Scary stuff in the Telegraph this morning which reports that the government is to pay phone and internet companies to keep a record of every phone call, text message, email and website visit made by private citizens.According to the article, “653 public bodies will be given access to the information, including police, local councils, the Financial Services Authority, the ambulance service, fire authorities and even prison governors”.
“They will not require the permission of a judge or a magistrate to obtain the information, but simply the authorisation of a senior police officer or the equivalent of a deputy head of department at a local authority”.
The government is pressing ahead despite getting little support for the proposals during the consultation stage.
David Hanson, the Home Office minister, said: “The consultation showed widespread recognition of the importance of communications data in protecting the public .. we will now work with communications service providers and others to develop these proposals, and aim to introduce necessary legislation as soon as possible.”
Hanson has signally failed in his other stated aim of providing a prison site for North Wales, wasting an estimated £18 million in the flawed selection process. Now he intends forking out £2bn for Orange, BT and Vodafone to maintain their records for a year.
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