Re: Home Office wants a database of all internet users

Robert S <roberts218e@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in news:3a20be70-41fb-418a-ad8a-
0ad5aa4f3ad4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

"The Times of London is reporting a proposal for a massive government
database holding details of all phone calls, emails, and time spent on
the Internet. This is to be justified as being 'part of the fight
against crime and terrorism.' Quoting: 'Internet service providers and
telecoms companies would hand over the records to the Home Office
under plans put forward by officials.' If you want to write to
representatives to let them know your views, contact details are
available at Write to Them."

UK telecoms are already required to keep records of phone calls and
text messages for 12 months, accessible by subpoena; the requirement
is already slated to expand to records of Internet usage, emails, and
VoIP. This new proposal aims to centralize all that information in a
single database in the Home Office.

http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/08/05/20/0046242.shtml


I wonder how this proposal would stack up against the European Convention
on Human Rights? The convention is supposed to protect us against
meddling in correspondence.

"ARTICLE 8

Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his
home and his correspondence.

There shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of
this right except such as is in accordance with the law and is necessary
in a democratic society in the interests of national security, public
safety or the economic well-being of the country, for the prevention of
disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the
protection of the rights and freedoms of others."

Meanwhile Ireland is challenging the existing EU Data Retention Directive
as being implemented on the wrong legal basis.

http://tinyurl.com/5oznwz

The Open Rights Group has sent evidence to the court, urging them to
anull the directive on the grounds of incompatibility with the ECHR -
which muddies the water somewhat, but may help influence the court's
mind.

http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/04/08/fighting-the-data-retention-
directive/

I would think that if the Home Office proposal gets through, we could
justifiably consider the Article 8 protections of the ECHR a dead letter.
.

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