UK: Government Will Spy on Every Call and E-mail

October 6th, 2008

Mmm hmm.

Via: Telegraph:

Ministers are considering spending up to £12 billion on a database to monitor and store the internet browsing habits, e-mail and telephone records of everyone in Britain.

GCHQ, the government’s eavesdropping centre, has already been given up to £1 billion to finance the first stage of the project.

Hundreds of clandestine probes will be installed to monitor customers live on two of the country’s biggest internet and mobile phone providers – thought to be BT and Vodafone. BT has nearly 5m internet customers.

Ministers are braced for a backlash similar to the one caused by their ID cards programme. Dominic Grieve, the shadow home secretary, said: “Any suggestion of the government using existing powers to intercept communications data without public discussion is going to sound extremely sinister.”

Posted in Surveillance, Technology | Top Of Page

2 Responses to “UK: Government Will Spy on Every Call and E-mail”

  1. cryingfreeman says:
    October 6, 2008 at 4:50 pm

    I thought they already were doing that. At least, that was the assumption I’ve been working on for years. And none of this news changes that.

  2. Eileen says:
    October 7, 2008 at 2:31 am

    Well, I want you all to know about that oatmeal crust pie I am going to make with pears instead of apples. You know, I’ll bet you don’t care!
    Ministers are prepared for a backlash.
    My god. This is the movie “Brazil” all over again. Total surveillance. A camera in every room, and about a person who manages to evade it. Brasil might be the 70 or 80’s equivalent to V for Vendetta.
    I never imagined all this would occur in my lifetime.
    I can’t imagine the “peoples” in the UK taking this lightly with their tea and crumpets.

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