[UK] "Emergency" Phone & Internet Data Storage Law to be brought in.

[Torand]

Sauce; leaves a horrible, sour flavour like after taste in which resembles the ever great taste of bullshit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28237108

 

Updated Sauce (thanks @rentaspoon ); still with that horrible after taste, just more defined: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28237111

 

Emergency legislation will be brought in next week to force phone and internet companies to log records of customer calls, texts and internet use.

Ministers say it is necessary so police and security services can access the data they need after a legal ruling which declared existing powers invalid.¹
 

The proposed law has the backing of Labour and the coalition parties.

A special cabinet is being held to agree the planned laws, which will only last until 2016.
 

Prime Minister David Cameron and his Lib Dem Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will tell a special cabinet meeting on Thursday that emergency legislation is necessary to keep the country safe.

A recent ruling of the European Court of Justice has removed the obligation on telecoms companies to retain records of when and who their customers have called, texted and emailed.^A
 

Without a new law Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg will claim that that information could be destroyed within weeks by companies fearing legal challenges.²

Labour is backing emergency legislation after all-party talks agreed that this law would enshrine existing rights and not be used to extend them by re-introducing the so-called "snoopers charter".³
 

It will also bring in so-called safeguards including:

- The creation of a new Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board to examine the impact of the law on privacy and civil liberties⁴
- A review of the controversial RIPA - Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act
- Annual government transparency reports on how these powers are used⁵

The law will include a so-called sunset clause - ensuring that these powers will die in 2016 - so there will be a longer and wider debate about what replaces them.⁶

Critics will no doubt argue that the time for that debate is now. To pass any new law in just a week is rare. So too is it to have the backing of all three main parties even before it is published.⁷
 

On a subject as sensitive as giving the police and security services access to phone and internet data this is bound to be controversial.⁸

 

Update 08:45 BST: 

The emergency legislation will oblige telecom firms to retain data for 12 months.⁹

Under the European law which it replaces companies could be asked to retain data for 24 months.¹⁰

More controversially the new law will also produce what is being described as a "clearer legal framework" to allow access to the content of calls, texts and emails after a warrant is signed by a senior government minister. Telecoms companies are said to have warned ministers that after the Edward Snowdon revelations they are vulnerable to legal challenge by their customers.¹¹
 

The Labour MP Tom Watson has condemned the plans as a "stitch up" which prevent MPs from considering the legislation properly.¹²

 

 

Personal Views (using numbering for referencing the article(s)):

 

1 - After an existing ruling was declared invalid? What was it? Why did they invalidate it, to give them an excuse to force this into power? Great.

2 - No shit Sherlock, if they are in fear of legal challenges then that means it has weight in a court of law at being unjust or illegal in the minds of the public or the court. Meaning you shouldn't make a law permitting it.

3 - Bullshit. 'Enshrine existing rights', wow. Just wow. How about we take all their records and have a look at what they are doing all the time, or will the law not permit that?

4 - It will be a negative impact, there is no reason for it nor will there ever be. You are penalising the masses for the sake of little evil. Evil will find a way around it and it will only negatively effect the masses. Just. Don't. Do. It.

5 - The one good thing about all this, which is saying something. This better happen if this law passes, regularly and without fail.

6 - It better, but why only until 2016, what is so damn urgent and short lived to have this size of an affect over such a short time span? ~cont.

7 - ~cont. Damn right time for debate is now. They knew that if this went for debate, it'd be hammered down back into the pit in which it crawled is smelly arse out of.

8 - Damn straight it's controversial. Someone obviously doesn't want/knows their party, well all the big ones at this rate thanks to the 'unanimous agreement' is not going to win at the next GE.

 

9 - Great, we gonna' have to make a big ass data centre now like a certain agency in the US did? wait, what am I saying, the ISP's will have to foot the bill meaning the prices will probably go up, yay!

10 - Well, that's not as bad, but still crap. Thanks EU.

11 - Well, the warrant I agree with. But for the data to be 'on tap' is the bad part about it. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? Also, listen to the telecoms companies they advised correctly (words I have never written together before), LISTEN, what they are saying is correct. You will have hell on your hands from the public over this, it ain't going away until that law goes away.

