watch campaign group, called the move "an unprecedented step that will see Britain adopt the same kind of surveillance seen in China and Iran".
"This is an absolute attack on privacy online and it is far from clear this will actually improve public safety, while adding significant costs to internet businesses," he said.
"If this was such a serious security issue why has the Home Office not ensured these powers were in place before the Olympics?"
Even if it is announced in the Queen's Speech, any new law would still have to make it through Parliament, potentially in the face of opposition in both the Commons and the Lords.
The previous Labour government attempted to introduce a central, government-run database of everyone's phone calls and emails, but eventually dropped the bid after widespread anger.
The then Home Secretary Jacqui Smith did pursue efforts similar to those being revisited now, but the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats continued to voice their concerns.
The shadow home secretary at the time, Chris Grayling, said the government had "built a culture of surveillance which goes far beyond counter terrorism and serious crime".
Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said any legislation requiring communications providers to keep records of contact would need "strong safeguards on access", and "a careful balance" would have to be struck "between investigative powers and the right to privacy".[/quote]
Source: [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17576745[/url]
Brilliant. (that's sarcastic by the way)
-snip I'm so stupid sorry-
Everyone?
I'm pretty sure that'd be impossible.
Nevermind the massive breaches in privacy from this.
I think they are taking the thing of combating terrorism too far, it's like they just want an excuse to monitor everything.
I thought with RIPA they could see anyone's internet usage for the last 2 years. And I see there using the old "Sure, were taking away your rights but were doing it so you stay safe" argument. Only 56 people in the UK have been killed by terrorism in the last 7 years, yet they still think that its a major issue for people in the UK, why don't they focus on real problems.
I feel like watching V for Vendetta again.
It's such a wonderful fairytale.
Love how the Liberal Democrats, who would have fundamentally opossed this if they weren't in the coalition, will keep out of this and not say a fucking word or do anything at all. Fucking god damn wasted votes and fuck hole conservatives man.
Fuck this country. We're turning into more and more of a police state everyday. Hope America'll have me once I get my degree.
Is this an April Fools joke?
Oh april first, so silly.
[QUOTE=Blooper Reel;35383295]Everyone?
I'm pretty sure that'd be impossible.
Nevermind the massive breaches in privacy from this.[/QUOTE]
They give no fucks for the privacy factor, there's a prevailing culture of "if you have nothing to hide you don't need privacy" and every single email, text and phone call has to go through a system, it's easy enough to monitor.
[QUOTE=Jackald;35383324]You didn't post a source...[/QUOTE]
Sorry, done it now.
Wait a minute, I've been had :colbert:
Oh god no there is an actual source now :byodood:
Well better start typing in a code.
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17576745[/url]
I think it's legit by the way the BBC usually does stuff like penguins flying.
April 1st 2012 people.
Honestly, these are not things that should be joked about.
I don't think it's an april fools. It was posted after midday.
As soon as you read "monitor terrorist activities" it's a load of ass.
Not sure if this is a joke
[QUOTE=AK'z;35383349]As soon as you read "monitor terrorist activities" it's a load of ass.[/QUOTE]
It's just a flag to say: ''we're just gonna invade your privacy now, here's an excuse that justifies it''.
[QUOTE=WeekendWarrior;35383358]It's just a flag to say: ''we're just gonna invade your privacy now, here's an excuse that justifies it''.[/QUOTE]
Not necessarily. It's a load of ass because of the way it's written on such a fine day.
Not amused.
The BBC's reputable, and they do surreal stuff for their April Fools, I'd say this is legit.
Besides they wouldn't joke about something this serious.
[QUOTE=Jackald;35383378]Yeah, like markg06 said, bbc usually does silly things like panorama specials on spaghetti trees or penguins flying or the earth blowing up.[/QUOTE]
But with the government's history of attempted privacy invasion this is genuinely concerning.
[QUOTE=Pierrewithahat;35383337]They give no fucks for the privacy factor, there's a prevailing culture of "if you have nothing to hide you don't need privacy" and every single email, text and phone call has to go through a system, it's easy enough to monitor.[/QUOTE]
How do they make sure every email goes through a system? How do they break your encryption? There's no way it could work.
If it's not an April Fool's joke, it's still pretty much not gonna work. Who the hell is gonna want to look through the internet activities of millions of people, as even more activities come in, because that would be a shitload of internet activity.
It'd probably be tried out for a few days, everyone realizes it's horrible because there's no way it'd properly work, and then get thrown away a few more days afterwards.
It's just another case of government figures having no idea how the hell they're talking against actually works.
[QUOTE=Pierrewithahat;35383387]The BBC's reputable, and they do surreal stuff for their April Fools, I'd say this is legit.
Besides they wouldn't joke about something this serious.[/QUOTE]
They joked about spaghetti plants for fuck sake Imagine all the dead beats finding out that was fake
Fuck BBC
[QUOTE=Zezibesh;35383410]How do they make sure every email goes through a system? How do they break your encryption? There's no way it could work.[/QUOTE]
They'll try and find a way dude, they've been trying to pass shit like this for fucking ages and ages it's beyond a fucking joke.
Funny how Sweden is going to do exactly the same for 6 months, starting May 1st...
[editline]1st April 2012[/editline]
or is this just april fools article
Pretty sure GCHQ have been doing this for quite a few years already to be honest, I've come to realise this from some meetings I've attended.
Encrypt your shit people, the state should have no business doing this kind of thing without warrants.
[QUOTE=Pierrewithahat;35383433]They'll try and find a way dude, they've been trying to pass shit like this for fucking ages and ages it's beyond a fucking joke.[/QUOTE]
But there is no way unless they can get every country in the world in on it. Want to know who received the mail? Too bad, it was sent to a special service which will mirror it through several domains which are not affected by this legislature. Want to know the contents? I guess they have hidden computers that have ten thousand times the computing power of current ones so they can brute force some grandma's recipe email.
"BIG BROTHER WATCH CAMPAIGN GROUP"
For fucks sake...
[editline]1st April 2012[/editline]
"same kind of surveillance seen in China and Iran"
this is hilarious.
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