SIGINT For The Masses

In another example of how the British government is increasingly incapable of telling bad ideas from very bad ideas, the BBC reports that they are going to plough ahead with plans to get communications service providers (CSPs) to monitor and store data on all traffic passing through and over their networks:

The Home Office says it will push ahead with plans to ask communications firms to monitor all internet use. Ministers confirmed their intention despite concerns and opposition from some in the industry. The proposals include asking firms to retain information on how people use social networks such as Facebook.

Some 40% of respondents to the Home Office’s consultation opposed the plans – but ministers say communication interception needs to be updated.

Both the police and secret security services have legal powers in the UK to intercept communications in the interests of combating crime or threats to national security.

But the rules largely focus on communications over telephones and do not cover the whole range of internet communications now being used.

The Home Office says it wants to change the law to compel communication service providers (CSPs) to collect and retain records of communications from a wider range of internet sources, from social networks through to chatrooms and unorthodox methods, such as within online games.

Ministers say that they do not want to create a single government-owned database and only intend to ask CSPs to hold a record of a contact, rather than the actual contents of what was said.

So, basically, Alice spoke to Bob but we don’t know what about. Presumably, finding out the nature and substance of interactions will still require some form of court order, or warrant from senior officials, but it’ll be oh-so-much easier to coerce industry into coughing up the data. I hope there are provisions for refusing requests for data but I somehow doubt it.

The two billion quid this is going to cost will be recouped by the industry in the form of ‘compensation’, whatever that means. Tax breaks?

The case for this form of surveillance has yet to be made convincingly. If you have suspects then there are channels for ensuring proper legal oversight for data requests, weak though they may be in the UK. There are justifiable concerns that data will be used improperly, and let’s not forget against what background this decision, if reported correctly, has been made.

The Home Office itself has just admitted that the use of surveillance powers by local authorities under the RIPA Act needs to be tightened and clarified. These powers are to be exercised only when ‘necessary’ and ‘proportionate’. In England and Wales, more than 10% of the population is on the national DNA database. Meanwhile, at the 31st International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners, a resolution for International Standards on the Protection of Personal Data and Privacy has been adopted, in a move towards data collection transparency that Google has very publicly taken heed of. In Europe, the rights of internet users have just been strengthened and telecomms companies will be required to inform customers when their data has been compromised.

I don’t know the details of the Home Office plans, so don’t wish to speculate too much. However, against a backdrop of multilateral strengthening of law and policy with respect to public privacy and corporate reponsibility, the Home Office’s decision begins to look sorely out of step with the zeitgeist. This probably won’t bother the government. After all, they reject the advice of their own appointed scientific advisers, and they probably only have six months in office before a defeat at the next general election. The next government will probably be Conservative, who are currently looking for ways to scupper constructive relations with Europe. Meanwhile, the British public won’t put up much of a fight against this new surveillance scheme.

Crazy.

Update: Chris Williams at The Register has more details of how the programme will be delayed but will still be forced through.