The so called “Snooping Charter” will be announced in next month’s Queen’s Speech to heighten surveillance on the British public in a definitive aim to bring down crime such as paedophile rings and terrorism.
The legislation will instruct internet companies to install hardware enabling GCHQ – the Government’s electronic “listening” agency – to examine “on demand” any phone call made, text message and email sent, and website accessed in “real time”, The Sunday Times reported.
This morning, a phone in on the subject on BBC London had a mixed response. A caller in favour of this law suggested that his nephew who had died in the 7/7 London bombings may still be alive if this law was in place. Whilst I do believe that Police intelligence needs to move with the 21st century and needs to include being able to access internet and mobile communications, is this Big Brother approach necessary?
Furthermore, do we as a society want to live in a society such as Iran and China where such laws are in place. It seems that as society progresses, threats increase and our options are equivalent to that of the KGB and Gestapo.
The irony here is that the Leveson inquiry is found some terrible abuses of power and privacy with regard to phone hacking and yet the same government is proposing further invasions on privacy.
This Charter really makes me feel spooked.
Bunty
The Chatterjis Blog 