12 - Typical. *sighs*

 

A - Why I actually like the EU for some things, they seem to protect consumer/public rights in technology and know what the fuck they are talking about. - After the update that last bit, eh, not as applicable, but still valid on some things, some things.

 

 

I highly recommend reading some of the comments on the article, written by the public.

 

 

I thought we were better than this, our government was really pushing for better internet and connectivity recently and then this.

 

Sorry if this is a little rant-y, it really got me het-up. gah.

 

Sorry, I was having trouble posting as LTTF kept going offline for me every few minutes...

[Rorgash]

so they are hussling ass to keep a law in place that the rest of EU felt should be removed.. way to look into the future UK

[Askew]

I fully expect everything I do unencrypted to be monitored anyway, but I dislike this.

[Ruostunut kokis]

Anyone want to move out of UK to some other EU country? Like Finland? We have some space here if someone wants to move here... 

[Thorium19]

Bollocks, this is ridiculous. Just because messrs Cameron and Clegg want to seem like they are doing something for national security, and not just getting GCHQ to ask the NSA for records of British subjects, yet at the same time they have almost certainly added one of the last nails in their coffin.

[qwertywarrior]

stop using a red a blue fonts its hard to read

instead Bold it

[Ruostunut kokis]

stop using a red a blue fonts its hard to read

instead Bold it

Using night theme?

 

It's not hard to read on day theme.

[qwertywarrior]

Using night theme?

 

It's not hard to read on day theme.

#night theme master race

 

filthy day theme peasant

[Torand]

stop using a red a blue fonts its hard to read

instead Bold it

 

Sorry, I'll change it. Just trying to get a point across.

 

EDIT: Updated to automatic. Should be no issues now. For you and your #nightthememasterrace, haha. I'll stay a peasant thank you.

[Tech_Dreamer]

Only good thing in that thing is the "sunset clause" , Atleast they're considering to control the power..

[Torand]

Only good thing in that thing is the "sunset clause" , Atleast they're considering to control the power..

 

Yup, it's like finding the hay in a needle stack.

[thebennyboy]

Cameron and Co strike again! What a load of utter BS. I shall now use a VPN on my phone, none of their f***ing business what i'm up to. Clearly a white wash to gain more control. Wondering if this has anything to do with them wanting us to charge phones before boarding a plane, maybe so they can spy on us whilst we are in the air?

[ShadowCaptain]

Anyone want to move out of UK to some other EU country? Like Finland? We have some space here if someone wants to move here... 

 

MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[LlamaDom]

And there I was beginning to enjoy living in Blighty... Back to Germany it is I guess.

[rentaspoon]

snip

Add this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28237111

If i read it right, it's who what when, they don't listen in.

I'm OK with that.

[Cookybiscuit]

DONT YOU SEE? WE NEED THIS FOR OUR OWN PROTECTION!!!!!!!!

[Torand]

Add this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28237111

If i read it right, it's who what when, they don't listen in.

I'm OK with that.

 

It's still more information than they need. They also haven't mentioned what they are doing about the internet, only "Calls and Messages".

 

What use is: (not real numbers)

 

13:07 - Outbound call to 01234 567891

14:51 - Outbound call to 12938 901283

19:32 - Inbound call from 11231 305925

 

etc, etc... for everyone in the country.

 

People who have to get around that will just stop using conventional phone lines.

 

Although, as I said, they still have not mentioned what information they will collect around internet usage.

 

Just food for thought;

 

It has always, since post/mail came out, been illegal to open someone else's post/mail that is not addressed to you without explicit consent of the person that post/mail was sent to. Guess what, nasty people use mail/post, but they still can't snoop/open it without a warrant. Now, OK, they can see who it's been sent to, but not from or what's in it, which is similar to the new law, but still not cool. Also, if they announce that they can see internet traffic (what websites, times, how long you were on it, etc..) that's much more information than is needed. Get a warrant for that person, then start tracking them as an individual. Don't do it to everyone.

