Police Allowed Access To Stored Data

[Nick Hall]

Police Allowed Access To Stored Data
By Sarah Brown
Wednesday November 7, 2001 Add your comments here... (1)
Despite assurances from the home secretary regarding proposals of giving
access to stored records of
every UK telephone and Internet user for the purpose of terrorist
investigations - it is reported
that the information will also be available to the police when
investigating minor crimes.
In response to the September 11 attacks, it was proposed that detailed
communications data needed to
be retained by telcos and ISPs in a bid to prevent further terrorist
communications leading to
attacks. However, it has recently been established by the Guardian that
these records will also be
available for tax collection and public health and safety purposes.
Home Office officials involved in implementing the proposals in a
voluntary code of practice with
the providers have confirmed there are no plans to limit access to cases
involving national
security.
This directly contradicts what appeared to be an assurance given by David
Blunkett, the home
secretary, two weeks ago in an attempt to soothe the fears of civil
liberties campaigners about the
privacy implications of blanket data retention.
Although Mr Blunkett already acknowledges that internet and phone data
retention raise serious
concerns, he said that more information was needed than was available
under current law "strictly in
the case of a criminal investigation against suspected terrorists."
The Foundation for Information Policy Research believes that the data
stored could easily represent
a "complete map of an individual's life", providing details of email
addresses communicated with,
ISPs used along with when and what sites have been accessed during online
time.
It is now claimed by officials that Mr Blunkett did not intend the
storing of information to be
accessed just for the purpose of anti-terrorist investigations.
Furthermore, last year a new
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act was passed meaning that
communications and data can be
legally obtained without a court order by law enforcement agencies.
National security, preventing or detecting crime and disorder, protecting
public health and safety
and collecting tax represent some of the reasons to access stored data.
The latest developments are
likely to cause some Internet and phone companies undue pressure and
concern is rising as Steve
Rawlinson, chief technical officer of Claranet remarks:
"The request that came through after the US attacks to collect certain
types of data was reasonable
because it was being used for an anti-terrorist investigation.
What worries us is that under Ripa [the act], the criteria for access are
pretty broad, so the
police can demand the whole lot whenever they want on their own
authority."
The Commons home affairs committee will begin hearing evidence tomorrow
as considerations relating
to the emergency anti-terror bill need to be reviewed, and the bill
itself is expected to be passed
later this month.
Source: Guardian Unlimited

[Sunlight]

Government ministers have always lied as far back as I can remember. This
is going on in Germany too.

"Nick Hall" <nick...@webtribe.net> wrote in message
news:3beed306$0$58170$892e...@authen.puce.readfreenews.net...