UK 'must log' phone and web use

by generaldecay | June 7, 2009 at 01:41 am

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All internet and phone traffic should be recorded to help the fight against terrorism, according to one of the UK's former spy chiefs. Civil rights campaigners have criticised ministers' plans to log details of such contact as "Orwellian".

This debate continues. I believe that recording absolutely everyone's telephone and internet traffic is a direct infringement of our privacy rights.

However, the Liberal Democrats said the government's plans were "incompatible with a free country and a free people".

I do not have any time for the notion that 'if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear' form the collection of text messages, emails etc. That does not negate the very important point that our privacy is being invaded by the very collection of these data.

In February, the Lords constitution committee said electronic surveillance and collection of personal data had become "pervasive" in British society. Its members said the situation threatened to undermine democracy.

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