BBC News Online: 'Snoop' plans put on hold

[Peter Mitchell]

David Hansen wrote:
>
> On 18 Jun 2002 at 12:33, Owen Blacker wrote:
>
> > Controversial plans to give a raft of public bodies access to e-mail
> > and mobile phone records are to be postponed indefinitely, the BBC
> > understands.
>
> I doubt it. I also don't believe much of what the BBC says. They have
> been caught lying before.
>
> > Home Secretary David Blunkett is thought to have ordered a re-think of
> > the new surveillance laws
>


I just saw an interview on C4 News where Blunkett said he was
withdrawing the proposal and it would be months before a replacement
came out.


He added: "I apologise that we tried to dishonestly sneak through an
evil, intrusive and repressive law. We will now wait until the fuss has
died down and then try and introduce it again, through some obscure
non-parliamentary process on a day when somebody's detonated a dirty
A-bomb in DC. Meantime by floating these preposterous regulations we
have succeeded in making even RIPA in its current form
look comparatively liberal."

Actually he didn't say *exactly* that, but close enough.

>
> > Communication service providers have agreed to work with the security
> > services to provide access to electronic communications.
>
> Very stupid of them. They need to escape from the cosy world they
> once inhabited and realise that those who survive will be the ones
> who put the interests of the customer first.
>

Stupid, and dishonest. How dare they take it on themselves to disclose
clearly confidential information without consent or judicial warrant.
Their duty is to their customers, just as a bank's or a doctor's is.


--
Pete Mitchell