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In the UK, Big Brother Recedes and Advances

Posted by kdawson on from the now-get-rid-of-the-damn-cameras dept.

PeterAitch writes "The UK government's Home Office has put a hold on their surveillance project to track details of everybody's email, mobile phone, text, and Web use after being warned of problems with privacy as well as technical feasibility and high costs." Four hours before the above Guardian story was filed, the BBC reported that the same Home Office insisted that it will push ahead with plans "to compel communication service providers to collect and retain records of communications from a wider range of internet sources, from social networks through to chatrooms and unorthodox methods, such as within online games."

2 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. why? what is the point? by lkcl · · Score: 5, Informative

    could someone please seriously enlighten me as to why the UK government believes this has a chance of succeeding?

    TalkTalk's director has already said unequivocably that TalkTalk will sue the UK Government if they proceed with policies like this, on the basis that presumably the TalkTalk director does not want to be put in jail for being ultimately responsible for implementing UK government policies that violate E.U and International Laws on privacy and human rights.

    Additionally, the UK's secret service has warned the UK government that raising people's awareness of attacks on their privacy simply raises their awareness of techniques to keep their conversations private, thus making the job of snooping on conversations that really *matter* just that much more difficult and costly.

  2. Re:Horse, stable door, bolted... by the_womble · · Score: 3, Informative

    Encrypted traffic does not hide who you are communicating with.