Security Bullet In
Communiques from the security front, sir
Wednesday 18 November 2009, 5:39 PM
Government web-monitoring plans on hold
The Home Office told ZDNet UK on Wednesday that the plans, called both the Interception Modernisation Programme [IMP] and Mastering the Internet, would very likely not be put into law until after the next general election in May 2010.
"It would be fair to say that [IMP] is not in the legislative programme for this session," said a Home Office spokesperson.
ZDNet UK approached the Home Office following the Queen's Speech at the official opening of parliament on Wednesday.
The speech, which is written by the incumbent government, made no mention of plans to bring forward IMP provisions in legslation.
The plans would see Facebook, IM and gaming communications monitored, and the information made available to public authorities. Email and telephone records would also be made more available to public authorities, including local government. This data sharing would be enabled by amendments to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.
The Conservatives may win the next election. The Conservative Party was unable to respond to a request for comment on whether it planned to continue with IMP at the time of writing.
PreviousComments on this post
Good the whole idea needs bloody scrapping! especially when it comes to statements like this; "Email and telephone records would also be made more available to public authorities, including local government."
I should bloody well hope not! local governments are even more incumbent than parliament, and as for local constabulary's they struggle to work together at the best of times, each one of them operates in its own little by gone age, I'm not bloody surprised Doctor Who has a time traveling police box!
"The speech, which is written by the incumbent government, made no mention of plans to bring forward IMP provisions in legslation."
Aye and I'd keep an eye peeled for them trying to slip this one past in the dead of night also when no ones looking!
