Plans for Big Brother database shelved – Yahoo! News UK.
Plans for Big Brother database shelved
The Government has backed down over plans to create a “Big Brother-style” central database of email, telephone and internet data. Skip related content
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Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said that there were “absolutely no plans for a single central store” of data.
She was speaking ahead of proposals to extend Government records of emails, phone calls and internet usage.
Current systems do not extend to new technologies such as online chat, internet phone calls and social networking sites such as Facebook.
But campaigners fear the records could also be used by councils and other Government bodies.
Ms Smith said: “It is essential that the police and other crime-fighting agencies have the tools they need to do their job. However, to be clear there are absolutely no plans for a single central store.”
She added: “My key priority is to protect the citizens of the UK, and communications data is an essential tool for law enforcement agencies to track murderers and paedophiles, save lives and tackle crime.”
“Advances in communications mean that there are ever more sophisticated ways to communicate and we need to ensure that we keep up with the technology being used by those who would seek to do us harm.
“We recognise that there is a delicate balance between privacy and security, but to do nothing is not an option as we would be failing in our duty to protect the public.”
Shami Chakrabarti, director of civil rights group Liberty, said: “It is a hallmark of free societies that whilst the police target criminal suspects, government does not monitor the entire population.
“The authorities say that this consultation is about maintaining existing surveillance capacity, but the record of recent years suggests ever-larger ambitions.
“They ruthlessly defend Government secrecy but show a creeping contempt for our personal privacy.”
Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said: “Everywhere we look, the Government seems to be building a database to track one aspect of our lives or another. We must not allow ourselves to become a Big Brother society.”
