Govenment to spend £12 billion spying on our Email & Internet Browsing Habits

[magick]

Ministers are considering spending up to £12 billion on a database to monitor and store the internet browsing habits, e-mail and telephone records of everyone in Britain.

GCHQ, the government’s eavesdropping centre, has already been given up to £1 billion to finance the first stage of the project.

Hundreds of clandestine probes will be installed to monitor customers live on two of the country’s biggest internet and mobile phone providers - thought to be BT and Vodafone. BT has nearly 5m internet customers.

Ministers are braced for a backlash similar to the one caused by their ID cards programme. Dominic Grieve, the shadow home secretary, said: “Any suggestion of the government using existing powers to intercept communications data without public discussion is going to sound extremely sinister.”
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MI5 currently conducts limited e-mail and website intercepts which are approved under specific warrants by the home secretary.

Further details of the new plan will be unveiled next month in the Queen’s speech.

The Home Office stressed no formal decision had been taken but sources said officials had made clear that ministers had agreed “in principle” to the programme.

Officials claim live monitoring is necessary to fight terrorism and crime. However, critics question whether such a vast system can be kept secure. A total of 57 billion text messages were sent in the UK last year - 1,800 every second.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4882600.ece

 

[FeFiDoh]

They are going to find a lot of porn

 

[Cosimo]

They are going to find a lot of porn

and spam.

 

[Sonea Fifer]

Knowing our governments track record i wouldn't say it's anything to worry about.

They'll spend all the money as usual then loose all the information

 

[antijoke]

Why are they wasting £12 billion on this, when there are far more serious matters to address first?

 

[rsatd]

Knowing our governments track record i wouldn't say it's anything to worry about.

They'll spend all the money as usual then loose all the information

Don't worry they will finally finish this long after we all die anyway

 

[Berserker]

Sounds like an extension of ECHELON to me. I'm sure the mere fact that I've mentioned that word will be sufficient to attract both their attention and the attention of our lizard overlords.

Two problems - (1) where are they getting the money, and (2) at best it'll be keyword-based, like the evil Phorm. In fact, maybe that's why Phorm is getting such an easy ride - wouldn't be hard to adapt the Phorm system and it'd cost an awful lot less than £12bn.

 

[Von Smallhausen]

What a cut in Council Tax or household bills £12 billion would fund.

Labour borrow £2 billion to fund a tax rebate in a vain attempt to bribe voters yet they spend 12 billion on this.

Is it just me ?

 

[Cosimo]

Why are they wasting £12 billion on this, when there are far more serious matters to address first?

Do you think that they care, all they will do is print another £12 billion.

 

[magick]

Do you think that they care, all they will do is print another £12 billion.

And we end up on paying this £12 billion plus interest they've created out of thin air through our taxes.

 

[magick]

What a cut in Council Tax or household bills £12 billion would fund.

Labour borrow £2 billion to fund a tax rebate in a vain attempt to bribe voters yet they spend 12 billion on this.

I think the issue goes a lot deeper the party political. The system woulld still be getting introduced with the Conservatives or Lib Dems.

 

[antijoke]

The system sucks a$$. x infinity

 

[revolutionrock]

great news. slowly but surely were getting nearer a big brother esque government.

 

[Begbie]

Awesome, altough I doubt its anything to worry about. They will say they decided not to do it, then do it anyway. So we won't know.

 

[Von Smallhausen]

I think the issue goes a lot deeper the party political. The system woulld still be getting introduced with the Conservatives or Lib Dems.

I'm not so sure. The Tories and Lib Dems do not sem to be so hell bent on invading privacy as Labour have.

 

[magick]

I'm not so sure. The Tories and Lib Dems do not sem to be so hell bent on invading privacy as Labour have.

They will do once they're in government.

 

[Nix]

First ID cards, then drones, now this? Give them an inch and they'll take a yard! I don't remember once giving my permission for any of this. In fact, I'm in strong vocal opposition!

If people value their freedoms and privacy they must see sense and fight the government on this. They're here to serve, not dictate.

Why didn't they put that money towards other areas which are vastly in need of such cash, such as the NHS, improving housing, or the military? Oh wait, it's because they really need to spy on us, because if they don't we're going to do something really naughty. Is this what we've become? Nothing but a patronised nation who if they're not actively being parented will misbehave or break the VHS?

The 'War on Terror' is nothing but transparent smoke-screen now.

 

[Von Smallhausen]

They will do once they're in government.

Only time will tell.

e-mail and other telecommunications intercepts can currently be intercepted but should only be done so when intelligence led.

 

[magick]

First ID cards, now this? Give them an inch and they'll take a yard!

Make no mistake 10 years from now they'll be putting RFID chips in people. This is all part of bigger stratergy that's *slowly* being rolled out so as not to generate to much protest. It's called the tip-toe tyrany.

 

[MookJong]

This defys logic...

How about spending 12 billion on eradicating MRSA from our hospitals.......a far bigger killer than criminals or terrorists.