UK launches massive, one-year program to archive every email

UK launches massive, one-year program to archive every email

tech.yahoo.com

In a move that even the most nonchalant of privacy advocates is crying foul over, the UK has put into effect a European Union directive which mandates the archival of information regarding virtually all internet traffic for the next 12 months. The program formally goes into effect today.

The data retention rules require the archival of all email traffic (the identities of the sender and receiver, but not the contents of the messages), records of VOIP telephone calls (traditional phone calls are already monitored), and information about every website visited by any computer user in the country. The rules are being pushed down "across the board to even the smallest company," as every ISP large or small will be required to collect and store the data. That data will then be accessible -- to fight "crime and terrorism," of course -- by "hundreds of public bodies" to investigate whatever crimes they see fit.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Scary stuff here.

It seems the UK has got the worst of Big Brother since the London bombings.

Now they can store your email and monitor who you communicate with over the web, whenever they feel like, without probable cause.

I bet this isn't making waves in the UK MSM, because privacy groups would be tearing the parliament down.

tech.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I guess it's time to send lots of meaningless emails, containing huge attachments. Like pics of your dog. And time lapse videos of drying paint.

reply to post by spacedoubt


I saw a Click (BBC tech news) special on Bot networks and how you can hire them for all your spaming needs... Show the world your time lapse footage of paint drying, I don't mind spam if it helps the bigger picture!

The article quoted is quite incorrect.

Email content is not retained, only the originating & destination email address. Nor is the content of any net telephone call recorded or monitored, merely the numbers dialled, call time & duration.

It's hardly anymore sinister than an itemised telephone bill.

Access to this information is governed by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, to ensure that information requests from the authorities must be both "necessary & proportionate".

Browsing history is NOT being recorded.

I think this exercise is a total waste of time & public money myself, it doesn't record information likely to help convict a terrorist (or any other criminal). Yet the taxpayer is paying all the ISP's a fee for this data archiving ... a total waste of money.

You should not be surprised. The Uk has been doing this for a while in secret. They are simply expanding their net. They have the most CCTV cameras of any nation watching it's citizens as though they were all criminals. They already have the strongest data retention laws in the EU.

God save the Queen, and the rest of you rabble, can bow down and jump through hoops like the dogs they think you are. The Stasi would have loved the new England. Soon, your rights to assemble, and to travel within the UK will be restricted. You are guilty until proven innocent. While the MPs have you pay for their porn, you will be required to submit to regular ID checks every time you step outside your home. DNA samples will be taken at birth when they surgically install a tracking ID chip into you.

Or..... the people can speak out against the abuse of power before it grows any worse. Sheeple, or people. Your choice.

I'm sure you can dump enough data into the TO/FROM to create what you'll need.

Either way; this program will fail laughably!

Can't wait to hear that it'll have to be dumped due to the price tag.

Originally posted by spacedoubt
I guess it's time to send lots of meaningless emails, containing huge attachments. Like pics of your dog. And time lapse videos of drying paint.

Priceless simply priceless.

Should also set up emails with dorky names or names of parlimental figures. Wouldn't it be funny if some tool thought it was really an email one of them was using! (This is just a joke don't really do that!)

I thought this was done already with Echelon and that naughty little place near Harrogate.

Maybe it was all a dream.

Probably won't be long until we see something similar here in the US. That's assuming our govt. doesn't already have a similar clandestine program. As vehemently as obama is defending warrant-less spying (thread) i certainly wouldn't doubt that a program like this is already in place.


TheAssociate

Originally posted by TheAssociate
i certainly wouldn't doubt that a program like this is already in place.


TheAssociate

Yup. US has been doing that for a while now. It is called Carnivore. this was the start of datamining in the US. The FBI no longer handles it. This moved to a three letter agency known as IAO Information Awareness Office

All very old news. I guess a few people have been asleep for a while now.

[edit on 7-4-2009 by xman_in_blackx]

I think the difference is that the technology has been there to do it (and has been used selectively), whereas this is a widespread and systematic recording of every single person's internet communication - 'terrorist' suspects or not.