British Spies Want 7 Year Records Intelligence Agencies Want Detailed Phone, Email Archives Byron Alley
Privacy advocates and many British politicians have denounced a recent attempt by three different British government agencies to make it easier to spy on the country's citizens. MI5, MI6 and the police have sought support for legislation that would require communication service providers, such as Internet and phone service providers, to keep detailed logs of every phone call, Internet connection and sent email. This information would be then sent to a central government database and kept for seven years.
The Big Brother implications of this are not lost on British politicians. This level of logging would amount to continuous surveillance on every person living in Britain.
The document admits the moves are controversial and could clash with the Human Rights Act, which gives people a right to privacy, European Union law and the Data Protection Act, which protects the public against official intrusion into private lives.
The office of the Data Protection Commissioner, Elizabeth France, has already expressed 'grave concerns' .
'A clear legislative framework needs to be agreed as a matter of urgency,' says the document, which is dated 10 August and is thought to have been sent to Home Office Minister Charles Clarke. (The Observer)