[rentaspoon]

It's still more information than they need. They also haven't mentioned what they are doing about the internet, only "Calls and Messages".

What use is: (not real numbers)

13:07 - Outbound call to 01234 567891

14:51 - Outbound call to 12938 901283

19:32 - Inbound call from 11231 305925

etc, etc... for everyone in the country.

People who have to get around that will just stop using conventional phone lines.

Although, as I said, they still have not mentioned what information they will collect around internet usage.

Just food for thought;

It has always, since post/mail came out, been illegal to open someone else's post/mail that is not addressed to you without explicit consent of the person that post/mail was sent to. Guess what, nasty people use mail/post, but they still can't snoop/open it without a warrant. Now, OK, they can see who it's been sent to, but not from or what's in it, which is similar to the new law, but still not cool. Also, if they announce that they can see internet traffic (what websites, times, how long you were on it, etc..) that's much more information than is needed. Get a warrant for that person, then start tracking them as an individual. Don't do it to everyone.

I get what your saying, I don't mind the info being there if it helps the police.

As long as it doesn't start the whole council using terrorism act to spy on people with disability payments thing again that's fine by me.

I suppose it all depends on what they do with the info.

[FakezZ]

Anyone want to move out of UK to some other EU country? Like Finland? We have some space here if someone wants to move here... 

Do you have fiber or at least vdsl? This is a critical question

[Ruostunut kokis]

Do you have fiber or at least vdsl? This is a critical question

Most towns should have fiber. Unfortunately my area doesn't have fiber, and will never have fiber, as this municipality is slowly dying. Beware of expensive prices on everything else than internet and phone calls/messages, though.

[Jcowley]

What with this and the recent 'device must power on at airports' rulings coming in to place, it sounds like security agencies have been tipped off about something, not so much that they have a sudden desire to see when you call your parents...

[solosdk]

There is no such thing as "keeping the country safe". 

 

It is all a lie. The news is a lie. The media is a lie. The politicians are a lie. There is no freedom in this world. 

[Torand]

What with this and the recent 'device must power on at airports' rulings coming in to place, it sounds like security agencies have been tipped off about something, not so much that they have a sudden desire to see when you call your parents...

 

That's what I'm thinking as well, to have the exit clause in 2016 and for the ruling coming in so promptly. It seems mighty odd... really odd.

[BalloonZaptor]

NSA V2 We don't need anymore NSA's... wait there shouldn't be any NSA's at all.

[Murdoch]

 

Personal Views (using numbering for referencing the article(s)):

 

1 - After an existing ruling was declared invalid? What was it? Why did they invalidate it, to give them an excuse to force this into power? Great.

 

9 - Great, we gonna' have to make a big ass data centre now like a certain agency in the US did? wait, what am I saying, the ISP's will have to foot the bill meaning the prices will probably go up, yay!

 

1. It was a European Union directive. Pushed through the European parliament by the old labour government after the London underground and Madrid bombings. The specific directive was the Data Retention (EC Directive) Regulations 2009. After the Snowden revelations the European Court of Justice took another look at it and has ruled that this wholesale data retention is at odds with an individual's 'right to privacy' and have since thrown the directive out. Meaning that ISPs are no longer required to retain data (by law) for 18 months. It was thrown out in April but the UK government told the UK ISPs to continue to collect data as usual. Recently some people started threatening legal action against the ISPs, therefore the government have hastily past these emergency laws, which in essence restores the function of the 2009 EC directive, but instead of at the European level, it's done in UK law.

 

In terms of what data is being collected, it's business as usual. Nothing has changed.

 

9. Since 2009 ISPs have been required by law to retain all user data for 18 months, but it's been happening in one form or another for much longer than that. The GCHQ, Police and other entities have almost free reign over the 'meta data' and can apply for a warrant to access the 'content'. It's important to remember that The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 had already given significant powers to the CGHQ et al to intercept or access communications data.

 

Edit: Forgot to add, I'm completely with Europe on this one. They've realised they previously went too far in terms of surveillance and are trying to find a better balance.

 

The UK is just a lost nation as far as I'm concerned. I seriously hope Scotland votes to get the fuck out in September.