UK Local Councils Spy On Emails and Calls

MrSteveSD writes "The Daily Mail is reporting that local councils have been using the controversial Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) to spy on people's phone and email records. Reasons given for the surveillance include checking for evidence of people storing petrol without permission and investigating unburied animal carcasses. The surveillance was uncovered using Freedom of Information laws. The scope of the RIPA act is staggering. It would be simpler to list who isn't allowed to access your phone and email records. Aside from political action, what can be done technologically to combat this threat? Use Skype rather than the normal telephone?"

Comments

Knew it, AND you're wrong

[hassanchop]

Inevitably, when a discussion of privacy in a country other than the US arises, people come out of the woodwork to make comparisons to US policies even though the article has fuck all to do with the US.

Guess what? In many countries you can also be detained "forever" (which is an inaccurate analysis of the Patriot Act anyway, please post a link to a court decision proving otherwise if you have one (you don't)) so what's with the hard on about the US?

Why do so many foreigners have such an inferiority complex about the US?