Snooping Bill: Silicon.com submits "Kill the Bill" plea to Home O ffice

[Owen Blacker]

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From: NMTV.WebMaster@www.nmtv.net
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2000 10:02 AM


Snooping Bill: Silicon.com submits "Kill the Bill" plea to
Home Office
PUBLISHED: 0:20am on Monday 12th June 2000

A plea to kill-off the controversial Snooping Bill has been
delivered to the Home Office by silicon.com on behalf of
the UK IT community.

The Bill enters the last lap today in a House of Lords
committee where amendments will be considered in an effort
to take on board the growing protests from civil liberties
and business groups.

silicon.com invited readers to submit a final protest
email, which have now all been forwarded to the Home Office
RIP response centre, in an effort to represent the level of
ongoing objection over the past months.

Many readers reiterated the concerns they have about the
Bill's implications for civil liberties.

Others warned the future of UK ecommerce could be
jeopardised if the Bill makes it to the statute book.
One silicon.com reader said: "Forcing the ISPs to invest in
additional hardware will up their operating costs, probably
removing the free-Internet offers we are all currently
enjoying. Government legislation is deliberately
restricting private enterprise and reducing Britain's
effectiveness in the newest and most important current
business area."

A Home Office spokesman denied that claim, saying: "Any
costs involved must be limited to what is reasonable, and
will be consistent with the Government's aim to make the UK
the best environment in the world for ecommerce".

The email protests join those from a growing number of
organisations including the British Chambers of Commerce
which warns that the Bill could put UK ecommerce at a
disadvantage in an open letter.

The spokesman confirmed the BCC is now in discussions with
the Home Office over these concerns.

You can see the full representation of the department's
position on the Bill at
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/oicd/ripbill.htm .

For related news, see:
'Kill the Bill' - a silicon.com campaign'
http://www.silicon.com/a37873
'Home Office stands firm on 'Snooping Bill''
http://www.silicon.com/a37856
'BCC condemns 'Snooping Bill''
http://www.silicon.com/a37844


Copyright 1998 - 2000 NMTV/Silicon.com. All rights reserved.

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