UK plans to put MySpace, Facebook etc. under surveillance - ZOMG TERROR THREAT!!

[Syt]

Social network sites 'monitored'

Social networking sites like Facebook could be monitored by the UK government under proposals to make them keep details of users' contacts.

The Home Office said it was needed to tackle crime gangs and terrorists who might use the sites, but said it would not keep the content of conversations.

It is part of a plan to store details of all phone calls, e-mails and websites visited on a central database.

Civil liberties campaigners have called the proposals a "snoopers' charter".

Tens of millions of people use sites like Facebook, Bebo and MySpace to chat with friends, but ministers say they have no interest in the content of discussions - just who people have been talking to.

'Overkill'

Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake said the websites contained sensitive personal details and he was concerned information could leak from any government-controlled database.

The Independent newspaper quoted him as saying similar plans to store phone and email records threatened to be the "most expensive snooper's charter in history".

"It is deeply worrying that they now intend to monitor social networking sites which contain very sensitive data like sexual orientation, religious beliefs and political views," he said.

The newspaper also reported that Chris Kelly, Facebook's chief privacy officer, was considering lobbying ministers over the proposal, which he described as "overkill".

Phone companies are already required to store details of all calls, such as the time and date, location and who made them, for 12 months for possible use in criminal investigations or court cases.

An EU directive ordering data on internet traffic to be stored in a similar way is due to come into effect in the UK on Monday, 6 April.

The government is also considering proposals to store all communications data on a single database, which may be run by a private company.

It has delayed legislation on the move amid concerns about civil liberties and is due to launch a consultation on the plan "shortly", which will set out privacy safeguards.

The Home Office claims the new database is necessary to allow police and security services "keep up with technological advances" and that billing information is already stored by telecoms companies.

A spokesman said: "The government has no interest in the content of people's social network sites and this is not going to be part of our upcoming consultation.

"We have been clear that the communications revolution has been rapid in this country and the way in which we collect communications data needs to change, so that law enforcement agencies can maintain their ability to tackle terrorism and gather evidence."

'Browsing habits'

Shami Chakrabarti, of campaign group Liberty, said she would be "flabbergasted" if the the police and security services were not monitoring social networking sites already and it was "permissible" on human rights grounds to examine the profile of suspects.

But what she said was unacceptable was the government storing all communications data centrally, which she said would allow them to monitor the web browsing habits of ordinary citizens.

"With websites, as opposed to traditional phone calls and e-mails and so on, the difference between what the website you're visiting and what you're doing there, is really blurred.

"I mean just by my web browsing habits, just by which sites I'm visiting, you'll be able to build up... a pretty detailed picture of who I'm associated with, perhaps what my politics is, what my religious preference is and shopping habits are.

"It's a pretty detailed bit of surveillance about a person, about all individual people, most of whom, let's be clear about it, are completely innocent."

'Difficult area'

She added: "That's the difference between being a suspect and just an ordinary citizen, being part of the mainstream population and going about your business in a normal way."

Details of the social website proposals were disclosed by Home Office minister Vernon Coaker earlier this month, at a Commons committee to examine draft EU directives.

He said that the government was considering acting on social networking sites because they were not covered by the latest proposals from Brussels.

Mr Coaker acknowledged that the plan would raise fresh concerns about the right to privacy, saying he accepted it was an "extremely difficult area".

"It is absolutely right to point out the difficulty of ensuring that we maintain a capability and a capacity to deal with crime and issues of national security, and where that butts up against issues of privacy," he said.

The Cabinet Office already monitors popular social network sites such as Facebook, Netmums, Fixmystreet and Mumsnet to see what users are saying about public services.

While I do think the persons running networking site should be summarily executed for crimes against humanity and that their users of their sites should be put in re-education camps I am also strongly against government surveillance or censorship.

Meanwhile, Germany is planning to introduce a law that blocks out access to child porn sites. Law & Order politicians and family values politicians alike are ecstatic, while techies point out that it would be easy to access blocked sites via proxies, trade privately or use those lists to block out other "undesirable" sites (as leaked lists from other countries like Australia or Finland suggest). There's voices among EU commissars calling for similar legislation for all EU countries.

[Valmy]

While I do think the persons running networking site should be summarily executed for crimes against humanity and that their users of their sites should be put in re-education camps I am also strongly against government surveillance or censorship.

