BBC News: Ministers amend e-mail bill

[Owen Blacker]

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_808000/808232.stm

<BQ>
Ministers amend e-mail bill

Several key changes are being made to the government's controversial
plans to allow the police sweeping powers to monitor e-mails.
 
The Home Office has said that under the changes the home secretary
must sign a warrant before an individual's e-mails can be monitored. 

Other amendments include informing company directors if their staff
are asked to hand over the passwords or encryption keys used to
protect e-mail. 

Ministers have denied the change of heart amounts to a climbdown, but
they hope it will avert the threatened defeat of their bill in the
House of Lords. 

There will also be moves to reassure internet service providers that
they will not face excessive costs. 


Business backs compromise 

Under the bill they are to be required to aid the government monitor
the e-mails passing through their servers. 

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill has been widely criticised
by business and civil liberties groups. 

It has also had a difficult passage through Parliament in the face of
opposition from the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, who have
threatened to vote the bill down. 

The British Chambers of Commerce welcomed the amendments and a
spokesman indicated that they might be sufficient for the organisation
to drop its opposition. 

The government has defended the bill, which has been described as
"draconian", as a necessary move to update the law to help counter
criminals who are taking advantage of new technology.
</BQ>

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Owen Blacker
Senior Internet Developer and InfoSec Consultant, pres.co
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RSA: 0x38fee6c3 |      7c41 e69c 5b8a 484d  22af 1859 f4c9 307b


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