Government black boxes will 'collect every email' .

Internet
"black boxes" will be used to collect every email and web visit in the
UK under the Government's plans for a giant "big brother" database, The Independent has learnt.


Home
Office officials have told senior figures from the internet and
telecommunications industries that the "black box" technology could
automatically retain and store raw data from the web before
transferring it to a giant central database controlled by the
Government.Plans to create a database holding information about
every phone call, email and internet visit made in the UK have provoked
a huge public outcry. Richard Thomas, the Information Commissioner,
described it as "step too far" and the Government's own terrorism
watchdog said that as a "raw idea" it was "awful".Nevertheless,
ministers have said they are committed to consulting on the new
Communications Data Bill early in the new year. News that the
Government is already preparing the ground by trying to allay the
concerns of the internet industry is bound to raise suspicions about
ministers' true intentions. Further details of the database emerged on
Monday at a meeting of internet service providers (ISPs) in London
where representatives from BT, AOL Europe, O2 and BSkyB were given a
PowerPoint presentation of the issues and the technology surrounding
the Government's Interception Modernisation Programme (IMP), the name
given by the Home Office to the database proposal.Whitehall
experts working on the IMP unit told the meeting the security and
intelligence agencies wanted to use the stored data to help fight
serious crime and terrorism, and said the technology would allow them
to create greater "capacity" to monitor all communication traffic on
the internet. The "black boxes" are an attractive option for the
internet industry because they would be secure and not require any
direct input from the ISPs.During the meeting Whitehall
officials also tried to reassure the industry by suggesting that many
smaller ISPs would be unaffected by the "black boxes" as these would be
installed upstream on the network and hinted that all costs would be
met by the Government. "It was clear the 'back box' is the
technology the Government will use to hold all the data. But what isn't
clear is what the Home Secretary, GCHQ and the security services intend
to do with all this information in the future," said a source close to
the meeting.He added: "They said they only wanted to return to a
position they were in before the emergence of internet communication,
when they were able to monitor all correspondence with a police
suspect. The difference here is they will be in a much better position
to spy on many more people on the basis of their internet behaviour.
Also there's a grey area between what is content and what is traffic.
Is what is said in a chat room content or just traffic?"Ministers
say plans for the database have not been confirmed, and that it is not
their intention to introduce monitoring or storage equipment that will
check or hold the content of emails or phonecalls on the traffic.A
spokesman for the Home Office said that Monday's meeting provided a
"chance to engage with small communication service providers" ahead of
the formal public consultation next year. He added: "We need to work
closely with the internet service providers and the communication
service providers. The meeting was to show the top-line challenges
faced in the future. We are public about the IMP, but we are still
working out the detail. There will a consultation on the Communications
Data Bill early next year." A spokesman for the Internet
Service Providers Association said the organisation was pleased the
Home Office had addressed its members and was keen to continue dialogue
while awaiting a formal consultation.



What do you think about this , is it a step to far ?