Emergency phone and internet data laws to be passed - UK

[owlz]

This is absolutely disgusting! 

 

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

 

 

Emergency powers to ensure police and security services can continue to access phone and internet records are being rushed through Parliament.

Prime Minister David Cameron has secured the backing of all three main parties for the highly unusual move.

He said urgent action was needed to protect the public from "criminals and terrorists" after the European Court of Justice struck down existing powers.

 

 

[Wesley219]

Good thing I don't live in the UK!

[Murdoch]

Remind me why some people in the UK want us out of Europe again?

[Vadisi]

i think that this is all ready a thing in australia

[WhatTheQuack]

This is perfectly fine as long as they do only this. But somehow I can't see that happening...

Really don't want to see another NSA

[Murdoch]

This is perfectly fine as long as they do only this. But somehow I can't see that happening...

Really don't want to see another NSA

 

This is nothing new. They've been collecting data like this for over a decade. The GCHQ has been operating in a manner very similar to the NSA.

 

All this 'emergency legislation' does is restore existing powers which the European Court of Justice had blocked.

 

 

Personally I think the European Court of Justice was correct in it's decision, the wholesale collection of data and blanket surveillance is not 'a price worth paying' especially when it's proven time and time again to be abused. I've said this before, the EU has a moderating effect on what the UK government gets away with. Now with the current Euroscepticism and recent UKIP vote, it's given them the freedom to just ignore or openly circumvent EU legislation. The UK public is dumb as shit.

[Kamil]

Wait... So they had laws like this before... then the EU said they're not allowed to do it... and in reaction they're going to do it again? Or am I misunderstanding something?

[Murdoch]

Wait... So they had laws like this before... then the EU said they're not allowed to do it... and in reaction they're going to do it again? Or am I misunderstanding something?

 

Yepp, this explains the start of the story better. http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/24/british-government-breaking-law-in-forcing-data-retention-by-companies

 

They are rushing through new legislation because the EU court made the UK's data collection practices illegal. Which I guess left the ISPs open to serious legal issues.