Friday, February 10, 2012

U.K. ISP Data Retention Plan Raises Red Flags

May 23, 2008

The U.K. government is considering floating a bill that would centralize all data collected by Internet service providers. It's an issue that has gotten little press attention and could be "the biggest surveillance story in years," according to Internet expert Susan Crawford.

Arstechnica.com reports that under current law, communications providers are required to retain certain kinds of data about their customers for a year, and to make that data available in response to government subpoenas. Under the new proposal, these records would have to be automatically submitted to a centralized government database.

The plan is being drafted by the British Home Office, which performs many of the same functions as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Home Office claims that new legislation is needed to cope with changes in the way Britons communicate, the article states. The government points to the increased use of e-mail, instant messaging, and other communications technologies, which it claims are hampering lawful surveillance.

On her blog, Crawford points out that the U.K.'s data retention laws, which have been in place since October 2007, "require phone companies to hang onto phone and text records, and this next step would make all of that data plus email, Internet usage, and VoIP data available in a single place - accessible by a mid-level policeman who wanted to know more about his traffic-stop suspect."

(Photo Credit: rjs1322 via Flickr)

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Juliana Gruenwald

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Juliana Gruenwald has been covering tech and telecom issues for more than a decade for National Journal, Interactive Week, BNA and Congressional Quarterly. This is her second stint with National Journal. She was recruited by NJ in 1998 to help launch its first tech policy publication, Technology Daily. She left in 2000 to cover international tech and telecom issues for Ziff Davis Media's Interactive Week magazine. She started her career at United Press International as the wire service's first Helen Thomas Intern. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. A Minneapolis native, she misses the lakes but not the cold.


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Josh Smith covers technology policy as a staff reporter for National Journal. He previously interned at National Journal Daily, a Senate press office, and the Deseret News in Salt Lake City where he covered the state legislature, courts, and crime. In 2009 he graduated with honors from Southern Utah University after managing an award-winning student newspaper as editor-in-chief. Josh has received state, regional and national awards for his political and policy reporting, including first place in CapitolBeat’s 2009 Best of Statehouse Reporting college competition. A native of drop-dead-gorgeous Utah, Josh lives in Virginia with his wife, Amber.