Wait so you won't be my friend on facebook?

I should put in a special greeting on my page to all the spooks spying on me.

[Martinus]

I'm of two minds on this. On one hand, this is surely a privacy violation and should be fought in principle, as any such attempt by any government, so that they don't get any ideas. Eternal vigilance and all that.

On the other hand, I'd say as private information goes, stuff you put about yourself on Facebook and MySpace is pretty public anyway and anyone who thinks otherwise is deceiving themselves. Sure, you can set your profile invisible to non-friends and what-not, and this should discourage some garden variety snoopers (like, say, your neighbour or work colleague) from spying on you, but anyone with a more keen interest in you (e.g. a detective or a government official) could easily find this stuff about you if they wanted.

I wonder if I am deemed a security risk because I'm Facebook friends with Israelis, Iranians, trannies and Fireblade, though. 

[Martinus]

And of course, considering the Labour government's track record in protecting sensitive personal data in its care, I expect this to be blown out of water.

What's funny, is that stories like this seem to crop up in the UK much more often than anywhere else. It's either because the UK public is much more vigilant and sensitive to any invasions of privacy, or because the UK government seems to have an unhealthy interest in personal lifes of its citizens - which is it?

[Martinus]

Meanwhile, Germany is planning to introduce a law that blocks out access to child porn sites. Law & Order politicians and family values politicians alike are ecstatic, while techies point out that it would be easy to access blocked sites via proxies, trade privately or use those lists to block out other "undesirable" sites (as leaked lists from other countries like Australia or Finland suggest). There's voices among EU commissars calling for similar legislation for all EU countries.

I'm curious how they propose to accomplish that. Thousands of government officials scouring the internet for child porn? Maybe set some NGO on that - I bet catholic priests would be very eager to lend a hand.

[Martinus]

OMG I just had a thought... have you noticed who has been recently very interested in Facebook and other social networks? 

Brazen works for the secret service. 

[Brazen]

OMG I just had a thought... have you noticed who has been recently very interested in Facebook and other social networks? 

Brazen works for the secret service. 

And now I'm going to have to kill you 

[Syt]

Meanwhile, Germany is planning to introduce a law that blocks out access to child porn sites. Law & Order politicians and family values politicians alike are ecstatic, while techies point out that it would be easy to access blocked sites via proxies, trade privately or use those lists to block out other "undesirable" sites (as leaked lists from other countries like Australia or Finland suggest). There's voices among EU commissars calling for similar legislation for all EU countries.

I'm curious how they propose to accomplish that. Thousands of government officials scouring the internet for child porn? Maybe set some NGO on that - I bet catholic priests would be very eager to lend a hand.

Original proposal said that the list would be complete by the Federal Criminal Investigators. Now it is an "agency", and the supervision isn't clear yet.

[Valmy]

OMG I just had a thought... have you noticed who has been recently very interested in Facebook and other social networks? 

Brazen works for the secret service. 

Send my regards to M!

[garbon]

I'm glad people finally replied to Marty. It was looking a little sad.

[Richard Hakluyt]

And of course, considering the Labour government's track record in protecting sensitive personal data in its care, I expect this to be blown out of water.

What's funny, is that stories like this seem to crop up in the UK much more often than anywhere else. It's either because the UK public is much more vigilant and sensitive to any invasions of privacy, or because the UK government seems to have an unhealthy interest in personal lifes of its citizens - which is it?

It is the way that British politics works. Certain people have been going on about the infringement of liberty here in the UK for some years. They have been largely ignored because they are a load of liberal-minded windbags ("chattering classes"). Their concerns, however, have permeated downwards and the likes of the Daily Mail and the people who read it are banging on about it now. Meanwhile many thousands of people have lost their jobs due to an incompetent elite.

So, the thugs and anarchists will riot this summer, whilst people like me will go on the odd march and slope off to the pub to avoid the boring post-march speeches. Soon the ID cards will be rolled out to the general populace and many will refuse the stupid things, some of them will be grannies who (horror!!) may even be sent to jail!!

Brown will cling on till the latest possible moment, June 2010, and then will be swept from power by the Tories, who will axe a lot of the things that have got people annoyed and then the electorate will resume it's somnolence until they get very annoyed with the Tories round about 2018.