Now Britain all set to pass emergency data surveillance laws
12 July 2014 5:10 AM IST
Britain is rushing through emergency laws to ensure the police and security services can keep accessing people’s Internet and mobile phone data, Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Thursday.
Cameron said the move, being debated by parliament next week, was vital to protect Britain’s security, with 95 per cent of all serious organised crime cases using data from Internet and mobile phone traffic.
‘The ability to access information about communications and intercept the communications of dangerous individuals is essential to fight the threat from criminals and terrorists targeting the UK,’ he said.
A European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling in April found that an EU data retention directive, implemented in Britain in 2009, was invalid because it interferes with the right to respect for private life.
The directive was introduced in 2006 following huge attacks in Madrid and London and forced mobile phone companies and Internet service providers to keep data for at least six months.
Downing Street said that following the ECJ ruling, providers could start deleting communications data unless the government adopted fresh legislation.
‘Unless we act now, companies will no longer retain the data about who contacted who, where and when,’ Cameron said, ‘and we will no longer be able to use this information to bring criminals to justice and keep our country safe.’ But critics accused ministers of rushing through intrusive legislation which could infringe privacy rights. ‘The government says it’s only plugging loopholes but its existing blanket surveillance practice has been found unlawful,’ said Shami Chakrabarti, director of civil liberties campaign group Liberty.
Cameron said the move, being debated by parliament next week, was vital to protect Britain’s security, with 95 per cent of all serious organised crime cases using data from Internet and mobile phone traffic.
‘The ability to access information about communications and intercept the communications of dangerous individuals is essential to fight the threat from criminals and terrorists targeting the UK,’ he said.
A European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling in April found that an EU data retention directive, implemented in Britain in 2009, was invalid because it interferes with the right to respect for private life.
The directive was introduced in 2006 following huge attacks in Madrid and London and forced mobile phone companies and Internet service providers to keep data for at least six months.
Downing Street said that following the ECJ ruling, providers could start deleting communications data unless the government adopted fresh legislation.
‘Unless we act now, companies will no longer retain the data about who contacted who, where and when,’ Cameron said, ‘and we will no longer be able to use this information to bring criminals to justice and keep our country safe.’ But critics accused ministers of rushing through intrusive legislation which could infringe privacy rights. ‘The government says it’s only plugging loopholes but its existing blanket surveillance practice has been found unlawful,’ said Shami Chakrabarti, director of civil liberties campaign group Liberty.
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