British Spy Agencies Plan Black Box Style Web SurveillanceMick Meaney, Contributor Agencies want to use black box style snooping devices to monitor nearly all web activity including which domain names citizens visit, and Facebook, Twitter and Skype sessions. Known as Deep Packet Inspection, the technology allows agencies who intercept the packets of data to look through the contents. The intrusive regime is expected to cost taxpayers 1.8bn over the next 10 years, as the Home Office claims there is a 25 per cent shortfall in monitoring communications data. The plans are currently in draft form, as the Liberal Democrats have dropped support for the bill. Access to communications data of one sort or another is very important indeed. Its part of the backbone of the way in which we would approach investigations. I think I would be accurate in saying there are no significant investigations that we undertake across the service that dont use communications data because of its ability to tell you the who and the when and the where of your targets activities. The report also hints that Internet Service Providers, landline and mobile phone companies must have a legal foundation to retain data, effectively forcing companies to store our data as Web snooping would become mandatory. Email communications will also be logged. Although access to the contents of the data, such as the email addresses of senders and recipients will require a court order, the time and date stamps of that email will be available. Nick Pickles, director of privacy at civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, told ZDNet: Two expert Parliamentary committees have cast serious doubts on the claim that it is necessary for every persons email, Web site browsing and social media activity needs to be logged and kept for one year. The report recognises there are weaknesses in monitoring people suspected of wrongdoing. It is becoming increasingly difficult for Ministers to justify monitoring every member of the population instead of developing their ability to monitor people who are under suspicion. He also added: The report recognises for national security situations, alternatives are available and are being used. The committee also recognises the growing futility of the Home Offices current approach given the increasing use of encryption. The draft Bill was a shambles and if any legislation is to allay the widespread concerns people have about an vast expansion in the power of the state to monitor every aspect of our lives it will need a fundamental and comprehensive re-write. This is just the latest in the British governments Big Brother agenda, which includes collecting and sharing of private medical information, the use of spy drones, spy cars on our roads, facial recognition CCTV and even authorities illegally installing cameras in peoples homes. More news and videos can be found at Mick Meaneys site RINF.com where this article first appeared. linkwithin_text=Related Articles: 