03 April 2012

New Laws To Be Proposed For Email And Web Monitoring

The Home Office has said new laws could allow monitoring of all emails, text messages and web usage in the UK.

In a statement the Home Office said that the laws will be brought in "as soon as parliamentary time allows".

The plans face heavy criticism but speaking to The Sun Home Secretary Theresa May said "ordinary people" would have nothing to fear but "criminals, paedophiles and terrorists" would.

Police and security services will be able to demand details of who is having the conversation and what time it takes place, but will need a court order to listen to or read the content.

Essentially the proposed new law - which may be announced in the Queen's Speech in May - would reportedly allow GCHQ to access that data as it happens, without a warrant, rather than retrospectively.

Ms May said: "The idea is to update legislation to stop them (criminals) being able to cover their tracks and keep their communication secret."

If passed the new legislation will bring the same kind of surveillance to the UK which takes place in China and Iran.

(LB/GK)