BAD NEWS :( Government amendments reinforce Big Browser

[Nicholas Bohm]

At 09:45 PM 6/7/2000 +0100, Tom Thomson wrote:
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Caspar Bowden <cb@fipr.org>
>To: <ukcrypto@maillist.ox.ac.uk>; FIPR-AC (E-mail)
><fipr-ac@netlists.liberty.org.uk>
>Cc: 'Charles Lindsey' <chl@clw.cs.man.ac.uk>; 'Roland Perry'
><roland@linx.net>; Simon Watkin (E-mail)
><simon.watkin@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk>
>Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2000 8:53 PM
>Subject: BAD NEWS :( Government amendments reinforce Big Browser
>
>[substantial cut]
>
>> The amendement to S.2 below seems absolutely to clarify that comms dat=
a
>> INCLUDES signals for the actuation of apparatus, i.e the full http str=
ing,
>> and therefore that conduct in relation to it DOES NOT constitute
>> interception - therefore no warrant is required.
>
>I can follow you up to the point where you say "ie" and no further.  Ple=
ase
>explain where in the bill the definition of a telecommunications system =
is
>given in such a way that web servers in general could be said to be
>apparatus comprised in it.  The two amendments refer to control signals =
for
>such apparatus, not to control signals for apparatus that is not compris=
ed
>in a telecommunications system.

Section 2(1)

=93telecommunication system=94 means any system (including the apparatus
comprised in it) which exists (whether wholly or partly in the
United Kingdom or elsewhere) for the purpose of facilitating the
transmission of communications by any means involving the use of
electrical or electro-magnetic energy.

This seems to me to include web servers, since they are there to transmit
web pages in response to requests, and that facilitates the transmission =
of
communications (i.e. the pages sent).

Regards,

Nicholas Bohm

Salkyns, Great Canfield,
Takeley, Bishop's Stortford CM22 6SX, UK

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