Snoopers' charter more authoritarian than expected

[muriel_volestrangler]

Security services' powers to be extended in wide-ranging surveillance bill

The government is to introduce an investigatory powers bill that is far more wide-ranging than expected, including an extension of the powers of the security services in response to the surveillance disclosures by the NSA whistleblower, Edward Snowden.

The legislation to be introduced in this session of parliament will include not only the expected snooper’s charter, enabling the tracking of everyone’s web and social media use, but also moves to strengthen the security services’ warranted powers for the bulk interception of the content of communications.

The surprise extension of the scope of the bill beyond legislation to “modernise the law” on tracking communications data was agreed within government only this week. It appears that David Cameron has decided to take advantage of his unexpected majority in the Commons to respond to Snowden’s disclosures by extending the powers of the security services.

The Home Office says the investigatory powers bill will “better equip law enforcement and intelligence agencies to meet their key operational requirements, and address the gap in these agencies’ ability to build intelligence and evidence where subjects of interest, suspects and vulnerable people have communicated online.” Ministers promise to provide for “appropriate oversight arrangements and safeguards” but there is no immediate detail on how the complex web of intelligence and surveillance commissioners and parliamentary oversight might be strengthened.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/may/27/security-services-investigatory-powers-bill

It is thought likely to require internet service providers and mobile operators to log much more data about what their customers are doing, including data on who people call, text, tweet and instant message, what games they play, when they post on social networks and who they send webmails to will be logged.
...
Jim Killock, executive director of The Open Rights Group, said: "The government is signalling that it wants to press ahead with increased powers of data collection and retention for the police and GCHQ, spying on everyone, whether suspected of a crime or not.
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"We should expect attacks on encryption, which protects all our security. Data collection will create vast and unnecessary expense."
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"We have yet to see real evidence that there is a gap in the capability of law enforcement or the agencies' ability to gain access to our communications data."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32896921

[NYC_SKP]

1. I suppose it just gets worse and worse.

It never goes in the other direction, does it?

Like where we get more privacy, isn't it always less of the good thing and more of the bad, like higher taxes of costs of services?